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dovetail Kurt 688 replacement hard jaws, $$, height consistency, and machinability.

dsergison

Diamond
Joined
Oct 23, 2003
Location
East Peoria, IL, USA
I chewed up my fixed jaw & need a replacement.

Question 1: are the reversible innerlock jaws the best deal?

Question 2: are all the 6" jaws (from kurt) the same height? at least within .001" or less? because my programs all depend on that. because they are written with parts sitting on paralells in the vise and referencing the top of jaw for Z.

Question 3: I am thinking about milling a dovetail in the reversible jaws for secure low profile workholding, similar to a tallon grip etc... I found an old thread about this. I know the stock hard jaws are machinable, because I machined a pretty nice clean groove with a carbide end mill through mine. not so sure a HSS dovetail cutter is up to the task. I suppose I can grind it in with a profiled wheel? I was thinking .060" tall x 45.

Question 4: Do you always mill the mating dovetail in the workpiece (aluminum) or does the system bite in well enough to not require?
 
Q4: I always mill the mating dovetail. If you have a lot of aluminum parts to do you can set up a router table with a fence and zip on the dovetails.
 
Having used the Talon grips a bit myself, I would say that they bite because they are relatively short. And if I am concerned, I usually set the Talon grips by giving the movable jaw a wack with a dead blow hammer, and then re-tighten.

A full length dovetail would not likely bite into the work stock very well, so you'd probably need to mill the dovetail into the work.
 
Having used the Talon grips a bit myself, I would say that they bite because they are relatively short. And if I am concerned, I usually set the Talon grips by giving the movable jaw a wack with a dead blow hammer, and then re-tighten.

A full length dovetail would not likely bite into the work stock very well, so you'd probably need to mill the dovetail into the work.

thanks for that

I'm thinking to sort of serrate it by interrupting the dovetail about 50% or more by milling it with a bunch of 1/8" wide x 1/4" spaced notches with the side of a 1/4" end mill before dovetailing. it will come out looking like little flat top waves.
 








 
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