Jewelers Vise

[Mosey]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a really good jewelers vise to hold tiny parts for filing and grinding?
I am making some crankshaft keys, .062" x .062" x .50" that I need to finish after milling to approx size.
Starrett #86 is too big I think.

[mklotz]

To me, jeweler's vise implies a handheld vise.  Are you looking for a handheld...

http://www.micromark.com/hand-vise,7287.html

 or something more like a miniature toolmaker vise, often referred to as an insert vise?

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3142&category=

[Mosey]

Jewelers...hand held
High Quality

[mklotz]

Well, if you want quality, there's

http://www.transcat.com/Catalog/productdetail.aspx?itemnum=86A&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&gclid=CLvvw8eHyLQCFYp_Qgodhz8A3w

[Mosey]

You have that right!
Being a devout cheapskate, I will look for something a little less dear, but that is the idea.

[mklotz]

Well, Mosey, you said you wanted quality!  Starrett still believes that their name entitles them to charge absurd amounts.  Also, consider how you will feel when you accidentally touch your $250 vise to the grinding wheel.

Here's something a bit less exorbitant...

http://www.micromark.com/hand-vise,7287.html

I have this one and find it very useful; it grips like a maddened wolverine...

http://www.micromark.com/super-hand-vise,10308.html

I also have this one; very useful for odd shaped stuff...

http://www.micromark.com/universal-clamp,6743.html

You might be able to find any of these at better prices by looking about.  Better yet, make your own.  Then it will be exactly what you want.

[Don1966]

I have all but the last one, love them for holding parts.

Don

[Mosey]

Gee Marv,
now you're beginning to be really helpful!

Greatly appreciated!

The wolverine grip is the right stuff.

I am trying to make the engine and lay off the making of the tools, as much fun as that is. So, I'll get one and off we go.

[mklotz]

Gee Marv,
now you're beginning to be really helpful!

As opposed to my more usual attempts to create havoc and dissension.

[Bogstandard]

Mosey,

Try one of these to begin with if it is just for holding things whilst grinding.

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,534.msg4285.html#msg4285

It should be able to hold almost any shape, at least mine does when I do a bit of offhand grinding.


John

[b.lindsey]

I made on of those Bogs...and use it VERY often!!

Bill

[Don1966]

 Mosey here is another one that I really use a lot and can be made very easily.
http://www.micromark.com/brass-mini-vise-1-1and2-inch-capacity,8546.html

Don

[gary hart]

Don't know about grinding but works real good for filing small parts.   Plans where published in an old issue of Strictly I.C.
The "base" clamps in bench vise and the small vise if adjustable for position by clamp bolt in base.

[Goldstar31]

I have lots of holding tools.
Apart from the usual small vices, I have a pair of very cheap small ones with ball joints with a choice of either rubber/plastic/aluminium jaws which were/are cheap enough to butcher as they came from Aldi or Lidl in the UK. Whether these and other throw away items are on the US shelves, I'll just guess but they are available widely in Europe.
Again, I have cheap and nasty pliers which have been drilled as per Bogs but mine were from my wife who is a retired consultant orthodontist. This leads me to her sets of pliers with one 'anvil' with a female curve and the other with a male one( like a circlip set) and these make springs. Another set are ground to hold bits of flat sheets etc for welding. After all, they do come in cheap sets and are modded on the grinder. I also have an ancient vice which has a a rotatable vice fixed jaw as a turret and with a vee in the movable one. It was a proprietory item-- yeears ago.

Perhaps the best set is the classic George Thomas one called the Universal Pillar Tool which has to be made up and details are in his Workshop Techniques book.

Somewhere, I think that I have clamps made up to hold 1mm thick sheet metal for car body panels to be either Mig/Mag-ged or gas welded. However, enough for the day***************

Cheers

Norm

[ths]

Great vise, Gary. Looks to be made from 3/4 square stock?

Hugh.

Don't know about grinding but works real good for filing small parts.   Plans where published in an old issue of Strictly I.C.
The "base" clamps in bench vise and the small vise if adjustable for position by clamp bolt in base.