Posted: 6/3/2025 5:15:16 PM EDT
|
While making the brackets to install my DRO's I needed to take some long cuts on the thin edge of a piece of 15" long .25" thick x 3" wide 6061. Since I have a 4" vise I wound up just milling 8" or so and sliding the piece in the vise as it wasn't a critical dimension , however, I'm wondering if a second vise would have helped and if so how that would have worked if I had to do a 24"+ long piece since the vises would be 16" apart from each other in that setup? Would the better way have been to clamp it it flat wise on some 1-2-3 blocks, indicate it on the table, and then mill the edge that way or would a second vise be a better idea? |
|
Originally Posted By Firestarter123: That’s what I was wondering about as I’d have to lay it flat on 1-2-3 blocks or something since I need to narrow it down. Originally Posted By Firestarter123: Originally Posted By ske714: Can you not toe-clamp the material directly on the table? That’s what I was wondering about as I’d have to lay it flat on 1-2-3 blocks or something since I need to narrow it down. My edit was too slow. Hang it over the edge of a T-slot. |
9 lives - 9 pellets... Coincidence?
|
Originally Posted By ske714: My edit was too slow. Hang it over the edge of a T-slot. Originally Posted By ske714: Originally Posted By Firestarter123: Originally Posted By ske714: Can you not toe-clamp the material directly on the table? That’s what I was wondering about as I’d have to lay it flat on 1-2-3 blocks or something since I need to narrow it down. My edit was too slow. Hang it over the edge of a T-slot. I’m not sure if my fear of milling into the table would allow me to do that but that is an option. |
|
Originally Posted By ske714: Or lay it on another piece of stock. It wouldn't need to be all that flat on the table if you're taking the entire edge. That would work. I’d just need to indicate it in though before clamping it down, correct? If it wasn’t a critical dimension I could line it up with the t-slot I suppose? |
|
Assuming your t-slots are the standard 5/8ths width, I'd be inclined to do it as follows: Put some 5/8th pins (square stock works too) in one of the t-slots with t-nuts between them. With the given length, three pins should be adequate. Use these pins as a fence to put the opposite side of the bar against. Toe clamp the bar on support blocks or another bar. The blocks or bar need to be placed with clearance for the final dimension, or need to be sacrificial. Note: the pins need to stick up slightly above the the table by the thickness of the blocks and material. This method saves indication time, and if you have multiple parts, it is fairly quick to change to the next part. |
If I were a hedonist, I'd be a hermit.
You need a good airgun if you don't have one already.
You need a good airgun if you don't have one already.
|
Originally Posted By ArimoDave: Assuming your t-slots are the standard 5/8ths width, I'd be inclined to do it as follows: Put some 5/8th pins (square stock works too) in one of the t-slots with t-nuts between them. With the given length, three pins should be adequate. Use these pins as a fence to put the opposite side of the bar against. Toe clamp the bar on support blocks or another bar. The blocks or bar need to be placed with clearance for the final dimension, or need to be sacrificial. Note: the pins need to stick up slightly above the the table by the thickness of the blocks and material. This method saves indication time, and if you have multiple parts, it is fairly quick to change to the next part. Thank you very much for the detailed explanation!!! |
|
Originally Posted By macloud: You can never have enough vises. I currently have 4 Kurt 688s. 2 stay on the Bridgeport all the time. The other 2 get used on the horizontal machine and once I had 3 on the Bridgeport. I paid $300 for the last one, deals can be found from time to time. You win 
|
|
I finally got them both trammed in after getting a piece of Thomson linear shaft to align them both front to back. It was a bigger PITA than I thought it’d be though. I finally went with tramming one vise, inserting the shaft, clamping both vises down on it, and then making the minor adjustments to the second vise. I’m within .001” over 12” so I’m calling it good for now. Fun fact…the vises aren’t exactly the same even though they’re both the newer style Kurt DX4 as the bolt heads for the jaws are smaller on the newer one which is really weird. I think I’m going to email Kurt and ask about that. ETA: It appears that the Haas vise is the metric version so I guess I'll sell it and buy another standard since the jaws and the jaw fasteners aren't the same between them. Kurt says that's the only difference though. Attached File |
|
Originally Posted By VHLNSK: Looks like you completed this, so I am a bit late to the party.... What about two vises, make soft jaws for each, then cut both sets of jaws at the same time to true/align them together? Pretty sexy table protectors! You make them yourself? The soft jaw idea is a good one! I could also machine in a step at the same time that way to use as built-in parallels. Clough42 had the idea for the table covers but he made them for a PM-728VT so I designed my own version for the PM833-TV. I’ve been very happy with them. They’re up on my Thingiverse library (same user) if anyone wants them. |
|
Originally Posted By Firestarter123: The soft jaw idea is a good one! I could also machine in a step at the same time that way to use as built-in parallels. Clough42 had the idea for the table covers but he made them for a PM-728VT so I designed my own version for the PM833-TV. I’ve been very happy with them. They’re up on my Thingiverse library (same user) if anyone wants them. Originally Posted By Firestarter123: Originally Posted By VHLNSK: Looks like you completed this, so I am a bit late to the party.... What about two vises, make soft jaws for each, then cut both sets of jaws at the same time to true/align them together? Pretty sexy table protectors! You make them yourself? The soft jaw idea is a good one! I could also machine in a step at the same time that way to use as built-in parallels. Clough42 had the idea for the table covers but he made them for a PM-728VT so I designed my own version for the PM833-TV. I’ve been very happy with them. They’re up on my Thingiverse library (same user) if anyone wants them. Are both vises the same height off the table? I've bought matched sets for that reason, 3 of them are usually mounted together on one machining center. I make a lot of soft jaws, some just have steps but a lot of them are machined to hold an irregular shaped part. Often those 3 vises will have a different set of jaws in each one for running parts in stages, load a blank in one vise then shuttle it to the next for a different operation. That is for production runs when spindle time is paramount. |
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. In the end, the one who wins is the one who thinks he can! - SCI, NRA
Team Ranstad
Team Ranstad
|
Originally Posted By TinSpinner: Are both vises the same height off the table? I've bought matched sets for that reason, 3 of them are usually mounted together on one machining center. I make a lot of soft jaws, some just have steps but a lot of them are machined to hold an irregular shaped part. Often those 3 vises will have a different set of jaws in each one for running parts in stages, load a blank in one vise then shuttle it to the next for a different operation. That is for production runs when spindle time is paramount. Originally Posted By TinSpinner: Originally Posted By Firestarter123: Originally Posted By VHLNSK: Looks like you completed this, so I am a bit late to the party.... What about two vises, make soft jaws for each, then cut both sets of jaws at the same time to true/align them together? Pretty sexy table protectors! You make them yourself? The soft jaw idea is a good one! I could also machine in a step at the same time that way to use as built-in parallels. Clough42 had the idea for the table covers but he made them for a PM-728VT so I designed my own version for the PM833-TV. I’ve been very happy with them. They’re up on my Thingiverse library (same user) if anyone wants them. Are both vises the same height off the table? I've bought matched sets for that reason, 3 of them are usually mounted together on one machining center. I make a lot of soft jaws, some just have steps but a lot of them are machined to hold an irregular shaped part. Often those 3 vises will have a different set of jaws in each one for running parts in stages, load a blank in one vise then shuttle it to the next for a different operation. That is for production runs when spindle time is paramount. They’re supposed to all be within .0005” according to Kurt. I now have 3 DX4 vises as well  I need to actually measure them but Kurt said they stopped doing matched vises and just machine them all the same as of a few years ago. |