Fractal vise - GIF, video, and patent

[Jon]

1:34 video of Steve Lindsay's fractal vise jaws that mklotz linked:

[Nitrous]

Is this a commercially available vice or a "one-off"?

[WmRMeyers]

Is this a commercially available vice or a "one-off"?

Neither, at the moment. They WERE commercially available a century ago, and may be again.

Bill

[Toolmaker51]

It's done in Europe all the time, some towns focus on it, ie Eibar Spain. The general term is 'cottage industry'.
You were thinking farther outside the sphere (Frank S's visualization; infinite points of reference compared to a box). My central goal is an operative Toolroom facing the public, and some manufacturing from within.
Collaborative manufacture takes a group of tricks. It starts with the distribution of equipment, and proximity to shipping points, relatively easy compared to inspection and assembly. Real impasse is funding, worst hurdle of all.

Recent as 70's-80's, an articulating vise was available, with 3 pivots. It was the "Morton" and expensive enough that I put off getting at least one. Equipped better now, making a proper DIY is not insurmountable

One thing remains, articulating jaws are suited to short run or prototypes, conforming jaws work best with long run jobs.

[metric_taper]

So here is my cheap "Servo style" (I think that's what they called it) drill press vise;

This came from the local home supply story 25 years ago. I've not seen them since then. Quick search ebay could not find one.