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ChazzC

Well-Known Member
I Did Something on Purpose (this time)

From this post, I did this:

Completed Vise|Fixture Plate rfs.jpg


Started with just drilling holes for 10-32, then changed my mind and went with 10-32 x 5/16-18 inserts (didn't think the 10-32 in the cast steel-ish would last):
Mini-Mill 3 in Vise Fixture  Mod.png

The three center holes are shallower to clear the nut. While the outer holes intersect the M6 tapped holes for mounting the jaw plates, the attaching screws only go 8mm deep, so no problems. The 10-32 x 5/16-18 inserts have thin walls, so the outside threads have a shallower profile and require a larger tap drill (E-Z Lok specs an "I" (0.272"), but I crept up on this from an "F" and stopped at 17/64", which gave me 0.269" actual. I tapped the hole (plug & bottom), cleaned the thread locker off of an insert and "offered it up:" it went in easily with no play so I installed the first insert using the E-Z Lok driver bit (not this insert, but it shows the technique):

E-Z Lok Install rfs.jpg
The driver bit was held in a 1/4" hex-to-square adapter, mounted on a T-handle; the back of the T-handle has a Ø5mm hole, which was almost a perfect fit for the cone-end of my tap follower (see this thread) to keep things reasonably square.


The inserts are 5/16" long, which won't work in a 6.5mm deep hole, but there are no threads at the drive slot, so I faced off the ends of three inserts:

Facing Short E-Z- Lok rfs.jpg


Before & After facing:

E-Z Lok Inserts.jpeg


And used a nut & SHCS to install the short inserts:

E-Z Lok Short Install.jpeg
I also added a little extra thread locker, just for insurance.


For those who want to know, here is the sequence of operations I followed:

* Clamped the vise tight, then used an edge finder to locate the center of the moving jaw; moved to the first hole location (upper left), opened the workspace view on TouchDRO and added the first point (ignore the Z-axis location).

• Using a stubby #21 drill bit, touched off on the top of the jaw, zero'd the Z-Axis and drilled 6.5mm deep.

• Moved to the next hole location, added the second point to the workspace, touched off, drilled 6.5mm deep.

* Moved to the third hole location, etc.

* After drilling all of the holes, I tapped the last (9th) hole and ran a 10-32 SHCS in. I wasn't happy with the slightly loose fit, and decided to see what 10-32 inserts were available. McMaster had the 10-32 x 5/16-18 thin-wall inserts, so I ordered two packs of 10, plus a driver. While waiting for the parts to arrive, I dug out the 1/4" hex-to-square adapter, 1/4" T-handle and came up with the tap follower solution.

• Once the parts arrived, I opened up the 9th hole to 0.269" (see above) x 10mm deep (the threaded 10-32 holes only needed to be 6mm, but as noted the inserts are 5/16" long), tapped & deburred the 5/16-18 hole, cleaned the hole with Acetone and installed the insert. I then used the workspace to move to the 8th hole, etc. As I installed the inserts, I made sure that they were just below the top of the jaw, using a screw driver to rotate them if necessary (I gently wedged a small screwdriver inside the shortened inserts to rotate them further).

* After all of the inserts had been installed, I opened up the vise, removed the movable jaw. throughly cleaned the guts and reassembled the vise.


For those not familiar with TouchDRO, here is a screenshot of the workspace view:

TDRO Workspace Screenshot.jpg
Yes, I didn't hit the location exactly, but I'm happy with ±0.0006"; also, iGaging SS Absolute Plus scales are only "accurate" to 0.0015".
 

ChazzC

Well-Known Member
More Hardware Storage

I found unused wall space in the "Dry Goods Storage Pantry:"

20240612 More Hardware Storage rfs.jpg
You know what they say, "Nature Abhors a vacuum."

2 Bolt Depot Racks, 9 Plano Boxes from Amazon (plus a leftover Bolt Depot box), 8 TapCons and I can finally put away the extra hardware I bought when I added DRO's to the Mini-Lathe last October.
 

Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
I found unused wall space in the "Dry Goods Storage Pantry:"

This sounds like a REALLY BAD IDEA to me.

I'd have a hard time remembering to look in the pantry for the Ritz crackers I see there let alone some Tapcon screws.....

I think you are better off leaving them right where they are in a pile beside the rest of your DRO install parts.

Besides, if I tried storing screws in her pantry, my wife would be firing up the backhoe for the hole she would be planning to dig for me out back.
 

ChazzC

Well-Known Member
This sounds like a REALLY BAD IDEA to me.

I'd have a hard time remembering to look in the pantry for the Ritz crackers I see there let alone some Tapcon screws.....

I think you are better off leaving them right where they are in a pile beside the rest of your DRO install parts.

Besides, if I tried storing screws in her pantry, my wife would be firing up the backhoe for the hole she would be planning to dig for me out back.
No No No: The TapCons are what's holding the racks against the wall. And the Dry Goods Pantry is next to the Wine Cellar and Whiskey (& Whisky – there's some Scotch there, too) Vault.
 

Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
No No No: The TapCons are what's holding the racks against the wall. And the Dry Goods Pantry is next to the Wine Cellar and Whiskey (& Whisky – there's some Scotch there, too) Vault.

No no no yourself!

Even more reason not to store tools or parts there!

Next thing I know you will be tellin us you hide personal pictures of your old girlfriend there too!
 

6.5 Fan

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Well i think it is a great idea and good use of wasted space. One never knows if the munchies will hit hen your collecting hardware for a project, or you may get distracted while looking over old pictures, i never said she was old, and have a snort or two of expensive booze. Time well wasted.
 

ChazzC

Well-Known Member
Happy Belated Father's Day – Zoro & KBC Deliveries

Purchased 3/4" & 7/8" Hyde "Industrial Hand Knives" from Zoro with last week's 20% off email deal:

Zoro Hyde Industrial Knife.jpeg

Plus some more Machinists Jacks (to get over $50 free shipping threshold):

Machinists Jacks.jpeg

And my backordered Expanding Transfer Punches & Thin/Mini Sine Bar arrived 2 months earlier than expected:

20240617 KBC.jpeg
Heard about punch set here, and the baby sine bar here. After FOMOGO's post on H-M, KBC sold out ("some guy posted about them and we got about 150 orders") and they didn't expect to get my order filled until August. When I learned about the sine bar (at $12 I had to have one) I called KBC and they added it to the open order, so the exorbitant $16 shipping was spread out over a couple of items.
 
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