Member postings for James Margrave

I'll add a pic tomorrow as I'll use the new vise to mill the clocking tenons, the reason for the new vise was a its 6" but the original one when you do the vise up as its only 2" jaws a) it dosnt support bigger lumps for milling or drilling but b) you have to put a round bar between the slide side of the vise and your material as otherwise the vise can very slightly twist the item so when you mill the left to right is level but the front to back goes out when you tighten the vise if you don't put a round bar in, it even shows you to do this in the manual its a dam pain. It can then take 20 mins to setup a small item to cut as your trying to get the item level and keep the round bar in place and clamp the jaws without it all moving.

The new vise is far better and when you do up the jaws it dosnt twist the material so you can just clamp your material into the jaws rather than trying to stop with front to back twist.

Edited By James Margrave on 16/01/2021 23:52:02

Hi guys once again thanks for all the help and advise.

So I measured the vise and took a punt. It was a few mm wider than the cross slide if I put the vise at 90 degrees to the headstock so I bit the bullet and decide it would just fit this way and get both security bolts on.

I first measured the depth of the grove in the vise this was 2.35mm I then set the original vise up and put a 25mm mill bit in and set it up so the tenons would be cut leaving a 2.2mm step as my groves in the cross slide were 12mm and the tenons and vise grove14mm wide so they needed to be milled a tiny bit 1mm each side. This also ment the vise would sit flush and level on the cross slide as the tenons step would be 0.15mm into the vise grove.

I took a flat block so hight would be same everytime and set the first tenon up once leveled I then locked all the lathe up and just worked by cutting across the lathe so the step would be the same every time. I milled the 2 tenons on one side each taking off 1mm on each I then put each tenon in and milled the other side till it was 11.98mm wide. I then marked the side I knew was cut the same and fitted these tenons to the vise with the marks facing the same direction.

I then fitted the new vise at 90deg and rotated it on the swivel of the vise 90deg I then measured it all and got it dead square. I then marked the vise and the base of the vise, and removed and refitted 3 times each time re squaring the vise. The mark lined up everytime.

So the vise sits on sideways and then I have to rotate it 90deg on the vise swivel base. It dosnt give me the best spread of weight but as its such a big vise 6" jaws there is enough strength there not to work about the vise flexing if drilling something unlike a small 2" vise might. I can if needs be remove the swivel base of the vise and fit the vise directly to the cross slide if I'm really worried but this way I have no ease of squaring the vise up but would get the vise to be sat on the cross slide under the jaws if needed for drilling but as said given the size of the vise I dowt it would ever flex on the swivel base its a big heavy lump at 9-11kg

Ov if I use the vise it still needs squaring off everytime but it gets me 99% there by eye and is alot quicker to fit than if I didn't have tenons.

I've got to do the same with my clocking base but this does fit the other cross slide either way round.

Thanks for everyone's help its made it alot easier and also been good to get other ideas and a better understanding of alignment. And also the correct part names.

Edited By James Margrave on 16/01/2021 23:35:03

Edited By James Margrave on 16/01/2021 23:41:46

Thanks guys, I need to get back into shed and check but I think the vise will fit if I put the vise base as 90deg and bolt along the length of the cross slide the swivel the vise 90 round and then align this so it's straight. This will also remove any miss alignment but I need to go test it if not yes there are sub tables I could fit.

I prob could have got a slightly smaller vise but a bigger vise is better fir my use as I can also use it on the big floor mount pillar drill too rather than having 2 different vise.

Will report and let you guys know how I get on as never know if someone else is in same position

Edited By James Margrave on 14/01/2021 22:50:39

Hi guys sorry for long delay! Been a very tough few days,

That's for all your replies,

Not done it yet, yes would normally ask / get him to do it but I've been quarantined for 10 days as work mate had covid and now my wife has it so again got to add on another 10 days (think I gave it to her but I've had no symptoms but got tested when she did and had it too but she was ill) so anyways getting and asking her brother was out the question at mo

Nick Farr yes thats it.

I've done some digging and yes the new vise has a slot in it with 2 pre drilled tapped holes. Ive bought some (tenons) keys that fit the vise (thanks for the info above and what they are called I managed to find a pack of 5) but unfortunately the lathe tee slots are around 1mm each side too narrow compared to the vise pre cut slot and the new keys,

Im going to mill the 1mm off that slicks out from the grove on the vise so it will line up.

Thanks for help above regards to a dial gauge yes I have one I will use to check my work after cutting the keys and as normal once fitted to check work is level and square before cutting. I could just bolt on and use dial gauge but my other problem is my cross slide isn't quite wide enough to put a t bolt at each end of the vise only 1 end so need atleast 1 key on the vise inorder to stop the vise moving at the end I can't clamp down, it's a big heavy vise so can't see it moving with just 1 tee bolt In but will have to check to make sure it doesn't then tilt the vise when done up

I could solve by putting a tee slotted plate onto my cross plate to make it bigger and will prob do this but for now thanks to your help I can aleast use it as is.

I've also discovered the ones I have for my rotary table I have to mill too but gives me something to do.

Edited By James Margrave on 14/01/2021 00:22:14

Hi guys I've got a chester model b. It's quite a few years old but got given it and it's has hardly been used.

I've decided as I'm going to keep it as fir the small work I do do it's actually quite useful and despite having its limits it just about does what I want now it's had everything adjusted and quite a bit changed so there is no play and is far better aligned. I mostly make odd bits for marine engines bolts, new inserts, machining bits out to fit bearings ect.

I've just spent a small fortune on some new equipment for it as its good quality stuff and if I do get a better lathe it would only compliment a better lathe, the stuff also makes the chester b far better than the stuff you get stock so it's not money waisted as alot of the stuff my brother inlaw said to get (works as a precision engineer) and its also stuff he uses on his own lathes and mills.

One of the items is a new vise the stock one is far too small and not very accurate or good but is fine as a tool post holder and that's about it but I will still need to use the original vise as atoll post holder. The new vise will be used for any drilling and milling. The new vise comes with 2 t-bolts and nuts. But it has an alignment slot grove down the middle with the 2 holes in and has 2 cut outs at the end for the t-bolts to hold the vise down.

My problem is the new vise didn't come with the small rectangular blocks that bolt onto the bottom of the vise in the slot so it sits square in the cross slide grove. You'll have to excuse me but I can use the machine but don't know all the parts / terms. What are these blocks / keys, alignment studs called as I've looked but can only find t nuts or a t slot inset (for myford lathe). The stock vise you can just undo the t bolts and lift the vise off and then refit as these 2 small block fit into the cross slide and align it perfectly and you just redo up the t bolts to secure from moving.

Do I just but t nuts and remove the wider shoulders or is there a specific name for these little alignment blocks? I'm also assuming they come in different sizes? Or do you have to mill them down to it fits your particular lathe?