Modular vice hold down clamps

[thehomeengineer]

Hi All
I was very lucky a friend contacted me to say the engineering company he worked for were throwing away some tools I would definitely be interested in, so get down here quick before it all ends up in the skip. The first item was a Rohm modular vice (along with many other pieces I was able to have).

The reason given for the tools being discarded, is all machines are now 5 Axis with integrated work holding systems so the vice, angle plates, tilting plates, dividing heads etc were surplus to requirements and taking up valuable storage space. I did find this quite sad that traditional machining methods are being lost but modern machining process are so impressive. So why would you use a dividing head etc. when the machine that costs thousands of pounds can do it for you? I was very grateful to receive these items for my outdated workshop and for free!

The vice came with the operating handle (after a quick look in the skip) but I was unable to find the hold down clamps for the vice. So the only item I needed to come up with was the clamps.

I decided to make them from a old block of aluminium I had laying about and set about cutting up 4 blanks to make the clamps.

The photos below show the vice being clamped to my mill table using the homemade clamps. I possibly could have got away with 2 clamps as most vices use only two bolts and tee nuts. But the vice is quite long so opted for four. The large chamfer was purely cosmetic as the clamps looked cumbersome without this detail.

I decided to use M8 socket head cap screws as the loose jaw on the vice uses a 6mm Allan key to adjust the leadscrew nut and lock into position along the vice bed. So M8 tee nuts were also made so the clamps are always ready to go.

The only other item I added was two dogs bolted to the underside of the vice to engage in the tee slot to align vice.

The four hold down clamps and tee nuts.
Clamp in place.

All four clamps in place

Thank you for viewing
The Home Engineer

[mr mikey]

Wow, very nice, that doesn't happen often, what a friend. Back in the early 70's a shop I worked at for less than a year was closing. As people were getting laid off the boss would call me into the office and ask if I could repair some machines, set up machines according to blueprints along with making parts, I said I will give it one heck of a try. I did have fun learning and doing things I never thought possible. About two weeks before the final closing I was called into the office again, the owner took me into the shop and pointed to a couple of machines and said see these, yep, you can have any machines in here accept those. I was able to get a huge drill press, a huge lathe, metal bender and enough nuts and bolts to last a lifetime. Over the years I ended up giving away nuts and bolts, selling the lathe for a smaller one. I wish I could have been able to take a milling machine but they were to large and no place to put it, my garage was packed as it was.

[Philip Davies]

You are such a lucky so-and-so!

[thehomeengineer]

I know I am Philip it was like all my Christmas came at once. I have sold some of my old kit as the new items are in better condition I also gave away some items as I didn’t want to see them end up a skip.
As Mr Mikey said it doesn’t happen that often. I do have a couple of skips I like to frequent as there is often the odd gem in them and the cost of material it is always worth a look.

[DIYer]

Thanks thehomeengineer! We've added your Vise Hold Down Clamps to our Workholding category,
as well as to your builder page: thehomeengineer's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Vise Hold Down Clamps by thehomeengineer

tags: hold down

[Mook]

I have similar vise clamps but have reduced the width of the heel to go into the tee slot & lengthened the heel to seat at the bottom of the tee slot. I find it helps keep the clamp square and does not damage the bed.

[DIYer]

Thanks Mook! We've added your Vise Hold Down Clamps to our Vises category,
as well as to your builder page: Mook's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Vise Hold Down Clamps by Mook

tags: vise, hold down

[metric_taper]

I have similar vise clamps but have reduced the width of the heel to go into the tee slot & lengthened the heel to seat at the bottom of the tee slot. I find it helps keep the clamp square and does not damage the bed.

I would really like to see the clamps removed from the RT. I like the idea of a long T-nut.
Thanks for posting this version.

[thehomeengineer]

Hi Mook
Thank you for sharing your clamps I like the idea of clamping the vice to a rotary table.
The clamps l made are aluminium and hopefully the machine table is always wiped down clean to prevent any damage to the table. The reason I made the clamps this way also allows for the vice to be clamped at any angle on the table once the tee slot dogs are removed. This obviously would not be an issue if like yourself the vice is clamped to a rotary table.
The Home Engineer

[Mook]

Here is an image of the clamps removed. They are part of a total system for quick and easy setting of the rotary table and toolmakers vise.
I have a few videos on my channel showing the various uses of the system. If you want the links please let me know.