Tightening up a screwless vise

One of the nice things about living across town from All Industrial (and a 10-minute drive from LMS) is that I can get stuff fast without paying for premium shipping.

kurt-vise.jpg

I'm still scratching my head about fastening it to the table. There's no positioning I can find that will place both of those semi-circle openings at the front and back of the vise (the forward one being visible here) over T-slots at the same time. I guess that since there's a lip at the left and right ends of the vise's base, I could dig into my clamp kit and find something to clamp them down with. Is there a slicker way to do this?
 
Frank O said:
One of the nice things about living across town from All Industrial (and a 10-minute drive from LMS) is that I can get stuff fast without paying for premium shipping.

View attachment 314728

I'm still scratching my head about fastening it to the table. There's no positioning I can find that will place both of those semi-circle openings at the front and back of the vise (the forward one being visible here) over T-slots at the same time. I guess that since there's a lip at the left and right ends of the vise's base, I could dig into my clamp kit and find something to clamp them down with. Is there a slicker way to do this?
Click to expand...
Mill vices are typically mounted 90 degrees from that. You use the same tslot for both bolts.
 
Nice vise but that vise is way too big for your mill IMO. As Erich mentioned, vises are not normally mounted in that position.
 
darkzero said:
Nice vise but that vise is way too big for your mill IMO. As Erich mentioned, vises are not normally mounted in that position.
Click to expand...

I see the point about size. I'd been thinking that there was plenty of room on the table for this vise when positioned as in my photo, but when 90 degrees from that, not so.
 
For the X2 mini mill, most people use a 3" screwless vise or even a 4" screwless. A 4" Kurt style vise is too much vise for that size machine. I have heard of people using them but they modify the vise by milling off the front for clearance. Even then it's still too big. No way I would do that to a brand new Kurt let alone a used one, a really cheap import maybe.

A 3" screwless vise should hold parts just fine for your mill. You may have an issue with your vise if it's slipping. IMO if you need a larger vise I'd go with a 4" screwless at the most but a 3" screwless should be perfectly fine as most people are using.

But hey, now that you have the 4" Kurt in hand & if you decide to keep it, now you have an excuse to buy a larger mill! :D
 
darkzero said:
For the X2 mini mill, most people use a 3" screwless vise or even a 4" screwless.
Click to expand...

I've had an x2 mini-mill, but this one is actually a little bigger, an LMS 5550 / Sieg x2.7. LMS calls it a "bench mill" rather than "mini mill."

Having said that, the DX4 does seem big for it. Can't see buying a larger mill at this point, though.

If you look back at the beginning of the thread, my issue is that I've been using a 3" screwless vise I bought years ago for my old mini-mill, but have been having trouble getting it tightened on workpieces. I was liking the idea of going with a vise with a screw. Is there anything smaller than a Kurt DX4 that could work, without going back to a screwless vise?
 
I admit, I only briefly skimmed through the thread after seeing your Kurt purchase post. I have a RF-45 style mill & I have milled using a 3" screwless vise once without any issue. I wasn't hogging away material though. I have a 5" Kurt style vise but I also have a 4" screwless vise. You mentioned being close to LMS, I've seen 3" non-screwless vises at LMS before. I know nothing about them though nor did I look at them closely, just remembered seeing them there.

Edit: N/M, looks like I have viewed this thread before & posted earlier. Man I must be getting old too soon. :D
 
Thought it might be bit too big.

Kurt used to make a D30, a 3" machine vise. They are really rare nowadays but I happened to check ebay and there's two listed. The seller taking offers. Here is the first and here is the second. I think these things are quite used and I would bid at about 30% of retail so maybe $120 - 180 max.
 
They have 3" in both CNC & Kurt style.

littlemachineshop.com

Vises: Milling Vises

Precision vises for holding work on a milling machine
littlemachineshop.com littlemachineshop.com
 
Okay, I emailed LMS and asked if they have recommendations.
 
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