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Floating jaws in either side of double station vise?

wheelieking71

Diamond
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
Location
Gilbert, AZ
Similar to this: Sveconek Multiple Part Work Holding System

But, only one floater on either side of a double station. Effectively turning it in to a quad station.
I have an application where this could be very beneficial. The parts are two OP parts.
If I used machinable center, and movable jaws on an Orange double? A floater on either side of center would give me 4 OP-2 stations.
And, I could fit 4 OP-1 stations on top of the move jaws with Talon-grips/Pit-bulls.
This would net me 4 finished 2 OP parts off each double station vise.
OP-2 really needs to happen in fully profiled jaws, as the parts are very odd shape with very little surface area to clamp.
I have tried other methods, and it was virtually impossible to create a reliable process.
But, the configuration I just described could work out awesome.
I have just never tried to implement a floating jaw before.

Anybody have any insight on the technique?
 
Similar to this: Sveconek Multiple Part Work Holding System

But, only one floater on either side of a double station. Effectively turning it in to a quad station.
I have an application where this could be very beneficial. The parts are two OP parts.
If I used machinable center, and movable jaws on an Orange double? A floater on either side of center would give me 4 OP-2 stations.
And, I could fit 4 OP-1 stations on top of the move jaws with Talon-grips/Pit-bulls.
This would net me 4 finished 2 OP parts off each double station vise.
OP-2 really needs to happen in fully profiled jaws, as the parts are very odd shape with very little surface area to clamp.
I have tried other methods, and it was virtually impossible to create a reliable process.
But, the configuration I just described could work out awesome.
I have just never tried to implement a floating jaw before.

Anybody have any insight on the technique?

I did this once with solid floating jaws, after I lot of trial and error trying to minimize lift and tilt I ended up having to make the retaining plate separate and fix it to the jaw with screws so that I could pull it down after tightening the vice.

Also the outer parts will shift zero by the size variation and clamping variation of the inner parts.
 
Similar to this: Sveconek Multiple Part Work Holding System

Anybody have any insight on the technique?

Not exactly, or at least, not with the one you had linked.

We do have some jaws from Snap Jaw that are kinda the same idea, although executed differently. They are jaws that are for a 6" vise but they are 8" long, with a 3/4" bushed hole on both ends. You have a 3/4 shaft to stick through the jaws bolted to the carriers, and also however many floating jaws you have between them.

They have bolt holes on top to which you can bolt "soft jaw" material to them to hold on profiled stock. I don't think that works very well on ours because the jaws are relatively tall (2" tall) and anything you clamp above the vise jaws will naturally want to bow upwards. I have used them to stack flat parts that sit on the vise floor though, they work okay for that.

I just went to find a link to them but it appears they do not make them anymore, or at least it is not on their website. Go figure, probably because it didn't work well.

My boss had shown me the site you linked a few months ago, and I told him I kinda wanted it but didn't have a job for it, so I'd keep it in mind. I had since forgotten the name so thanks for the link again. If you do try them out, let us know how it goes. If it is junk, I would want to know before I found a use for it and wasted time with them.
 
I did this once with solid floating jaws, after I lot of trial and error trying to minimize lift and tilt I ended up having to make the retaining plate separate and fix it to the jaw with screws so that I could pull it down after tightening the vice.

Also the outer parts will shift zero by the size variation and clamping variation of the inner parts.


Until this ad came out recently, I've never seen this type before, but I agree that lift/tilt would be expected issues.

However - I didn't follow how you said that you solved it?


-------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
Until this ad came out recently, I've never seen this type before, but I agree that lift/tilt would be expected issues.

However - I didn't follow how you said that you solved it?


-------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

I know, I explained it poorly. Hard to do without pictures. I had some one piece floating jaws that to mount them in the vice, you had to remove the moving jaw and slide the floating jaw on from the end of the vice. I forget where they came from, but they were bought like that. They seemed to be a very good fit on the ways of the vice, very tight sliding fit, but in use they would lift and tilt. In order to make them work for my purposes I cut the tenon off of them in the bandsaw, drilled and tapped it, and drilled and counterbored the jaw so that I could actually clamp it to the ways of the vice.

The jaws that Wheelie linked actually appear to work on a similar principle, with a separate "bracket" that goes under the ways and is used to clamp the jaw down.

In practice they are not so convenient because you have to clamp and unclamp the floating jaws every time you load/unload.
 
Oh, you are somehow clamping it down too.
Yeah, I'm not seeing that dog getting much hunt time in....


------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
I understand the lifting issue. Especially only holding parts on a shallow step (like most of the pics I can find).
But, my application would be holding the parts in a .700" deep pocket, with only one "floater".
The pockets would be integral to the actual master-jaws of the vise (no bolt-on jaws) eliminating any jaw protrusion above the masters.
The parts only sit .175" proud above the top of the jaw.
And, I could even mill the height of the jaws down so that .700" is more than half the overall jaw height.
 
Well then there wouldn't be any need for it to be fastened to anything at all would there?

Especially if you made the bottom of the floater deeper than your fixed, then slight chips wouldn't be as big'a deal either.

???


-----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
I did this. The extra jaws moved around a few thou. because the jaws weren't made very nicely, I had to fix a few dimensions on them before use. In this case it didn't matter because it was a first op.

269591d1573254867-tried-true-machine-001.jpg
 
Dare I ass_u_me that there are some springs in there somewhere?


--------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
In mine? No, I welded ears on the ends and put bolts in them adjusted to separate the jaws all by the same amount when the vise is fully opened.

I bought the jaws from a seller on Ebay. I asked him if they were supposed to vary as much from jaw to jaw as they did. His answer was "I'm not promising ±.002" or anything like that"

I think if I made the jaws, and made the slider holes in the floating jaws .001 or so higher than the end jaws it might flex the ground stock bars enough to preload the floater jaws downward a little and keep them seated, and still move OK.
 
I did this. The extra jaws moved around a few thou. because the jaws weren't made very nicely, I had to fix a few dimensions on them before use. In this case it didn't matter because it was a first op.

My parts are such an irregular shape, they would actually locate the floater in X as the vise was clamped.
There are literally not one single parallel or concentric features on these parts.
As long as I could over-come the lift issue, I think the floater could even be loose (not pinned).
 
Those look AWESOME! I was hoping that Orange would take their Delta vise and make it a multi station... but doesn't look like they will.

With most of my stock and parts under an 1" I have been keeping an eye out for a system that I could hold more parts without buying multiple 6" vises.
 








 
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