Instant Vise Alignment

[Lets Roger That]

Hi folks,
I created a 4 step process to make my milling machine vise align within 0.001" every time even before bolting it down. After the initial work, all I need to do is install my vise and I'm done.

Hope this helps someone from ripping their hair out.
Take care
Gilles

[Toolmaker51]

Creative system and approach, but a really common feature of milling vises are cuts underneath to mount fixture keys, many for jaws parallel or perpendicular to main axis of travel, the "X". That's what drill press vises lack.

That said, many find keys and fit to slot troublesome. Keys, being hardened, also raise concern about marring the table. Your idea curtails that too.
So, only real suggestion is milling the vise slots, (over filing) in accordance with stationary vise jaw.

For that, I'd clamp a good straight bar down, flip the vise, clamp securely to bar, and use DRO and/ or indicator to ascertain "Y" position.

[Toolmaker51]

Dialing in or 'clocking' a vise without suggestions above, by OP or myself, is worth another or perhaps alternate tip.
Initially, don't run indicator all the way across stationary jaw. Place un-keyed vise, step to one side of table and sight the jaws and slots into visual parallel.
Mount indicator, touch off, wind X axis about 1/2 way across jaw. If reading remains .000, continue across, if satisfactory 0 holds, you're done. It happens!
Moving halfway across, detecting variance tells you one half the amount total. Close enough to predict amount of correction needed. You can often finish in one lap, verifying on return.

[Jon]

Congratulations Lets Roger That - your vise alignment method is the Tool Tip of the Month for June 2023!

This is a well thought-out procedure that will save people a lot of time and grief.

Some more nice tool tips from June:

Coin Cell Tips by mklotz
Table Saw Blade Teeth Zeroing by Make Things
End Grain Fastening by Make Things
Square Holes in Plastic Planks by rgsparber
Making Your Own Tracks by Make Things
Handyman Secrets by AB-SHOP
Planing Stop Appliance by Make Things
Adding Armor to Your Tool Rest by Make Things


Lets Roger That - we've added your Tool Tip to our All Tool Tips of the Month winners post. And, you'll now notice the tool tip award in the awards showcase in your postbit, visible beneath your username:



And, you'll be receiving a $100 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and gift card choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

Congrats again

[flyfr8rs]

A nice way to do it, but once I discovered this method,

, I've never looked back. Literally 30 seconds or less to a half thou, and you don't need to modify or create anything. I've shown this to other machinist friends and they agree its dead simple. Just another way to do it.

[nova_robotics]

A nice way to do it, but once I discovered this method, I've never looked back. Literally 30 seconds or less to a half thou, and you don't need to modify or create anything. I've shown this to other machinist friends and they agree its dead simple. Just another way to do it.

That's a pretty ingenious trick. I wish I had a power feed.

[thehomeengineer]

Hi
I hope you don't mind me adding a couple of links to this post which I added to HMT a while back in 2018. This may also help align vices and other tooling on a mill. This method also works for positioning components on rotary tables, alignment of angle plates and any other tooling that needs to be clamped parallel to an axis.
The quickest way I know how to clock up a machine vice
I also use dogs as suggested by toolmaker51 and have also added a link on this subject Machine dogs, simple to make and use.

I hope you find the links of interest and thank you for posting your method for vice alignment.
The Home Engineer