Questions about my Orange Vises

[Machinerer]

I have a few questions about the 4 orange vises we have on a tombstone, if anyone here is using them in a similar setup.

What do you do to hold the carrier up when you're changing jaws? I find can be pretty dangerous when you're taking a jaw off the dovetail with one hand, and trying to hold the carrier up with the other hand. I've had the carrier slam down to the bottom a couple times.

Some jaws come with set screws with spring plungers, and some jaws come with regular set screws. What's the purpose of the set screw if it's only in some of the jaws?

Do you run into problems with only being able to clamp a small range of sizes? I find that every time I plan a setup, when I go out to the vise it doesn't work Either the carrier won't open enough, or it won't close enough. The center blocks are big, the outside jaw blocks are big, and the "extra" material on the carrier is big, which often stops it from closing enough.

I'm finding it to not be nearly as versatile as we'd hoped for, and every setup seems to take way more trial and error, and re-do's than it should. Could entirely be that we're doing something wrong, but I'm not sure what that could be.

 

[Orange Vise]

All sliding jaws come with both screws - a plain set screw and a spring plunger. Use one or the other depending on the application.

Some tips:

1. When running small parts, keep the vise in dual station configuration, even if you're only running one part at a time. Leave the bottom station empty and only use the upper station. Clamp a piece of dummy stock or a 1-2-3 block in the lower station.
2. If the opening is not wide enough, move the center jaw to an offset position. Each position increases capacity by 7/8".
3. If clamping parts that absolutely require single-station configuration, fix the top jaw instead of the bottom jaw.
4. You can remove the spring loaded brake from the carrier assembly and instead use it as an adjustable stop that can be locked anywhere in the channel.

Since 2019, we've been trying to steer tombstone customers towards the Delta setup rather than the 6" vises. The tombstone themselves are the same, but the Delta vises are easier to use on a tombstone. The main drawback is reduced capacity, although we will be introducing a 4" x 12" in the near future that increases capacity to 9".

Email us and we can send you a 2nd Gen Delta demo. It features self centering, dual station, and fixed single station capability all in one.

 

[Machinerer]

The large aluminum sliding jaws we received only came with standard set screws, and I don't believe the plunger type screws would even be long enough to use with those jaws. Can you explain what application calls for the plunger, vs. standard?

As far as using the brake as a stop to lock the carrier, doesn't the jaw on the bottom/rear carrier location need to be removed before you're able to lock that down? I'm not sure I'm following what you mean.

Would you mind if I sent you a screenshot of the setup I'm trying to get going, and see if you have any solutions, or ideas on what I might be doing wrong?

 

[Orange Vise]

Yes, the bigger aluminum jaws are currently only available with the long set screw.

And yes, a screenshot/photo would be great.

 

[Machinerer]

Yes, the bigger aluminum jaws are currently only available with the long set screw.

And yes, a screenshot/photo would be great.

I'm going to send it to the [email protected] email, if that's ok? I'd prefer to not post the customer parts online.

 

[Orange Vise]

Sounds good, I'll be on the lookout for your email.

 

[Houdini16]

Here are a couple things that helped us, because I love the versatility of the Orange vises.
We redesigned the brake to be set from the back of the vise, so WITHOUT taking off the sliding jaw. It can be set or released in a second without removing anything, I make them if anyone wants to buy them.
We mass produce an Aluminum bolt on center jaw that is the size of the cast iron bolt on threaded jaw, and we machine these to the parts needs, this drastically minimizes the center jaw allowing larger parts.
And for Mitee Bite or Serra jaw usage we made a Mitee Bite Talon Grip jaw from a Orange cast iron center bolt on jaw, this gives us a lot more room for larger parts also.
And for larger parts that we want a bite jaw for the sliding jaws, we made a sliding jaw that has a Serra jaw near the center of it, and obviously this can be rotated for smaller or larger parts.
to show how impressive these vises are, we use two double station 16"(small) orange vises in a Haas mini mill (16"x by 12"y travel), where we can run 4UP on a part that is 3"x6"
Another benefit most don't consider, we use these in single station mode for plates, and the 1/2-13 holes in the vise bodies can be used as jack screw locations to support thin plates to reduce chatter on thin plates.
New VMC coming and we'll need 3 more Eric!

 

[trochoidalpath]

Another benefit most don't consider, we use these in single station mode for plates, and the 1/2-13 holes in the vise bodies can be used as jack screw locations to support thin plates to reduce chatter on thin plates.

Whoah, I never thought of that! Great tip.

 

[Machinerer]

Here are a couple things that helped us, because I love the versatility of the Orange vises.
We redesigned the brake to be set from the back of the vise, so WITHOUT taking off the sliding jaw. It can be set or released in a second without removing anything, I make them if anyone wants to buy them.
We mass produce an Aluminum bolt on center jaw that is the size of the cast iron bolt on threaded jaw, and we machine these to the parts needs, this drastically minimizes the center jaw allowing larger parts.
And for Mitee Bite or Serra jaw usage we made a Mitee Bite Talon Grip jaw from a Orange cast iron center bolt on jaw, this gives us a lot more room for larger parts also.
And for larger parts that we want a bite jaw for the sliding jaws, we made a sliding jaw that has a Serra jaw near the center of it, and obviously this can be rotated for smaller or larger parts.
to show how impressive these vises are, we use two double station 16"(small) orange vises in a Haas mini mill (16"x by 12"y travel), where we can run 4UP on a part that is 3"x6"
Another benefit most don't consider, we use these in single station mode for plates, and the 1/2-13 holes in the vise bodies can be used as jack screw locations to support thin plates to reduce chatter on thin plates.
New VMC coming and we'll need 3 more Eric!

