Thread: How to mount a vise to a lathe for milling

Can anyone suggest how to fix a 2.5" toolmaker's vice to my compound rest? See pics. The compound will then mount to an angle bracket for milling.

I'd rather not drill holes in the compound, but even if I did, I can't really see how to do it. You could screw from below, but the vise seems quite hard; I don't fancy my chances of drilling and tapping it. There isn't really room for the type of hold-down you'd use on a table. Be a shame to resort to clunky bracketry.

I knew I didn't have an answer to this question when I bought it, but when ozmestore's price dropped from $79 to $55 I just grabbed one before he changed his mind. I have to say I'm impressed with the unit. It appears quite solid and well made. There must be a knack to operating it though...

Hi Bryan
I'd make something like this. Think of it more as a table extension than chucky bracketry. Then you can drill and tap along the side to mount clamps. You could make it 20mm longer each end, if it will clear. Or is this the sort of thing you are trying to avoid?
I'll add a picture of my clamps if I ever get out into my shed

How is that thread held into the compund slide? It looks like some sort of insert.
I'd like a second bolt at the other end.
Stuart

That vice looks pretty good for the money.
Can you, instead of mounting it to the compound slide, attach it to the cross slide instead? Wouldn't the job be too high if it's mounted to the compound? Are you after the ability to machine angles?

Jordan

Stustoys, that would work. Yes that's an insert I made so I could easily remove the toolpost, um, post. It's 7/16 UNF and pressed and keyed. Seems sturdy enough. I could do a similar one at the other end. So this plate would be what, 16mm in the middle be enough?

My only issue would be, it's adding further offset, which will already be a fair bit. Might have to live with that.

Jordan, the compound will mount vertically on an angle bracket. The idea is to create a vertical slide for basic 3 axis milling.

Here is a picture of the clamps I made up for my vice. They bolt it to a piece of 100 x 10mm, which is clamped to the compound slide with a long(200mm) tee nut. The good thing about getting the bolt lines outside of the compound is you can use longer bolts and not worry about them bottoming out.
For yours I would think a piece of 100??(not sure how wide your compound is) x 15mm, machined to 10mm in the middle would do.

Is that nut pressed from the back with a shoulder on it?

Stuart

bugga..... they are $79 again

I know you'd rather not, but could you put a couple of studs in the compound? The recesses on each end of the vice could maybe be slotted by grinding to accept the studs, and use nuts to tighten.

Jordan

Originally Posted by eskimo

bugga..... they are $79 again

Eskimo,
You might be looking at the wrong one, there up to $60 but you will have to wait until he relists another one because I was buying a few other thing off him and bought one of them as well at that price.
http://completed.shop.ebay.com.au/i....c0.m283&_rdc=1

Bryan,
You have a good eye for a bargain thanks, but you know how to make a bloke spend money putting up bargains like that.lol
I know you got yours for $55 but I think even for the $60 I paid, they are a good buy. I have been wanting one for the mill.
I have found he is altering the prices a lot lately, up, down you don't know from day to day what he will relist them at, or revise the listing.

With your problem of fitting the vise to the compound, I think a 6-10mm plate on top so you can tap it for hold downs would be the way I would go.
To bolt the plate onto the compound, you could either drill another hole on top at the other end (I wouldn't) and counter sink the heads or make an angle bracket to go down the side on the hand wheel end and drill and tap the end to hold it down. If you have a welder you could weld a piece of flat bat onto the end of the plate to make the angle to go over the end.

Ozmestore
I know he is getting a bad name in the other thread about fake bid's, but I find he is a good seller with regard to customers. Two weeks ago I thought I would buy one of the MT3 live centre kits he has, because there have been a few jobs I could have done with one of the cone centres.
It turned up fine, but after checking it out I found it had 0.002 thou(0.05mm) runout. I sent him an email and he replied saying to send it back reply paid and refunded my money.
I was disappointed and not wanting to pay Hare and Forbes $209, I sent him an email asking if the next one I bought turned up to have runout, could I return it as well. He replied saying I could with that one as well. Cant be any fairer than that, and it is now $10 cheaper at $75 than the $85 I paid before.

Dave

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Here is a picture of the clamps I made up for my vice. They bolt it to a piece of 100 x 10mm, which is clamped to the compound slide with a long(200mm) tee nut. The good thing about getting the bolt lines outside of the compound is you can use longer bolts and not worry about them bottoming out.
For yours I would think a piece of 100??(not sure how wide your compound is) x 15mm, machined to 10mm in the middle would do.

Is that nut pressed from the back with a shoulder on it?

