Miniature drill press vise

**mklotz** · May 5, 2018, 02:11 PM

As promised, here is a somewhat better video of the overhead belt drive machines in action...

**wizard69** · Sep 24, 2018, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by mklotz

As promised, here is a somewhat better video of the overhead belt drive machines in action...

Now all you need is a steam engine and a boiler and you would be all set.

By the way fantastic work on the vise.

**mklotz** · Sep 25, 2018, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by wizard69

Now all you need is a steam engine and a boiler and you would be all set.

By the way fantastic work on the vise.

You mean like these?

**wizard69** · Jan 6, 2019, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by mklotz

You mean like these?

Yes like those! I must have lost track of this thread but luckily it has moved to the the sites home screen for some reason.

In any event that drill press and vise has me wondering how do you avoid broken tools? I can understand taking very shallow reps of cuts for normal end mill work but you described a cut down end mill to cut the bottom of the T slots. That would mean cutting all the material at once. I can’t even imagine doing that manually.

On a full size mill you get feedback from the crank and sound from the mill to help you gage feed rate. With the tiny cutters you are using how is it even possible to “feel” is you are feeding correctly. Waiting for the tool to break and then backing off a bit won’t work. I’ve never used a Taig or Sherline mill so maybe there is enough sensitivity on these machines?

Sadly if I tried to build that vice and table like you did I suspect that I would have a bucket of broken cutters by now. You have produced some amazing work!

**mklotz** · Jan 6, 2019, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by wizard69

Yes like those! I must have lost track of this thread but luckily it has moved to the the sites home screen for some reason.

In any event that drill press and vise has me wondering how do you avoid broken tools? I can understand taking very shallow reps of cuts for normal end mill work but you described a cut down end mill to cut the bottom of the T slots. That would mean cutting all the material at once. I can’t even imagine doing that manually.

On a full size mill you get feedback from the crank and sound from the mill to help you gage feed rate. With the tiny cutters you are using how is it even possible to “feel” is you are feeding correctly. Waiting for the tool to break and then backing off a bit won’t work. I’ve never used a Taig or Sherline mill so maybe there is enough sensitivity on these machines?

Sadly if I tried to build that vice and table like you did I suspect that I would have a bucket of broken cutters by now. You have produced some amazing work!

Whenever you're cutting T-slots the accepted practice is to cut the central section full depth using a standard endmill. Then the modified endmill, aka T-slot cutter, only has to remove the material forming the cross-bar of the T at the bottom of the slot.

The T-slots on the model were all cut on a standard size mill-drill fitted with an X-axis power feed. (While I have a Unimat, I seldom use it for miniature work anymore.) Get the tool spinning at maximum speed and the power feed at minimum and let 'er rip (well, let 'er crawl) while you use a tiny tube to blow swarf out of the slot with compressed air. Removing the swarf is the secret to preventing tool breakage. As you indicate, manual feedback is non-existent so there is no point in even trying for that.

Actually, thinking back, I've never broken a homemade 1/8" T-slot cutter.