I like the idea of the machinable center stationary jaw. The brake would be a great modification, except I don't think it would help in our case. We have 4 vise's on a tombstone that we purchased from orange, and one of the issues we have, is that the lower jaw is just too close to the base of the tombstone to tighten the set screw when it's used as a fixed jaw.

Would you be able to post some pictures of your talon grip/serra jaw setups? Or any other creative uses of the orange vise? I'd really love to get more out of these vises, but I think I'm just having "machinists block".

 

[Houdini16]

I would love to post bunch of pics or videos but I am SUPER swamped with work. If you guys want to build your own rear set brake you have to make a new brake body, instead of tapping the vertical 1/2-13 you ream that hole .500"
then you buy a piece of precision brass round bar .5" cut it to length and drill the side of it with a .5" spot drill.
then from the rear of the brake body you drill and tap 1/2-13 and use a pointed set screw. DONE!

 

[Machinerer]

I would love to post bunch of pics or videos but I am SUPER swamped with work. If you guys want to build your own rear set brake you have to make a new brake body, instead of tapping the vertical 1/2-13 you ream that hole .500"
then you buy a piece of precision brass round bar .5" cut it to length and drill the side of it with a .5" spot drill.
then from the rear of the brake body you drill and tap 1/2-13 and use a pointed set screw. DONE!View attachment 365259

Cool, that's a great addition. How much do you sell these for?

 

[Houdini16]

Cool, that's a great addition. How much do you sell these for?

Dunno, I have never mentioned them to anyone but Eric before. I have 10 or so laying around that are 7075 hard anodized. Ive been using mine for years.

 

[Houdini16]

Cost I would guess approx. $50

 

[Orange Vise]

I would love to post bunch of pics or videos but I am SUPER swamped with work. If you guys want to build your own rear set brake you have to make a new brake body, instead of tapping the vertical 1/2-13 you ream that hole .500"
then you buy a piece of precision brass round bar .5" cut it to length and drill the side of it with a .5" spot drill.
then from the rear of the brake body you drill and tap 1/2-13 and use a pointed set screw. DONE!View attachment 365259

Hmm... I really like this implementation. Email me again if you don't mind. We can send you stuff in exchange for a great idea/design. Credit where credit's due.

 

[Houdini16]

Also for the problem of having a vise vertical on a horizontal, you mention that you don't have room at the bottom to access a rear brake.
I assume then that you have the hex at the top of the vise to open and close it. you could just design a new plate that holds the rubber seal into the carrier, and tap it for another brake at the top of the vise, that also has a rear brake piston design as seen here.
this would then hold your carrier up as you worked on things instead of letting it slam down, but also act as similar to letting the vise jaws open and close with timing.
If there was a big need, I could start designing and making these.

 

[Houdini16]

Also if you regularly have access to the between the carriers to you could use a brake with a hole cut out of the center for the lead screw to pass through, and set it up as a push spring system instead of the standard pull spring system, and you could set that brake from the center access in the vise, and it would constantly apply push spring pressure on the upper carrier, allowing the timing also.

 

[Houdini16]

Hmm... I really like this implementation. Email me again if you don't mind. We can send you stuff in exchange for a great idea/design. Credit where credit's due.

OK, I emailed you, direct to your Eric email.

 

[Machinerer]

Also for the problem of having a vise vertical on a horizontal, you mention that you don't have room at the bottom to access a rear brake.
I assume then that you have the hex at the top of the vise to open and close it. you could just design a new plate that holds the rubber seal into the carrier, and tap it for another brake at the top of the vise, that also has a rear brake piston design as seen here.
this would then hold your carrier up as you worked on things instead of letting it slam down, but also act as similar to letting the vise jaws open and close with timing.
If there was a big need, I could start designing and making these.

I'm going to take a look at that, I like that idea. I'm not sure if I could get the bean counters to approve a purchase from "some dude on Practical Machinist" (no offense to you) but I will mention it for sure.

 

[Houdini16]

I'm going to take a look at that, I like that idea. I'm not sure if I could get the bean counters to approve a purchase from "some dude on Practical Machinist" (no offense to you) but I will mention it for sure.

Haha, That dude on practical machinist, owns a machine shop, and is a tool and die engineer. HAHA

 

[Machinerer]

Haha, That dude on practical machinist, owns a machine shop, and is a tool and die engineer. HAHA

I totally get that man, and I have no doubts, its just a matter of selling that to the bean counters who have never been in a machine shop.

I was looking at the brake, to make a brake on the end by the hex nut, and I couldn't figure something out. On the OEM brake, the set screw pushes down, to the bed of the vise, to put drag on the carrier. What pushes the brass pin on your carrier down? It looks like the set screw would just push the pin against the side of the bore.

If you're trying to actually sell them, as opposed to sharing that info, I totally get it.