Tool 5" Taiwan vise - need jaws

[slow-poke]

When I purchased my used knee mill it came with a bunch of tooling and a really grungy looking 5" vise that is missing the jaws.

The better tool for the job (clean-up) should have been the local engine re-builders hot tank, but I did it the old fashioned way, must of been a 1/2 lb of old grease in every possible nook and cranny.

Little better now with a splash of Ford Blue engine enamel.

Already put to good use, it's going to be handy having two vises for the mill.

 

[Dabbler]

Measure the distance between centres. Spare jaws are available from some high end places, some on Amazon, and of course the make-it-yourself option.

 

[Dabbler]

I use two vises all the time! Doesn't it make things easier?

When one of the forum members started using two at a time for the first time, I had him measure the base height, and he found .004 between brands. You might just want to check your height. (there are several easy fixes to this problem).

 

[slow-poke]

I use two vises all the time! Doesn't it make things easier?

When one of the forum members started using two at a time for the first time, I had him measure the base height, and he found .004 between brands. You might just want to check your height. (there are several easy fixes to this problem).

Yes two vises can make things simpler.

The two vises I have are not only different brands (Kurt 4" vs. 5" I'm not sure, possibly AutoWell?), so I need to space / shim until I find a matching one.

 

[Dabbler]

I also have an autowell and a kurt. (both 6". there's about a 3.5 thou difference.One way is to mill matched base plates - with a difference of (in my case) 3.5 thou. To minimize warping, I'm using 3/8 plate and surfacin g them to flat by machining skim cuts on alternating sides until they clean up. Then on the plate for the taller vise, take the additional 3.5 thou off.

This is much cheaper than ordering a Kurt or Autowell 'matched vise' - which is a +500 USD kicker. Even between Autowell or Kurs bought in the same batch there are variances.

-- it is part why so-called 'cnc vises' are more expensive for what looks like a similar vise. Their base tolerances are much stricter, and no need for matching. (unless you are buying cheap. Then "CNC Vise" is just a marketing term for the same crappy offshore vise.)

 

[kstrauss]

Perhaps I'm missing something but if the difference is only 0.0035 why not use shim stock under one vise to equalize them?

 

[Dabbler]

Perhaps I'm missing something but if the difference is only 0.0035 why not use shim stock under one vise to equalize them?

there are many ways to do this. I don't have any shim stock available, but I have 1/4" plate and a fly cutter....