# Setting up and using V-blocks



## PHPaul (Jun 27, 2018)

I tried to search on this topic as I imagine it's a common question for beginners, but couldn't come up with a search phrase that led me to anything.

I managed to kludge together a set up to bore a hole in a piece of 5/16th inch round stock for a cotter pin but it was NOT pretty.  It presented three major questions:

1.  How do you clamp the v-block to the table on the mill?  The slots on the sides are too small for a standard clamping kit.    I can clamp on the top lip but that gets in the way of things pretty quickly.  I milled a step on a piece of flat stock so it would fit in the side slot, but it wasn't very secure.  For example, I wouldn't be comfortable milling a flat on a piece of round stock with that setup.

2.  The stirrup clamp (if that's the right name) that holds the stock in the v-block gets in the way of the drill chuck pretty quickly.  Somewhat better if I'm using a collet and a center drill but still not much clearance.

3.  How do you ensure that the v-block is square on the table, or put another way, that the vee is parallel to the t-slots and aligned with the milling head?


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## T Bredehoft (Jun 27, 2018)

Mount the V block on its side in the mill vice, with the rod extending out the side.


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## P. Waller (Jun 27, 2018)

Put the V block in a vice on its side and use the vice to clamp the part, this is much more secure. If the part is below the top of the V place a piece of square or rectangular stock that is narrow enough to reach the part, parallels work well for this. If a repetitive part mill a soft jaw for this purpose.

Like so


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## David S (Jun 27, 2018)

Mount the V block in the vice as others have said.  I find the clamps that come with them also get in the way of the chuck, so I have made some adjustable clamps for my v-blocks.




David


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## Richard King 2 (Jun 27, 2018)

Many drill press vise have V grooves cut in them for holding round shafts.  Vertical for drilling the end and horizontal for drilling across  holes for cotter pins, etc.


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## PHPaul (Jun 27, 2018)

Ah.  Thanks, lots of food for thought here.


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## mickri (Jun 27, 2018)

I have been wondering about this too.  One thing that I  thought of was to drill a hole down through the block and use a flat head machine screw screwed into a "T" block to clamp the block to the table.    And to keep the block from twisting have the T block extend up through the table and fit into a slot on the bottom of the block  Did a quick sketch to show what I am thinking.  I did not include the screw or the countersink for the screw head in the V in the sketch.






You could also drill and tap holes in the flats on each side of the V to hold clamps to hold the work piece in place.


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## PT Doc (Jun 27, 2018)

Drill that v block will not be easy.


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## P. Waller (Jun 27, 2018)

V-Blocks are available with tapped holes in them.

https://www.subtool.com/st/vb_precision_steel_vee_blocks.html


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## RJSakowski (Jun 28, 2018)

My short step clamps will seat in the grooves on my V blocks.  I usually use them in the milling vise though.  When I need more aggressive work hold down, I will use a step clamp rather than the clamp from the V block.
If I need to align the V with the x or y ways, I will sweep one of the outside faces of the block.


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## Bob Korves (Jun 28, 2018)

When drilling round stock it also helps to mill a small flat with an end mill before drilling the hole to keep the drill from deflecting off center.


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