Holding vice to table advice

[irving2008]

Mike / Irving thanks very much for replying guys, its all good advice.

I emailed Arc to see what they said and they were kind enough to give me a call to try and explain their solution involving the stepped angle blocks from the kit. To be honest I didn't understand what they were saying. I would happily recommend Arc to someone. They seem like good people who don't mind giving advice over the phone and their stuff is very well priced, but I got the feeling that although there maybe some way of using the kit, I'm not sure if its a particularly good one. They did suggest that I could mill my own clamps at one point - chicken and egg type situation, a little frustrating - can't make something like that until I have a vice that clamps down!

Irving... I was dubious about the paper thing. I'll try it without the paper and only go down that route if I find the vice slipping. And yes, I am a proud owner of a very heavy set of parallels and a dial indicator :). I bought the machine and then slowly purchased the extras as my bank balance recovered... part of the reason I've yet to cut anything!

Bit of a tangent when you mentioned parallels, but its seems to me that metric based equipment is in the minority?! Arc was one of the few places I could find selling metric parallels and the only place I could find selling the metric equivelent to 1-2-3 blocks. Most of the world with the exception of the states is on metric right?! So silly.

Thanks again,
David.

You could use a stepped block, I'd hazard a guess they were suggesting something like this, though you'd need to experiment and you may need something under the back edge of the upturned stepped block to force it to rotate down onto the vice.




If the vice and table are clean, and that means no oil/lube/coolant residue, and securely clamped it wont slip.

Metric parallels aren't essential, what's critical is that they are parallel. you don't use them for measuring, just for supporting stuff in the vice or off the table. if you want to measure, you use gauge blocks.

[lateAtNight]

you don't use them for measuring, just for supporting stuff in the vice or off the table.

Lol, ok, got it... might need to buy some gauges then. Is there any end?! But you still need to know how much stock is above and below the vice jaws right? I guess what I'm saying is I just don't / can't think in imperial measurements at all. I can look at something and say 18mm parallels will hold that nicely... can't think 1 and 3/16 or whatever.

[irving2008]

I've never needed gauge blocks and they're expensive beasts. Unlikely ever to need them with CNC

[lateAtNight]

Just looked them up... yes they are expensive!

[EddyCurrent]

It's 22 hours since mekanik posted the right solution, you should have had them made several times over by now

[mekanik]

Thanks for that Eddy
Irving
You don't use the stepped blocks like that, you would just use the one on the end set to the appropriate step height.
regards
Mike

[mekanik]

Hi Guys
me again
Just thought i would add before i get corrected, re stepped packing blocks.
they are actually designed to be used as a pair leaving you with a parallel surface to clamp off and so they are usually used on tall jobbies so are not really suitable for your application, was not being pedantic.
Regards
Mike

[irving2008]

Thanks for that Eddy
Irving
You don't use the stepped blocks like that, you would just use the one on the end set to the appropriate step height.
regards
Mike

Yes I know, I wouldn't use them like that either, I'd have just made some new dogs out of 10mm plate. I was trying to second guess what arc had suggested to the OP!