Game-Changing Inside Clamping Hack with a Kurt Style Vise!

[Mook]

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Engineering Overview

The primary challenge was securely clamping a 500mm bore using a Kurt-style vise. These vises are not designed to provide safe clamping when in an opening direction, necessitating an alternative approach. Once a viable solution was identified, additional design opportunities emerged with minimal modifications. These were incorporated into the system, leading to its first functional iteration

Clamping Mechanism

The internal clamping was achieved by implementing a new fixed jaw at the handle end. This design converted the forward-pushing motion of the moving jaw into a pulling action. The pulling force caused the drilled jaws to separate while the moving jaw remained engaged via the spherical button. To enhance versatility, a second drilled jaw was introduced. This addition enabled the vise to clamp both circular and parallel components using rods and non-marring discs, preserving workpiece integrity.

Design Considerations

From the outset, it was clear that clamping round workpieces required three pins. To maintain symmetry, the hole pattern was designed with even-numbered holes on one jaw and odd-numbered holes on the other. However, an oversight resulted in the hole patterns being reversed. Ideally, the even-numbered holes, positioned symmetrically on either side of the jaw center, should serve as datums on the fixed jaws. The third clamping pin, located centrally on the moving jaw, should align accordingly. The correct configuration would have the fixed jaw with even holes and the moving jaw with odd holes, ensuring proper alignment and consistent clamping performance.