Easy mill vise squaring- Set it once and forget it...

[astroracer]

My milling vise is mounted to a steel plate. The vise is bolted and doweled to the plate.

The plate is also doweled to the table with 2 1/4" pins.
One in the left corner...


And one in the right corner...


Here you can see the pin and the hole in the table.


Pinning the vise and the plate makes for very easy tool changes. I need to do this to the rotary table also.
Mark

[Toolmaker51]

As expedient vise mounting, this is quite reasonable. However, it doesn't distribute wear over accessible length of lead screw. Many mill owners attach tooling, alternating ends and middle periodically. E23 Fixture keys remedy this, allowing directly squared-up mounting. Commercial versions are often hardened...Unless a vise can be moved without dragging across table, they score the surface. Mild and tool steels work fine. Measure for a close fit to slot in base of vise, machine to width of mill's tee slots, and counterbore keys for cap screw. If slots vary in width this is advantageous. Make them NOT centered so orientation is easily determined visually.
When doweling for removable items: consider tapered pull dowels, or diamond pins. Improved locational positioning, yet easily 'found' by mating part.

Additionally a blatant plug for United Drill Bushing. United Drill Bushing Home Page Cataloging most every fixturing device conceivable. Are not only MADE in USA; but in Downey CA, family owned + operated, they've been there decades, better service than the 'big' names.

Rare for me to offer uncompensated advertisement for ANY business. When I do, rest assured; those are issued sans any qualms what-so-ever.

[Frank S]

Hey Thanks TM51; I haven't thought of those guys in years
Back when I was making drill jigs and weldement fixtures for several Automotive lift manufactures I was buying from them almost on a daily basis through the company I was associated with at the time. Come to think of it that was when I bought my Cleereman from a Lockheed inventory auction best money I ever spent on what my wife calls a glorified drill press years faster than using the Bridgeport and plenty accurate for boring, reaming and threading holes in a fixture or jig

[DIYer]

Thanks astroracer! We've added your Mill Vise Squaring Method to our Measuring and Marking category,
as well as to your builder page: astroracer's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Mill Vise Squaring Method by astroracer

tags: vise, milling

[Toolmaker51]

Hey Thanks TM51; I haven't thought of those guys in years...Back when I was making drill jigs and weldement fixtures for several Automotive lift manufactures I was buying from them almost on a daily basis through the company I was associated with at the time.

Many of my employers bought from them as well, not only that they were local. I worked there awhile; owner 'stole' me from shipyard gig after it ended. I was the public liaison connecting company owners with equipment suitable for their current or expanding operations. Never found one for the Niles Planer Mill, however was successful in just under 1000 acquisitions. Just did honest, face to face, simple 'I can help you..'
I hate salesmen who; hype is gleaned from sales literature, lack functional knowledge of product, pull information out of the air [the phony, closed eyes scene effort in thought], and the ''...I'll have to check with sales manager'' ploy...