Own design milling vice

After spending a fair bit of time kitting out my workshop, retrofitting CNC machines and a house move. I have reached a point were I can start creating!

but....before I could dive in to rc aero engines I was struggling to find a vice that would fit my Denford Novamill and the projects I had in mind so I decided to design my own. So this became the first project and (I can say now its finished) was a good one for understanding the machines and tooling I can gathered together.

The parts were made on either a Denford Starturn lathe, Novamill or warco mill.

Some drawings.....

Michael,

That looks a very fine piece of Design and Machining

... I hope that Neil will offered the chance to publish !!

MichaelG.

Hi Michael

Very nicely made, you must get a kick out of using it.

Regards
john

Michael, that's too good to bung on a machine and get swarf and cutting fluid on it!

Rick

Michael,

Nice work.

Anyone notice that this vise / vice is ideal for a CNC machine in that the fixed jaw is the one nearest to you ?

So if the left hand side of the fixed jaw is referenced to 0,0 then all moves will be in the X+, Y+ quadrant which is the way most people draw.

The drawback to using a vise where the back jaw if fixed is that 0,0 will move in relation to the width of the blank parts put in the jaws.

Again nice work and do send it in for Neil to use.

[EDIT] Bought a new keyboard but this one spells worse than the last one.

Edited By John Stevenson on 06/04/2014 15:01:18

I have a Novamill awaiting re-commissioning, I'd be interested in the design if you decide to publish.

Hi MIchael,

If you are interested in writing the vice up for MEW, email me on [email protected]

Thanks

Neil

Hi Michael..

This certainly looks the job including the professional drawings detailing it. I too would like to see this in MEW.

John

I would endorse John's comment, I too would like to see it written up, a very elegant piece of engineering.

graham.

Edited By Oompa Lumpa on 06/04/2014 21:20:18

Thanks for the positive comments!

The vice is 80mm wide jaws and opens a maximum of ~80mm so this only just fits on the Novamill. I have fitted a larger bed to my mill and a column raising block so I'm a bit better off for space.

I have component and assembly drawings so an article in MEW would not be impossible.

I like your design Gray, very low profile. My vice uses an 'off the shelf' leadscrew and nut and it was packaging up the nut that really set my height (~60mm)

Future plans are to do end stops and different jaws.

From the shots I have seen Michael your drawings are first rate and very understandable.

First class work Michael. Please publish.

Best regards,

Steve.

Michael

What a sensible and practical vice you have made, to say nothing of the quality of design and construction. Its exemplary.

I look forward to seeing the design in print

Ian P.

Here's a random thought, how about a collaborative article, Gray and Michael - 2 takes on a similar subject.

It would make for an interesting subject to see how 2 experienced and obviously very accomplished engineers approached the subject and came up with similar but different end results.

Micheal, that paint finish is excellent - maybe you could include the paint process as part of the article, I'm sure others would benefit

Graeme

Neil has given me the green light to submit and article for MEW so I will have a go at putting one together and hopefully see my design in print. It will be my first article so will see how it goes.

With regards to the paint I`m embarrassed to say its nothing special just 100ml plastikote spray cans over a grey primer. I like this paint as it has good self levelling properties and remains flexible. How it stands up to oils I will have to wait and see. A column raising block I made for the mill uses the same paint and is still mostly attached.

Were the prints ever published? This looks like a great summer project for me in learning how to use the current Novamill we have at school. If I can make this for it, then I'll be pretty versatile in using the machine. Thanks.

MEW, issues 223 & 224 I believe.

Ok, thanks! Do you think I need both issues or just one? It looks to be on the cover of Issue 223. And looks like I can purchase this in the US also correct? I'm not familiar with this magazine (yet).

I have to ask...how on earth do you get that finish? Ive got a decent set up but I cant get a finish anything like that on the mill??