# How do small tool make vises mount?



## Jim_cellarshop (Aug 6, 2013)

Adding a small vise to a lathe milling attachment. I have a lathe milling attachment (Thanks Uglydog) that I want to add a small vise to. It has a fairly large two screw clamp and I was going to try to mount a 3" Kurt-ish clone vise. But the vise is really too large. I may just make a smaller two screw clamp vise, but I was looking at small tool makers vises and was wondering how you mount those? I have also seen several other small vises that do not appear to have any mounting mech. A work area of 1.5 to 2" square would be pleanty. Thanks for your help, Jim.


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## Chuck K (Aug 6, 2013)

Jim, I think what you are referring to are vises used on a surface grinder with a magnetic chuck.  They're very precise vises but they aren't real practical unless you have a mag to mount them to.

Chuck


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## george wilson (Aug 6, 2013)

Small toolmaker's vises aren't made to stand there forces of milling. They may let the work slip. To get the most grip possible,cut pieces of brown paper bag(it has no clay) and interpose them between the workpiece and the vise jaws. They will greatly reduce slippage from the smooth jaws of the vise. I van't guarantee the vise will still grip hard enough,but the paper is great for preventing slipping in normal milling vises. I also put a few strips under the somewhat small tool post that Hardinge uses on their HLVH lathes,of which I have one.


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## Jim_cellarshop (Aug 7, 2013)

Thanks for info. I did not think the tool maker vises would be soft enough to drill & tap. I will keep that in mind. This is for a lathe milling attachment and a lot of what I want to do is fairly small, Zippo lighter size-ish, so will be light cuts. The larger size project will have to wait until i can get a mill. A friend suggested I just mount a block of steel and a backing plate and just mill it for a small C type with screws directly on the lathe. So it looks kinda like the original but smaller. So I may try that if can't find a suitable small vise. I want to add to the current setup, not alter it in case I need the larger clamp-vise later. Thanks, Jim.


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## pineyfolks (Aug 7, 2013)

Jim, You might want to think about removing the clamping setup you have on now and put a flat plate with tapped holes on about a 1 1/2" sq. spacing. You can use toe clamps like you would on a mill. You can also mill some small key slots across the plate to sq.  your work up with or set round stock in to cut keyways.


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