Drilling machine Vice hold down bolts

That's bolts for the vice. Finger problems on my part.

My Mitco drilling machine has a table with T-slots, but, the issue that had been a real PITA has been the method I was using to secure the vice.

As can be seen in the photos, Mitco drilling machine album, I used a cap head screw into the T-nut, with shouldered nut fastening down onto the vice.

During November I cried enough is enough, as every time I needed to move the vice, the cap screw would tilt when loosened, causing the T-nut to tilt as well and dig into the table thus preventing me moving the vice easily.

Longer T-nuts would have solved the tilting, but not the need to use a spanner, and in any case, there was no way of getting longer T-nuts in.

The BH600G lathe amongst many other machines, has a level operated locking screw for the Cross-slide, and this looked the ideal solution, and so it's proven to be.

All that's now needed is a 1/4 turn to either loosen or tighten, with the non-threaded section a close fit in the vice slot, so no more tilting.

The T-nut's leading/trailing edges have been chamfered as a precaution against them digging in, so they now slide in the T-slots without jamming up, but they no longer tilt as before.

There is no way of getting across the absolute pleasure those two small metal assemblies have made to using the drilling machine now.

Next to receive this treatment will be the lathe Saddle locking bolt, and any others I can find.

Geoff - Organizing the workshop is going to take me far far longer than I planned.

Edited By OuBallie on 06/12/2013 14:40:44

The header should be:

Drilling machine vice hold down bolts.

Can one of the moderators add the extra word please?

Geoff - We can edit contents but not headers once posted, any reason why not?

Done

The thread editing allows whole threads to be moved, deleted etc so I suppose they don't want people playing about and accidently wiping something.

J

Hi OuBallie,

Nicely done and nicely recorded.

These small things certainly give you a lasting thrill.

Note to self; Must get out more..

Regards, Bear..

If there's enough clearance around the bolts a spring over each tee nut may help. Colin

Thank you J.

Appreciate your comments Bear, tks.

Will give your suggestion a try Colin, and report back.

Geoff - Workshop heater turned on so need to wait for it to warm up. Cold workshop & I do not get on well together.