Small Vice

Just joking. I went from a rung fu, to a Van Norman 22LU. For a bit, I thought I went too big, but it is surprising how delicate the big VN can be.

One cannot be pickey when looking for machine around here.
 
I've got the 3" version of the Shars tool maker's vice. It has the slots down the sides so is easy to clamp to the table. It is OK but the original workings inside were a PIA when you had to move to the next set of holes. I made all new insides and it works better now. I think I'd go for a more traditional mill vice if I had to use it all the time. The 4" one someone posted a link to might be OK. The specs are a long way from a Kurt but so is the price. The Kurt and many of its clones are made so you can put the vice jaws on the opposite sides and get a very large area to clamp to. You can turn the jaws over to get more area sticking above the body. You can also turn them into custom fixturing vices by making different jaws that are machined to hold odd shaped parts. The rear jaw has a groove that takes a small stop. The blocks that hold the jaws have the jaw mounting holes threaded all the way through so you can attach stops or fixtures to stabilize tall work by attaching to the back side. If you screw up and damage the jaws they are replaceable. Soft jaws are available or you can make your own to hold work that might be damaged with the hard steel jaws.

Whatever you do don't try to use a drill press vice as a mill vice. The screw pushes at about the center of the jaw, anything clamped above that point will cause the jaw to tilt and release the work. My used mill came with one. POS! There are Chinese made versions of the Kurt that are way cheaper. Some probably fine for hobby use.
 
Larry$ said:
I've got the 3" version of the Shars tool maker's vice. It has the slots down the sides so is easy to clamp to the table. It is OK but the original workings inside were a PIA when you had to move to the next set of holes. I made all new insides and it works better now. I think I'd go for a more traditional mill vice if I had to use it all the time. The 4" one someone posted a link to might be OK. The specs are a long way from a Kurt but so is the price. The Kurt and many of its clones are made so you can put the vice jaws on the opposite sides and get a very large area to clamp to. You can turn the jaws over to get more area sticking above the body. You can also turn them into custom fixturing vices by making different jaws that are machined to hold odd shaped parts. The rear jaw has a groove that takes a small stop. The blocks that hold the jaws have the jaw mounting holes threaded all the way through so you can attach stops or fixtures to stabilize tall work by attaching to the back side. If you screw up and damage the jaws they are replaceable. Soft jaws are available or you can make your own to hold work that might be damaged with the hard steel jaws.

Whatever you do don't try to use a drill press vice as a mill vice. The screw pushes at about the center of the jaw, anything clamped above that point will cause the jaw to tilt and release the work. My used mill came with one. POS! There are Chinese made versions of the Kurt that are way cheaper. Some probably fine for hobby use.
Click to expand...
This my exact problem...........
I can make good parts, but it takes a lot to get it to hold properly.
 
vice.jpg

I ended up ordering this from LittleMachineShop, three inches wide.
I got the one with cosmetic blemishes for $27 off, lol, ended up being about $90 shipped.
Nice that they give you the option of choosing one with or without blemishes, and give you a deal on it. Hahaha.
 
I have not, it's still sitting on my desk. When I received it I was too excited and started to play around with it right away, not knowing that the grooves on the underside needed to be deburred... and the cross pin that seats in the grooves appears to be made from an unhardened steel. So I buggered it all up. :chagrin: I haven't been able to get out into the shop to make a new one and install the vice. It is a pretty little thing though, and square as well as I can measure it.
 
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