Lazy beginner question...

[imagineer]

Not sure if it's embarrassing or vilifying, but the process I used for tramming the vise is nearly the same as in the video. I even have a similar "one knob" mag base, and stuck it to the quill like he did.

I did pick up from the video where I'm sure my difficulties stemmed; I didn't partially tighten one of the hold down bolts. As such, the light taps on the vise body were moving the whole thing far too much, and I was literally chasing a moving target.

Another item gleaned off the video are the table covers that also center the vice. A set of those are now on my to-do list.

 

[Dabbler]

I had a mentor over the years, and he made interference fit keys for his offshore mill vise. You had to 'wring' the vise down, they were so tight! He scratched the mill table, lost a fingernail and scored up his workbench with those darn keys... Using a vise with keys was a general pain in the butt...

Just before I disassembled the mill to move it, I checked his vise tram. - it was .001 off. He had been using it professionally for 40 years with the tram off by 1 thou. He had hand lapped his keys off by just a *little* bit...

Instead of the 'easy' way, it is far better to develop skills and take the time to do it right.... 100% on board with Lipton's video. I'm no where near as good.

 

[BGHansen]

Tom Griffin (Tom's Techniques) has a similar video. I really appreciate Tom's videos; they are direct and to the point. His vise-tramming video is 3:11 long.

Bruce

Indicate the vise on a milling machine in just one pass

Time spent on machine set-up is time lost making chips. Here's a quick and simple method to indicate the vise in just one pass and in less than a minute.

tomstechniques.com

YouTube link: