DIY Self Centering Vise - Build Your Own

[Oddball]

That is a great start, thankyou very much.
My first idea was to make them manually depending on what I see in the drawings otherwise with the program I should be able to ask my laser cutting service to run them and cut them out or is that not possible?

Questions;
1. Are the diameters of the major circles in the PULL and VICE BODY the same measurement and if they are what is that diameter?
2. Any more dimensions for the JAW?
3. Any hint dimensions for the slotted holes in the PULL & the VISE BODY?
4. Has anybody on here actually made one of these units?

[adbuch]

Your laser cutting service will only need the dxf files posted plus the material thickness you require.

same size.jpg

jaw dims.jpg

more dims.jpg

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more dims 2.jpg

more dims 3.jpg

If you have access to a conventional milling machine (Bridgeport) and possibly a rotary table to mount on the mill for the slots, then you should have all the dimensions you need. Otherwise you could lay it out and hand cut (band saw, drill, die grinder, hand held plasma cutter, etc.) - lots of ways to get this done depending on your particular skill set.

[Oddball]

Fantastic, what a great Christmas its been.
I can definietly play with that lot of information.
I have a set of collets and cutters that I run on my lathe, I'll just have to figure out a good datum method.
I've recently made my own improvised degree divider for my chuck using a 36 tooth bicycle sprocket which will also be helpful working with this project.
The hardest part about making the divider was finding a junked bicycle with the 36 tooth sprocket.
The sprocket teeth points give me every 10 degrees and then I use the sprocket hollows to give me the 5 degree increments.
I'm one happy new member.

[acourtjester]

A trick that people who do scroll saw work actually glue the paper to the material being cut and cut both.
I you look at Surplus Center.com they sell sprockets at one tooth increments and different bore sizes. good prices too.
https://www.surpluscenter.com/Sprockets ... Sprockets/

[Oddball]

I live in Australia and sprockets here are available but not quite as well prices as I see in your link.
Probably between double to three times the price here.

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[adbuch]

A trick that people who do scroll saw work actually glue the paper to the material being cut and cut both.
I you look at Surplus Center.com they sell sprockets at one tooth increments and different bore sizes. good prices too.
https://www.surpluscenter.com/Sprockets ... Sprockets/

Tom - that is why I suggested he print out (to scale) the three pdf files I posted on standard 8.5" x11" printer paper. Then he could use them as "templates" to either scribe the features onto his metal for manual cutting, or do as you say and glue them on and cut thru both paper and metal at the same time. I suppose a scroll saw with metal cutting blade may work for some of the inside cuts like the slots, and maybe a hole saw for the larger holes. He talks about using a lathe for this work, but I'm not sure how that applies - unless he has an x/y attachment he can mount to his ways and use the spindle with an end mill installed to effectively mill out the slots, holes, etc.

[Oddball]

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[acourtjester]

Interesting the tools or optional attachments we develop in our shops to do the things we want/need to do.
Something David had done with his business
The reference to scroll saws was just to show where I found the technique for part copying. Don't think they would hold up for thicker metal work.

[Sampson Jones]

Four year old thread and nobodys built this ?

[Oddball]

My DFX files are with my local laser guy.
He has converted the dimensions to metric equivalent to work with his machine I guess.
He has come back and asked me, as neither of us could see what the material thickness is for each item.
I thought I saw or read that it was 1/4" plate, but now I dont seem to be able to confirm that!!!

If anybody knows off the cuff it would be very helpful at this point in time.

Many thanks, Russ.

[adbuch]

My DFX files are with my local laser guy.
He has converted the dimensions to metric equivalent to work with his machine I guess.
He has come back and asked me, as neither of us could see what the material thickness is for each item.
I thought I saw or read that it was 1/4" plate, but now I dont seem to be able to confirm that!!!

If anybody knows off the cuff it would be very helpful at this point in time.

Many thanks, Russ.

plate.jpg

[Oddball]

Great, I must be getting old.
As I mentioned I was sure I saw and read it before.

Have a great weekend.

PS: Anybody care to offer comment/ideas on fastening method of the plates.
I am assuming maybe 3/8" unf bolts with nyloc nuts!!!

[adbuch]

Holes and slots appear to be clearanced for 3/8" diameter fasteners. I would expect that either 3/8-16 or 3/8-24 would work fine. Nylocs may be recommended.

[Oddball]

Dumb question I guess but I'll ask it since I may learn something!
Are 3/8" size fasteners an over kill or am I missing something???
We mostly use metric stuff here, so nearest match would be 10mm diameter.
For me 8mm sounds like a better proposition, but would 6mm or 1/4" even suffice?

I know then the laser guy may not like me for such a change, but I'd like to get my head around.

[adbuch]

Dumb question I guess but I'll ask it since I may learn something!
Are 3/8" size fasteners an over kill or am I missing something???
We mostly use metric stuff here, so nearest match would be 10mm diameter.
For me 8mm sounds like a better proposition, but would 6mm or 1/4" even suffice?

I know then the laser guy may not like me for such a change, but I'd like to get my head around.

Unless you have the ability to edit the dxf file, you will probably end up paying your laser guy to redraw the slots and holes to a smaller size. Nuts and bolts are cheap, so I wouldn't worry about "over kill".

[Oddball]

I think you are right.
I might ask the question and see how the laser responds, but my expectation level will be low.
I hope my questions have gone some ways to enhancing this old thread for anybody who follows.
I will post my outcomes later once I have heard back from the laser guy.

[Oddball]

Well folks, the laser guy has the job.
He converted all the dimensions to metric and also the bolt holes size to 8mm for no charge.
I have a about a 10 day wait and thought the price was reasonable when compared to how much time I'd spend making those slots.
Plus he supplies the material.

[adbuch]

Well folks, the laser guy has the job.
He converted all the dimensions to metric and also the bolt holes size to 8mm for no charge.
I have a about a 10 day wait and thought the price was reasonable when compared to how much time I'd spend making those slots.
Plus he supplies the material.

Hopefully he is converting the slots to match the bolt holes.

[Oddball]

Fingers crossed.
He seems keen and interested and hence I feel that is why he is being so easy to get along with so far.

[Oddball]

The laser guy told me he has done holes and slots, so sounds like we are good to go now.

[Oddball]

I got to thinking about the picture of the bike sprocket that I used on my lathe for dividing.
Probably not a bad laser cutting program to write up and have available for anybody who has a need for one.
In my case, I'm was just happy to find one that worked teeth wise.
It would have been nice to be able to dial in a diameter etc and have it the right size to work with my lathe.
Not that I need one now, but who knows, I'm new and dont know squat about this stuff, but just throwing it out there.

[kn612]

I got to thinking about the picture of the bike sprocket that I used on my lathe for dividing.
Probably not a bad laser cutting program to write up and have available for anybody who has a need for one.
In my case, I'm was just happy to find one that worked teeth wise.
It would have been nice to be able to dial in a diameter etc and have it the right size to work with my lathe.
Not that I need one now, but who knows, I'm new and dont know squat about this stuff, but just throwing it out there.

Check out sprocketeer

http://www.idleamusements.com/?page_id=54

[Oddball]

Well, I got my laser cut pieces now, picked them up this morning.
Just a quick question is there only supposed to be 3 jaws as per drawings is that correct?

[adbuch]

Well, I got my laser cut pieces now, picked them up this morning.
Just a quick question is there only supposed to be 3 jaws as per drawings is that correct?

SelfCenter.jpg

[Oddball]

OK, got it now.
I must say the quality of the laser cutting is very nice indeed.
The previous place I used to go to several years ago was not as clean a cut as this guy is.