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Cutting a V-Groove in Aluminium

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Dr_GMJN28/03/2021 16:51:22
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1602 forum posts

All, Having tried and failed to find some decent aluminium vice jaws, I’ve glued some aluminium plate to some Draper plastic-lined items (that lasted two uses). I’ll also press some rare earth magnets in there to supplement the pointless originals.

So Id like to put a V-groove along and down the centre of one half, to grip/centre bar.

Can I use a 45 degree chamfer tool for this, or will the central point just gouge the aluminium?

Thanks.

JasonB28/03/2021 17:07:45
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25215 forum posts
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Chamfer mill should do it or an engraving cutter run as fast as you can. Alternative is to grind up a single point tool, just pretend your lathe is a horizontal boring machine like this guy knocks some good stuff out on.

 
The other option is to hold the jaw at 45degrees and just use a 3 or 4 flute cutter
 

 

Edited By JasonB on 28/03/2021 17:15:16

Journeyman28/03/2021 17:12:37
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1257 forum posts
264 photos

I'd use a small end mill or slot drill to cut a slot a little deeper than the required V and then run the chamfer tool along the same path to chamfer both edges at once. Ends up with a groove the shape of the V blocks in the image above.

Didn't bother with soft jaw covers for my vice, simply replaced the hard steel jaws with aluminium section, Holds just as well and no marks from the hard serrated jaws.

vicejaws.jpg

Old jaws on the vice slide and the now somewhat battered aluminium ones fitted, easy to make and replace on my 4" Record bench vice.

John

Edit: Add a bit

Edited By Journeyman on 28/03/2021 17:25:16

Nick Wheeler28/03/2021 17:15:52
1227 forum posts
101 photos

You could do that quickly with a coarse file.

magpie28/03/2021 17:16:24
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508 forum posts
98 photos

I have used 90 degree spot drills to put small V groves in things. Always worked well for me.

Dr_GMJN28/03/2021 17:51:35
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1602 forum posts

Thanks for the ideas all.

Dr_GMJN29/03/2021 21:35:19
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1602 forum posts
Posted by Journeyman on 28/03/2021 17:12:37:

I'd use a small end mill or slot drill to cut a slot a little deeper than the required V and then run the chamfer tool along the same path to chamfer both edges at once. Ends up with a groove the shape of the V blocks in the image above.

Didn't bother with soft jaw covers for my vice, simply replaced the hard steel jaws with aluminium section, Holds just as well and no marks from the hard serrated jaws.

vicejaws.jpg

Old jaws on the vice slide and the now somewhat battered aluminium ones fitted, easy to make and replace on my 4" Record bench vice.

John

Edit: Add a bit

Edited By Journeyman on 28/03/2021 17:25:16

Went for your ideas in the end (not sure what to do with the plain magnetic ones that are now half finished!). Two advantages - they can't fall off at an inconvenient time, and also you can grip very small things right at the top edge without them pivoting themselves off the jaws. I had to make the countersinks bigger, and turn down the bolts to make sure they wouldn't touch any small diameter bar sitting within the centering grooves. Ideally they'd be aluminium screws I guess:









Also gave it a blow over with blue paint while I was at it.

Cheers.

Grizzly bear29/03/2021 21:49:53
337 forum posts
8 photos

Nice work Dr.

Bear..

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