Milling Vice

thingiverse

I had a miniature mill but my current vise is simply obsolete. This milling vice was an exceptionally practical purchase that fit neatly within my budget. (A steel version can be found on Amazon for reference: http://amzn.to/28MwWtd) What makes this design robust are the steel plates precision-cut to size and securely bonded together in plate form to distribute forces evenly. Check out the image of the tin can I was able to crush completely. I've included a printable template sheet for the face plates. One of the cool features about this vise is its versatility – it can be used in reverse for inside clamping of large objects with ease. Also, the main lead screw doesn't move as the slide glides along which makes the mill's handle more accessible from underneath.http://youtu.be/HC69pqXPNkQ Instructions: I printed all parts at 30% infill with ABS. I used ABS glue to secure all the parts together. UPDATE: Hot glue works better. Painting this thing was a labor-intensive process. I was attempting to cover up the red ABS glue residue but stupidly painted onto surfaces where metal plates would be glued later on. On the plus side, using ABS glue and sandable primer allowed me to build up surfaces to get a smooth finish. If you just want plastic faces, I've included models for those – no need to print the 'face' parts if you're going with steel plates instead. Take every precaution to prevent warping on the base parts. The underside of these parts will be a working surface, so any warping will cause the slide to wobble during use. During final assembly of the lead screw, I threaded the nylock nut onto the rod past the end and used a hammer to roughen the outer threads of the rod. Then, I unscrewed the nylock nut until it caught on the marred end, effectively locking it in place. It's highly recommended to use two jam nuts to secure the other side as well. The vice mounts are designed for 5/16" bolts. Shopping List (UPDATED): (1) Nylock hex nut 1/2"-13 (1) 12" length of 1/2"-13 threaded rod (1) 6" x 18" steel plate, 16 ga thickness (available at Lowes.) (4) Jam Nut 1/2"-13 (Two for the slide and two for double nutting the rod on the back side of the vice) (1) 5/16-18 bolt, 2.5" in length (2) 5/16"-18 nuts (for double nutting the handle) http://youtu.be/HC69pqXPNkQ