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Steamwhisperer
13th Dec 2013, 08:44 AM
If you haven't got any parallels for the mill (or shaper) you can use bearing races instead.

Phil
BaronJ
13th Dec 2013, 09:15 AM
If you haven't got any parallels for the mill (or shaper) you can use bearing races instead.

Phil

Hi Phil,

Pieces of tool steel are good as parallels as well. Not thought about using ball races... Nice one.
PDW
13th Dec 2013, 10:54 AM
Hi Phil,

Pieces of tool steel are good as parallels as well.

Only if you grind them so they are parallel, or selectively assemble them into sets. Or your requirement for 'parallel' is looser than mine because there's no guarantee 2 pieces of tool steel of nominal 1/2" are going to be exactly 0.5000".

They generally are pretty close and I have a couple sets I keep for parallels myself, but it pays to mike them first.

PDW
th62
13th Dec 2013, 11:09 AM
I use HSS tool blanks for parallels also: You have to pair them up and mark which sides to use though as they aren't perfectly square. Generally if you order from the same source the branding is the same as are the sizings - never square though.
rogerbaker
13th Dec 2013, 05:28 PM
I use key steel as cheap paralells. Varius sizes are available.

Roger
eskimo
16th Dec 2013, 08:18 AM
To square up roughly shaped stock in your milling vice , use a ball with a flat machined on its side to hold the stock in the vice while you machine it :2tsup:

where do you find a non hardend ball?
pipeclay
16th Dec 2013, 08:21 AM
Not sure about the ball with flat,but you could change it for a length of round bar with no flat on it.
eskimo
16th Dec 2013, 08:30 AM
Not sure about the ball with flat,but you could change it for a length of round bar with no flat on it.

I use a 1''dia x 1"L piece of shaft with a flat on one side to sit against the vice jaw...it seems to do the trick but I am not sure if I should be doing this way??
pipeclay
16th Dec 2013, 08:38 AM
I have never used a piece of stock with a flat on it when squaring material in a vice. Cant comment on that.

I have only ever used round bar and generally a little longer than the vice jaws just to make it easier to hold when setting up.

Diameter of the bar is usually between 1/4" to 1/2".