Recommended Clamps For Kurt Vise

Susan_in_SF

Wood and Metal Goddess
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Hi guys,
Despite my love of vintage machinery, i am still keeping my 1976 Taiwanese Jet mill drill due to money and space constraints (1 car garage). I have been wanting a Kurt vise for my mill drill for quite awhile, but they were always too expensive.

Since my milling table is only 9-3/8" x 23-1/2" and since I cannot lift heavy items (rheumatoid arthritis), I picked up a small cheap import 4" milling vise awhile ago. It works ok, but I know the quality is nowhere nears a Kurt. Plus, I am aware of how some of these import vises have tons of filler in it to make it look like it's not crap.

Here is a pic of my little old mill drill, for the heck of it.

**A random tidbit I like the fact that my Jet mill drill is so old, it has a metal pulley cover instead of usual plastic that most later made mill drills have.**
20170319_233207.jpg
The same old guy who I recently bought my Baldor carbide grinder from advertised on craigslist a 4" Kurt vise, with handle, for $195. I called him because I was interested in buying it. It was then that he found out that he mistakenly posted the vise for $195, instead of his intended $295. However, since he liked me, he said, "I'll let you have this $400 vise for $195. You know they normally sell for $400, right?" I played along, and said yes (by the way, this seller just resells items, like this vise, that he buys at machine shop auctions.) Before I called him for this vise, I did research on the vise model. I will just say that the retail price is way more than $400 ;-) .

The vise model is PT400A, an Ang Lock vise made for CNC's, whatever that means. I like the fact that I could mount this vise sideways or vertically, if I wanted. Here are some pictures of the vise:
00f0f_8Ti6UAcreMe_600x450.jpg00K0K_l0xQjXdCB6H_600x450.jpg00V0V_3JUnf9iyfQD_600x450.jpg
Unlike the Kurt D series vises, which had vertical round clamp holes sticking out on the side of the vise, this vise has rectangular horizontal facing holes within the vise body.

I could still clamp this vise down without your input, but I thought I'd ask you wiser experienced folks what would you recommend for clamping down this vise, if there is a better way then the typical hold downs.

Also, is there any reason to not buy this model vise, in your opinion?

Thank you, in advance, for your friendly responses to my all my long winded postings where I write a book on my life before getting to the point or where I start out with one question and end up asking 20 ;-)
Susan
 
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Looks like a nice vise. Like a grinding vise where you can put on any side and it be square and parallel. If we’re me I’d make 2 pairs of hold downs exactly the same. A L on its side let’s say. Horizontal at least .500 thick about 2-3” long. Pop a hole for your stud size. Vertical leg i would measure the thickness of the base of vice and add maybe .050-.100. Make it so vertical is wide enough to span keyway slot by at least a .500 on both sides of slot. Hopefully each recess in vise is same height so can be used in any position.
 
You can use anything to clamp the vice down. An extra thick washer, a cap screw, a t-nut, and a spacer on each side would work well. You could also make some special stepped clamps, a nice little milling project.
 
What is the height of the bottom of the step? Height of the whole step?
 
I took a couple of pics tonight. Hopefully the pics will tell you.20181125_220955.jpg20181125_221027.jpg
It looks like the side holes are 2" wide and 3/4" tall and is 1/2" from bottom of the vise.
 
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