Bowling-Ball Vise Mount (or work mount - your choice!)

**CharlesWaugh** · Apr 3, 2019, 08:29 PM

Toolmaker,
I like the idea of a ratchet-latch - it's something that can be laser cut (along with all the other pieces in my design) - now I gotta do some sketchin'!
The clown shoes have been in use during testing...

**CharlesWaugh** · Apr 3, 2019, 08:31 PM

Suther (Eric),
Hmmm... gotta ponder this one.
A screw is too slow, and I want to stand on one foot, while releasing the pinch with the other and holding the work with both hands.
That said: the idea of a wedge is intriguing - it could even be progressive - have a low angle at one of its travel for high clamping force, and a steeper angle at the other for a quicker release.
Ponder, ponder!
Thanks!

**suther51** · Apr 4, 2019, 09:41 AM

A little more food for thought.
https://www.anvilfire.com/vises/imag...y-otto_640.jpg
Eric

**suther51** · Apr 4, 2019, 09:46 AM

As usual I was not very clear in my first post. I was thinking that there could be a way to use a quadrant gear actuated by a foot peddle to turn a screw to compress a spring in a controllable way.
BUT as I said I usually get too complicated and have to find compromises to simplify.

First sentence is starting to sound like "for want of a nail...."
Eric

**Tonz Magonz** · Apr 7, 2019, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesWaugh

I built this as a wildly rough-n-ready proof-of-concept from stuff I had lying around my shop.

I wanted to see if the idea was worth pursuing.

https://vimeo.com/92948875

Well, it WAS worth pursuing, and I've gotten most all of the engineering done on a production version:
Attachment 28955
I gotta get this thing finished up one of these days - but I've run into a seemingly intractable problem . . .

You see, I want it to be a 'dead man' foot pedal - you step on it to RELEASE the ball, and if your foot slips off, WHAM! It locks in place.
My current proof of concept will kill you if you let go of the vise/workpiece when the pedal is in the released position. That's bad form, old boy! Bad Form!

But... the problem is, it takes about 1000 pounds of force on the center of the toggle-clamp linkage to compress the spring enough to release the ball.

With about a 10:1 leverage applied on the foot-pedal lever, that's 100 pounds - easily done with one foot.

But... if your foot slips off, the PEDAL will fly back at the speed of sound (my terrified guess) and can whack your shin, splintering it into many little fragments!

No, this is not a statement from direct experience, it is an FMEA (failure mode event analysis) conclusion. But I am assured by my prior experiences with stored energy (with the scars to prove it!) that it's a predictable result.

So... my design sits on my shop floor, half finished, waiting my brain to kick in and cough up the answer.

Great idea and safety issues I also have the scars to appreciate your concerns..
Would gas struts work as a rate of travel controller..?

**Scotsman Hosie** · Apr 8, 2019, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by CharlesWaugh

I built this as a wildly rough-n-ready proof-of-concept from stuff I had lying around my shop.

I wanted to see if the idea was worth pursuing.

https://vimeo.com/92948875

Well, it WAS worth pursuing, and I've gotten most all of the engineering done on a production version:
Attachment 28955

"...from stuff I had laying around my shop."

Super-robust design and build. I was wondering what you repurposed — to get that curved upper clamp steel liner, that actually grips the bowling ball?