Kurt Vice Tip

Charley Davidson

Active User
Registered
Joined
Nov 8, 2011
Messages
1,678
Everybody may already know this but I thought I'd pass it along anyhow. I needed to mill a plate that was larger than the capacity of my jaws on my Kurt. I took the rear jaw off and moved it to the outside rear and bolted it on. You can do the same on the movable jaw for even more capacity. You do need to keep in mind that the vice is under your work piece if your drilling or milling through. You could go one step further and make a set of soft jaws for this task.

Vice jaw swap (640x480).jpg Stepper motor mount (640x480).jpg
 
Also bear in mind that using the jaws in the outside position(s), you are now not compressing the jaws/work, and the clamping force is putting the attaching bolts in tension, so you don't have quite as strong a setup.
 
Well could I use longer bolts them Tony ??? Just kidding, being a smart alec.

That's a good point to be aware of !
dickr
 
Just a further point, Kurt even shows your setup on their documentation. Also shown is one jaw liner on the outside and one held in the normal position.
Jerry
 
Also shown is one jaw liner on the outside and one held in the normal position.
Jerry

That's how I have mine in that pic. I moved the fixed jaw that gave me more milling space over the open part of the vice.
 
Good tip Charley I have done the same on occasion, and a few times had to move the pair of jaws to the other sides for large work pieces.
 
good tip i probably can use it in the next days
 
this i a handy trick, and i agree with tony about strength, but i would also add: watch out for any through holes needed in the work piece, you could end up cutting into the vise itself. Not necessarily a devastating thing but not a real good pracitce either.:nono:
 
I would have thought most knew those holes were drilled on purpose for extending the opening. I would suggest before you clamp something there you set your bottom limit by touching you cutter to a .005" shim (when cutter is off) so your not guessing and hoping you do not hit the top. Another handy accessory is a set of different height parallels to hold you part up in the vise.
 
Back
Top