Thread: Fractal Vise Jaws

Make a set, nice weekend job?

Rare Antique Fractal Vise [Restoration] - YouTube

I saw that and was going to post it. Now I want one.
I have a vice along the same lines but no were near as nice. Its about 1/8th as good, 6 simple pivots.

Hi,

I seen something about the vice on Facebook and only had a quick glance as I thought it was gee up. Glad I watched it. Amazing vice, now me and million other blokes want one.

What was that flat metal bar he was using to flatten the jaws etc.? Tool steel or just steel?

Regards

Ben.

Originally Posted by bwal74

What was that flat metal bar he was using to flatten the jaws etc.? Tool steel or just steel?

If I had to guess I'd say its Aluminium(with a little diamond added)

A follow up from another channel I watch if you have a 3D printer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCfw9fd0mHg

I never new a Vise like that even existed. How good is that Vise for holding irregular shaped objects - Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

Here's a guy about to make vice jaws to fit engravers vices and taking orders.
https://fractalvise.com

Downpayment for large set of jaws is $150, small set $75.

3D printing pattern https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4899434

I'm interested even for a plastic version to hold electronics related stuff.

Here is my some what simpler version

Hi Bob, I started looking at printing one. That's not a small vice. I make the jaws about 200mm wide and looks like its about 480mm long. I have some ideas for a remix, but even that maybe on the large side. What sort of size where you thinking about holding?

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Here is my some what simpler version

That still looks pretty useful

Hi Bob, I started looking at printing one. That's not a small vice. I make the jaws about 200mm wide and looks like its about 480mm long. I have some ideas for a remix, but even that maybe on the large side. What sort of size where you thinking about holding?

For electronics work about 100mm wide would do.

Originally Posted by BobL

That still looks pretty useful

Its come in handy a couple of times. Always nice to have options.

Originally Posted by BobL

For electronics work about 100mm wide would do.

Around 20mm of jaw depth do? I wonder if I can cheat and just 1/2 scale it?
My first thoughts were to make it to fit inside a mill vice or screw to a piece of wood. I'll have a bit of a think, currently working on a box for a 3 jaw puller box that will cost more then the puller. only 20 hours a print and doesn't have a lid yet lol

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Around 20mm of jaw depth do? I wonder if I can cheat and just 1/2 scale it?
My first thoughts were to make it to fit inside a mill vice or screw to a piece of wood. I'll have a bit of a think, currently working on a box for a 3 jaw puller box that will cost more then the puller. only 20 hours a print and doesn't have a lid yet lol

I'm getting a 3D printer in the next day or so (hopefully today) and I can see myself wasting many hours on this and eventually hope to get to the vice.

RE: Boxes.
One of my justifications for getting the printer is to make custom plastic enclosures for my electronics projects. Even buying from Ali Express etc, fr many projects the box turns out to be the most expensive individual component and according to my son who has 3 printers, I should be able to at least halve the cost of the enclosures as well as making them a more custom fit. The weak point in this argument is I sometimes like to use enclosures with transparent lids. My plan is not to print the lid instead just use 3mm acrylic or 1-2mm poly carbonate sheet.

My biggest problem in getting the printer was finding a place to put it. No chance of finding bench space in the shed so I have cleaned up my study and thought it was about time I got rid of a 25 year old A3 inkjet printer and an old 24" monitor neither of which I have used for about 10 years. I flogged off about 50 of my sons boxes of PC games (most had 5&1/4" floppy discs) he left at our place, and more books etc This has created a lovely 600 x 900 mm desktop space - a rare commodity at our place

Originally Posted by BobL

I can see myself wasting many hours on this

It can be a deep hole. lol
Its pretty staggering just how accurate can be(at least the one I have, ender 3D, nothing all that special I believe).


I found this guys stuff helpful(same guy that made the vice I linked above, pretty much all his youtube videos are on 3D printing)
https://teachingtechyt.github.io/calibration.html

Originally Posted by Stustoys

It can be a deep hole. lol
Its pretty staggering just how accurate can be(at least the one I have, ender 3D, nothing all that special I believe).

Yes I have steeled myself for the "hole"/.

Mine (CREALITY CR-10S Pro V2) just arrived last night. My son has 3 printers, including a clone of an Ender 3, and is coming over today to help me set it up and "show me the ropes"

He's had 3D printers for ~6 years and rebuilt/upgraded all of them (largely using the printers themselves to do this) so he knows a thing or two about them.

Printer arrived and installed by my son and me this morning.
Well He did most of it while I watched.
From a sealed box to printing in about 75 minutes.
I seriously doubt that would have been the case if it was just me setting it up.

Printer.JPG

Anyway - am loving the output.
It's also nice and quite, 62dB with all fans running and 58dB when the stepper motor fans are off (they only come on as required).

Fractal vice is gonna be a while, son has left me with a heap of calibration models to print out in different plastics. Then he's going to show me how to tweak the GCode for each plastic.

Been tied up with social obligations but have printed out a few example models and calibrations pieces.
The head, the figurine and the "whatever" to the left of that, were on the SD card that came with the printer,
The boat ("benchy") and the two cubes are calibration pieces,

Firstblobs.JPG

The larger cube is nominally 40 mm square.
Measuring with a micrometer gives (5 point average across two opposite faces) for X, Y and Z gives
X: 40.09 +/- 0.09
Y: 39.96 +/- 0.05
Z: 40.07 +/- 0.09

I reckon thats pretty good for a 0.4mm nozzle.
I'm at the point where I feel I can trust it to print away by itself.