Bearing Ball with Flat for Vise work...?

[Millalot]

I've used a flatted ball (with sandblasted flat surface against the workpiece) and a short length of suitably sized steel pipe (against the vise jaw). You can cut the chunk of pipe pretty short. As long as it holds the surface of the ball off the vise jaw, it won't cause a dimple. I'd suppose you could add a small rare earth magnet inside the pipe to help hold the arrangement together while closing the vise (making it a bit less fussy). It's not a perfect solution, and Bob does raise a couple more valid points. But the pipe-and-ball method is also quick and easy, and will accommodate larger part variations than squishable wire will.

My method is in reverse with the flat against the vice jaw, a 1/2" ball with a flat of one third of its diameter. If it puts a small dimple in the work piece it is no big deal, generally in squaring blocks it will be machined out any way.
Main thing it keeps the pressure down the center line of the vice and if the ball is positioned slightly bellow the center height of the jaw it will help to minimize jaw lift.

 

[ChazzC]

Chris at Tigermoth Racing has a video showing his version of a 1" ball with a flat (and a handle):

I tracked down the ball at McMaster (Steel Ball Knob, 1" 6045K56, 3/4" 6045K31). They also have partially threaded studs for handles if you want to save a time (you'll need to chop some of the threaded end like Chris did). I confirmed with both McMaster and the knob manufacturer that the balls are made from 12L14, so milling the flat is easy.

I made mine using the 3/4" Ball Knob to better suit the 3" vise on my mini-mill:





The handle was a 5" long piece of 3/16" unknown steel rod (pretty tough) that I had salvaged from something in the dim past. Reduced the OD to 0.177 3/8" long on one end to create shoulder and threaded to the shoulder. I left the length as-is to make it easier to maneuver in the vise.


Charlie

 

[aliva]

I made a couple of the balls a few back, never used them yet but they are there in case
Mr. Pete made a set of swivel vise jaws that you may find interesting.

 

[nnam]

I used all sorts of scrap to shim things, but never thought a ball bearing would help. That's interesting and counterintuitive. It reminds me of the opposite, which sand paper is used in clamping.

 

[EmilioG]

Great ideas here. So many thinkers and problem solvers.
AND, no stupid jokes and insults.
Anyway, I need some ways to hold/clamp small fasteners.
Sometimes I have to repair or cut & clean small bolts. How are people here holding bolts in general and
on the mill or lathe? Photos welcome. Thanks

 

[WobblyHand]

I've had mixed results on a lathe, but I use double jammed nuts to hold a screw that I am grinding to length in a belt sander. (Use vise-grips to hold the back nut.) I find it takes just moments to get the screw to length that way. Just grind until you touch the nut. On a lathe, I often find the screw wants to loosen..

 

[drrags]

I took a GM A/C compressor apart today, because I was bored and I found all these half-balls under the pistons.

 

[mikey]

Ooh, ooh, I have a tool to show you guys. I'll post a new thread instead of hijacking this one.

 

[ChazzC]

I made a couple of the balls a few back, never used them yet but they are there in case
Mr. Pete made a set of swivel vise jaws that you may find interesting.

Thanks, Aliva: I watched Mr. Pete's Swivel Clamp videos a while back to see how he made the serrations on the jaws. I have a small Quadrallel that I got last year that works similarly to Mr. Pete's design, but both of these are for parts with flat faces that aren't parallel (the Quadrallel can handle parts with faces that are skewed in two directions) whereas the ball trick will work with just about anything as long as it has one flat face.

As always, Mr. Pete's video does present some great techniques and design details.


Thanks again,


Charlie

 

[brino]

Sometimes I have to repair or cut & clean small bolts. How are people here holding bolts in general and
on the mill or lathe? Photos welcome. Thanks

On the lathe, I use collets with fasteners. They allow me to grab onto the threads tightly, but without damage.

On the mill, one idea I saw (but have not built yet) was to get a block of aluminum, drill and tap a series of holes down the middle, what ever various sizes you'll need. Then split the block along that centre line (bandsaw or slitting saw). You use the two half blocks in the mill vice like special purpose jaws to grab the threaded sections without damage. Of course you can also consider them as sacrificial jaws and cut right into the aluminum block.

-brino