- Joined
- Jan 10, 2019
- Messages
- 1,042
This is more a public service notice than an outright complaint, though it does make one wonder.
I bought 5/8" Kurt vise keys for their 6" DX6, thinking that it would be an accurate and easy (though not cheap) solution to keying the vise to the center T-slot—hah.
The PM935 manual does recommend vise keys, but notes, "...The T-slots on PM TS and TV mills are nominally 5/8", but check before working on the keys." Good advice, because the two outer T-slots measure 0.626", but the center slot, the one I wanted to use, measures 0.618". Did they use a different cutter on only the center slot(?), or were they just sloppy? Obviously, it's not hard* to mill down the keys to fit, but one has to wonder what that did at the factory.
If I had followed the manual and measured the center slot first, I wouldn't have bought these keys. Oh, and I did consider mounting the vice to one of the outer slots, but it ends up too cantilevered for comfort, and probably affects accuracy.
* Well, it might be hard, literally, since the keys are probably heat treated.
I bought 5/8" Kurt vise keys for their 6" DX6, thinking that it would be an accurate and easy (though not cheap) solution to keying the vise to the center T-slot—hah.
The PM935 manual does recommend vise keys, but notes, "...The T-slots on PM TS and TV mills are nominally 5/8", but check before working on the keys." Good advice, because the two outer T-slots measure 0.626", but the center slot, the one I wanted to use, measures 0.618". Did they use a different cutter on only the center slot(?), or were they just sloppy? Obviously, it's not hard* to mill down the keys to fit, but one has to wonder what that did at the factory.
If I had followed the manual and measured the center slot first, I wouldn't have bought these keys. Oh, and I did consider mounting the vice to one of the outer slots, but it ends up too cantilevered for comfort, and probably affects accuracy.
* Well, it might be hard, literally, since the keys are probably heat treated.
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