Stuart

Stuart, thanks for the pics and the suggestions. Yes the insert is shouldered. I don't quite get the long t-nut in your description. I can see countersunk screws that look like they hold the plate down. And it looks like you mount your vice across the compound. I assume how it sits in the photo is the actual orientation? Is it better that way or just easier in your case? Cos I hadn't really considered that option. Not sure it would help me much though.

Originally Posted by nadroj

I know you'd rather not, but could you put a couple of studs in the compound? The recesses on each end of the vice could maybe be slotted by grinding to accept the studs, and use nuts to tighten.

Jordan

Jordan, I don't think those recesses are deep enough. Unless I'm misunderstanding...

Originally Posted by Dave J

With your problem of fitting the vise to the compound, I think a 6-10mm plate on top so you can tap it for hold downs would be the way I would go.
To bolt the plate onto the compound, you could either drill another hole on top at the other end (I wouldn't) and counter sink the heads or make an angle bracket to go down the side on the hand wheel end and drill and tap the end to hold it down. If you have a welder you could weld a piece of flat bat onto the end of the plate to make the angle to go over the end.

Dave, my only problem with that idea, if I understand correctly, is that 'tail' mount would not really have any downforce. I think it's maybe worth one more hole in the top to get that extra rigidity. Or do you think drilling the top would weaken it more than drilling the sides?

Thanks, I appreciate all your suggestions. I'll work up a sketch this evening.

I don't think it would weaken it, the only reason I wouldn't drill a hole is for appearances sake for selling my lathe latter.
Looking at your photo of the compound you maybe able to get 2x6mm taped holes either side in the other end if you want to go with the top hole idea. That way the plate would be held down in a triangle bolt pattern and be less likely to want to rock on the compound.
The hold downs I have seen made up for these vises are made out of a square with a round turned on one end like the crummy picture I drew below.
Mounting it with hold downs instead of bolted strait to the compound would allow you to move the vise up or down depending on the job instead of being limited to the compound travel. You could tap 3 or 4 holes down both sides in the plate for the hold downs to be moved to suit.
Dave
Edit
Just thinking about it and if you did go with the 2 x 6mm holes, latter on if you needed to cover them up you could always put 2 of those ball oilers in them. A lot of lathes come with oilers in that position from factory for oiling the compound ways.

Bryan, sorry for the confusion. My compound has a wide tee slot across the top so the plate runs across. You can see part of the end of the tee nut in the close up. As the vice is clamped in the picture the handle would be at the top(the same way as yours in your first picture) . I'd set it up and take a picture but the compound is set at the minute and it wont really help with yours.
The picture were just to give you an idea of the clamps you could use.
Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Bryan, sorry for the confusion. My compound has a wide tee slot across the top so the plate runs across. You can see part of the end of the tee nut in the close up. As the vice is clamped in the picture the handle would be at the top(the same way as yours in your first picture) . I'd set it up and take a picture but the compound is set at the minute and it wont really help with yours.
The picture were just to give you an idea of the clamps you could use.
Stuart

Ok, I get it now. Thanks.

Dave, I like your thinking.

I just wanted to add that the vise only looks wonky in my shots because the movable jaw is not sitting properly. Everything lines up real nice.

Thanks Dave

One other thing I forgot to say, however you choose to do it. Make sure it matches the top of the compund slide or it may twist the slide enough when you do the bolts up that it wont slide.
One wonders how I would know that
Stuart

At the risk of repeating something already said, perhaps make up an adaptor plate? The underside of the plate could be machined to form a very shallow 'U' shape, maybe 5mm deep (with square inside corners of course). The inside of the 'U' would be a few thou bigger than the outside dimension of the top of the compound slide. Once bolted down these shoulders would prevent the vise from twisting. Another threaded insert (or tapped hole) cound be used at the back of the adaptor plate to hold it at that end. Two, one either side, would be better. The holes on the adaptor plate might have to be counterbored so the heads of the bolts don't interfere with the underside of the vise. Smaller counterbores would be needed if hex socket bolts are used.

Then drill and tap to suit the vice. When the vice is removed, a couple of grub screws could be screwed in to make it look like the holes were meant to be there, and keep junk out.

A good chunk of 20mm flat bar would do the trick. Bright mild steel would give a more professional finish, and you wouldn't have to machine off the scale for the same result.

You could get away with perhaps two M6 grade 12.9 bolts at the far end. This shouldn't weaken the compound slide too much.

I have assumed you have access to a mill and counterbores to make this happen, apologies if you haven't got there yet! Might be a chicken and egg problem, you can't mill on your lathe until you mill an adaptor plate. I am sure a friendly forum member in your area could mill a plate for you, or even send it in the post?