Scale Model Precision Grinding Vises

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Dec 28, 2018, 07:34 PM
old_toolmaker

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Scale Model Precision Grinding Vises

This is my first attempt at posting on this site for over two months since I suffered a stroke and seizure back on 10-31-2018. I am slowly recovering and It sure feels good to be back on this site although I am not yet making chips out in the shop.

I built this set of scale model precision grinding vises about 50+ years ago based on the well known Herman Schmidt vise. The larger vise is 2/3 scale and the smaller one is 1/2 scale. I have used them since they were built and they still serve me well today. They are precision ground to size and square to within .0002". Enjoy!!
Dec 31, 2018, 04:28 PM
steamingbill

Hey Old_Toolmaker,

They look very decent.

Am puzzled about you folk that own surface grinders - do you make the parts to within plus 0.005" on the mill and the lathe and then transfer the job to the surface grinder to bring in the final surfaces to 0.0002" ?

Or is it possible to carve things on the grinder from scratch ? ie Do you start off with a roughing wheel to get a block to +0.005" and then change to a fine wheel to finish ?

Any good web sites or books or youtube videos you can recommend to someone who knows nothing about surface grinders ?

........ and Happy New Year to you ..... keep on recovering .....

Bill
Dec 31, 2018, 05:23 PM
aphilipmarcou

Beautiful work Dick. Hope you can spend more time in the shop, it will speed up your recovery too.
Dec 31, 2018, 05:23 PM
mwmkravchenko

Wishing you a speedy recovery Dick. Like the grinding vises. Well made and very well finished.
Dec 31, 2018, 05:46 PM
wizard69

Very nice work Dick! Beautiful really.

I have a question though, is there any wisdom in trying to make these out of 4340 HT? I have a round bar of this material but to be honest it is a challenge to machine. I’ve made a few small parts out of it and let’s put it this way, it is unforgiving when it comes to feed and speed mistakes. The other option is to buy some 4140 or similar material, the bar however only cost a few bucks.
Dec 31, 2018, 06:13 PM
ncollar

Dick
Thanks for sharing with us that you are on the mending side.
A speedy recovery and a Healthy and Happy New Year.
Nelson
Dec 31, 2018, 06:18 PM
high-side

Quote:

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Hey Old_Toolmaker,

They look very decent.

Am puzzled about you folk that own surface grinders - do you make the parts to within plus 0.005" on the mill and the lathe and then transfer the job to the surface grinder to bring in the final surfaces to 0.0002" ?

Or is it possible to carve things on the grinder from scratch ? ie Do you start off with a roughing wheel to get a block to +0.005" and then change to a fine wheel to finish ?

Any good web sites or books or youtube videos you can recommend to someone who knows nothing about surface grinders ?

........ and Happy New Year to you ..... keep on recovering .....

Bill

Bill,
Generally, you make your parts on your mill or lathe, and leave it oversize by several thousandths. Transfer your work to the grinder and bring it down to your final size.
Dec 31, 2018, 06:45 PM
ncollar

Dick
Thanks for sharing with us that you are on the mending side.
A speedy recovery and a Healthy and Happy New Year.
Nelson
Dec 31, 2018, 07:14 PM
ncollar

Quote:

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Hey Old_Toolmaker,

They look very decent.

Am puzzled about you folk that own surface grinders - do you make the parts to within plus 0.005" on the mill and the lathe and then transfer the job to the surface grinder to bring in the final surfaces to 0.0002" ?

Or is it possible to carve things on the grinder from scratch ? ie Do you start off with a roughing wheel to get a block to +0.005" and then change to a fine wheel to finish ?

Any good web sites or books or youtube videos you can recommend to someone who knows nothing about surface grinders ?

........ and Happy New Year to you ..... keep on recovering .....

Bill

Bill
Everything's made to an oversize state for more than one reason. A tool like the vises Dick created I am sure he heat treated it and then went to the grinder. The grinder takes off thousands to get it accurate and square. Grinding is the finishing step in tool making.
Nelson
Dec 31, 2018, 07:14 PM
old_toolmaker

steamingbill,

When tool building and I intend to precision grind, I will normally mill oversize and leave .005" grinding stock per side for finishing to size. It is possible to plunge grind from the solid and I have done that also on ocassion, but for larger flat surfaces it is usually not practical to do so. I will usually use a 46 grit H hardness 7" diameter x 1/2" x 1-1/4" I.D. aluminum oxide wheel for most things.
Thank you for asking.
Dec 31, 2018, 07:16 PM
old_toolmaker

Thank you very much, Bill!!
Dec 31, 2018, 07:18 PM
old_toolmaker

aphilipmarcou

Thank You!!!
Dec 31, 2018, 07:28 PM
old_toolmaker

I have used a lot of 4140 HT and I love it. These days I prefer not to have to send out to have tools heat treated. I have not tried 4340 but I have no reason to believe it would not work.
Dec 31, 2018, 07:29 PM
old_toolmaker

Thank you for your positive comments, Nelson!!
Jan 1, 2019, 02:25 AM
Metallurg33

Thanks for sharing! Rest and recover & get well soon.
Jan 2, 2019, 11:51 AM
PJs

Beautiful work Dick. They look amazing after 50 years of use. Glad you are getting along better and wish you a speedy full recovery and a Happy New Year!!

Thank you for sharing more of your fine work!
:hattip: PJ
Jan 3, 2019, 04:26 AM
rossbotics

Hey Dick
Glad to hear your getting better, I was wondering why I haven't see any posts from you lately, I was kinda wondering if you were ok, us old tool makers are hard to knock down,
Great job on the vises, they look like they were made yesterday

Get Better
Doug
Jan 3, 2019, 06:41 AM
DIYer


Thanks old_toolmaker! We've added your Precision Grinding Vises to our Vises category,
as well as to your builder page: old_toolmaker's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-precision-grinding-vises"> <img src="/uploads/219953/homemade-precision-grinding-vises.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-precision-grinding-vises">Precision Grinding Vises</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/old_toolmaker">old_toolmaker</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/vise'>vise</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
Jan 6, 2019, 04:41 PM
UncleBob

Glad to see you back Dick. Hope your recovery goes well. Thank you for all you have done for many of us. A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Uncle Bob
Jan 7, 2019, 06:12 PM
old_toolmaker

PJs,

Thank you for the nice comment and well wishes!!!!
Jan 7, 2019, 06:15 PM
old_toolmaker

UncleBob

Thank you for the well wishes and a happy New Year to you also. I am happy to be back!
Jan 7, 2019, 06:18 PM
old_toolmaker

rossbotics,

Nice to hear from you Doug! It is great to be back and I am looking forward to some shop time.
Aug 8, 2020, 03:23 AM
gazzaman

HI Dick,

Are the plans available for sale?

Thanks
Aug 8, 2020, 06:14 AM
old_toolmaker

I don’t have plans drawn up at this time. I worked from hand sketches on yellow legal pads at the time I built them. I just got LibreCad and am learning how to use it. I will get around to drawing the vises at some point but that most likely won’t be soon.
Thanks for asking!