G0755 Mill Vrs. The Vice

[kgowedan]

First off I have to say that I really like my new Grizzly G0755 milling machine. To complement the mill, I purchased the Grizzly T10063 4" premium milling vice. With the new vice installed, the vice overhangs the table, which is normal for these types of vices. The problem I encountered was centering the cutting bit to the vice jaws. Using the center T slot to attach the vice would put the vice to far back (towards the user) which makes the saddle overhang the base. Using the first T slot, the vice overhangs to much, and is unbalanced, but the cutting bit can be centered OK. Using the forward T slot, the vice cant be centered without maximum saddle overhanging the base. What I'm after is to have the vice jaws centered and the saddle under full support on the base. What I did to compromise was to drill two 1/2" X 13 tpi holes into the table, between the T slots to mount the vice. I also have s swivel base vice that I use. This vice, in order to get it to center as above, I have to off set the swivel base mounting holes using two T slots

 

[ARKnack]

Why not try studs with finger clamps. You don't have to use the provided slots for bolting it down. Fingers should be plenty strong enough unless your are really hogging it.

 

[coolidge]

With a clamping set you can clamp your vice anywhere on the table without drilling holes in your table. Alternatively you could have just machined a spacer for your vice jaws to center the material. I get what you are trying to achieve, but you could have done so without drilling/tapping your table. 3rd alternative and probably the best would have been to purchase some fixture plate, this is precision ground aluminum plate designed for when you need to drill and tap to hold something, typically you bolt the fixture plate to your table via table T slots then drill and tap the crap out of the fixture plate to mount various vices, setups, etc. thus preserving your table. You can do all sorts of things with fixture plates, think fixture plate next time

 

[kgowedan]

With a clamping set you can clamp your vice anywhere on the table without drilling holes in your table. Alternatively you could have just machined a spacer for your vice jaws to center the material. I get what you are trying to achieve, but you could have done so without drilling/tapping your table. 3rd alternative and probably the best would have been to purchase some fixture plate, this is precision ground aluminum plate designed for when you need to drill and tap to hold something, typically you bolt the fixture plate to your table via table T slots then drill and tap the crap out of the fixture plate to mount various vices, setups, etc. thus preserving your table. You can do all sorts of things with fixture plates, think fixture plate next time

I looked at several options. What I didn't want to do is have the saddle overhanging the base of the mill. I don't mind drilling holes in the table to accommodate the set up. I have had to drill additional holes to fit my rotatory table when in the vertical position, as the T slots don't line up here either. This has worked out for me, and provides a secure method to mount the vice very ridged. I just don't know why the engineers don't allow this off set when they produce this machinery as it's as plane and simple to me when installing the vice's available they will be to long for the T slot to mount to center the cutter. Also as stated before, my other vice with the swivel base does't fit without offsetting the mount at an angle using two T lots. The photo attached will show what I want. I want the saddle to fit the base without any overhang to assure full contact.

Thanks for the information and all the fixes. I did make a hard plastic spacer in an attempt to center the vice to the cutter. This worked somewhat. Still not satisfied, I drilled the table. I have and use the tooling plate for my mini mill and it works satisfactory for these machines. The mini mill tooling plate I have is not indexed properly for the larger table T slots. I have priced aluminum stock cut to fit the larger table from Online Metals, but this alternative would be very expensive for the larger G0755 table.

To explain a little more what I was looking for....In the photo above (with my finger pointing) is as far as I want the saddle to extend to the base. With my setup, with the vice jaws centered under the cutter, this is where it came out, so that is where the table was drilled to secure the vice.

I really think that the mill and vice making people don't talk to each other. The vice is expensive and well made, but the forward jaw is to far forward and needs to be longer. The spacer I made from plastic is 1/2". A spacer about 1" or even 1 1/2" should come with the vice to center the cutter better for different mill's. The vice is a copy of a vice made for the larger Bridgeport type machines to accommodate a broader range of table travel. Trying to "force fit" these vices to the smaller Grizzly machines with their limited table travel is catch and miss at best. For me, the real solution would be to alter the vice forward jaw or to make more attachment points along the vice side edge during manufacture and make it more adjustable to accommodate different set-ups. With these vices the extra length is used to allow for a larger jaw opening, but the large surface area under the vice is wasted as it just overhangs the table. JMTC...........

 

[stupoty]

You will never have to faf around wit the t nuts to bolt the vice down

You would think a 4 inch vice would sit in a fairly good location with the default t nut slots, it's not like thats a massive size vice for the machine.

You should get some grub screws to put in their for when your using hold downs etc. direct on the table or they might fill up with chips (how many times have a had to cleen chips from blind holes ahhhh.)

Stuart