12° angle block for making a tangential toolholder

thingiverse

Making John Moran's tangential AXA tool holder, a project inspired by Gadgetbuilder's designs. The need for setting the block in the milling vise at a precise compound 12° angle prompted me to experiment with PLA, its rigidity making it suitable to hold steel until the vise jaws securely clamp down. This eliminates the hassle of tapping the piece with a hammer and adjusting the vise by ear. Small adjustments can still be made even with blocks underneath, depending on the desired precision. In use, the plastic blocks go into the vise with the V-groove running from the fixed jaw to the movable jaw, then the vise is rotated 12° to achieve the compound angle for the tool bit slot. Plans are available on www.gadgetbuilder.com under the "Tangential Toolholder" page.