Deep Vise

[JWB_Machining]

Hey,

I'm looking for a deep vise to I can mill the edges on plates of various material. It doesn't have to be a high quality vise or anything, a cheap important would serve my needs just fine. I'd just like something 4' deep or more. Thanks.

[Geof]

Hey,

I'm looking for a deep vise to I can mill the edges on plates of various material. It doesn't have to be a high quality vise or anything, a cheap important would serve my needs just fine. I'd just like something 4' deep or more. Thanks.

Now that is some vise!!!!!!!

Or maybe it is a typo and you mean 4".

I disagree with the; It doesn't have to be a high quality vise or anything...

Get a good vise it will pay off in reduced frustration in the future. A Kurt 6" is a good choice because it is possible to hold material up to 12 inches wide, maybe wider, by putting the movable jaws on the outside. Kurts are also so rigid you can grip a short length in less than the jaw width and it will hold (not good practise but it works). Also it is possible to make tall custom jaws for gripping oddball stuff.

[JWB_Machining]

Geof,

Yeah 4' is a lil much. I I did mean 4". I have the 6" Kurt Vise but the Jaws are only 1 3/4" Deep so when I stand a few 6.5" plates in it, even with additional c-clamps they still vibrate quite a bit. So any suggestions on a vise with deeper jaws? I'm not looking for length or width. Just deep so I can mill plates. I understand I could just pack a bunch of thick steel between Jaws and the plates and C-Clamp em in but then I'll have to face down steel plates which I'm trying to avoid.

[dertsap]

Geof has the right idea about cutting some custom jaws which is a standard procedure in most shops , there are 2 bolts holding each jaw on your kurt , duplicate the pattern on some steel stock
other than that you can plan to spend a small fortune for a vise with those specs
have you concidered bolting an aluminum plate to the table and hold the plates with some hold down clamps , then you can side mill with no vibration

[Geof]

Bite the bullet; make yourself some custom steel jaws to do what you need.

Don't fall into the trap which I, and many people, sometimes fall into; saying to yourself it is just one job I don't want to spend a bunch of time making custom holders. Make the 'custom' stuff which in the case of vise jaws is 'general purpose' custom. You may not recoup the time spent on making the jaws the first time you use them but very soon you will have saved much more time than you spent.

[BobWarfield]

Custom jaws are ideal. Another quick and dirty is to use your 246 blocks to help rigidity when plate milling:



I learned the trick at the knee of Widgitmaster and it works well!

Cheers,

BW