Lantern Vise

[C-Bag]

I got the idea for this seeing Marv Klotz's Lantern vise.

I work a lot with 80/20 aluminum extrusions and have to trim standard length 1/4" 20 Allen head bolts to fit, sometimes trimming 1/8" or less. I prefer to use my bandsaw so when I saw Marv's vise I saw the seed of what I was wishing for. Marv's had a thumbweel so the vise couldn't lie flat on the table so I just used 1/4" 20 Allen heads. I added the v cut in the vise to hold the bolts steady and the small bolt in v to be able to hold small bolts. As it is it will cut up to 5/16" hex heads. It just lays up against the bevel gauge and holds the bolt without muss or fuss. Fairly easy project and handy as a shirt pocket.

 

[mikey]

Cool idea, C-bag, I like it! Neat that you can use the bandsaw to cut screws and bolts instead of pulling out the hacksaw. This is now on the long list of stuff I need to make - thanks!

 

[C-Bag]

Cool idea, C-bag, I like it! Neat that you can use the bandsaw to cut screws and bolts instead of pulling out the hacksaw. This is now on the long list of stuff I need to make - thanks!

Thanks Mikey.

The original Marv called a lantern pin vise. The guy is full of great ideas. And this was posted when I was deep into one of my 80/20 projects and needing to do multiple length bolts. And for the record I have an even harder time holding a bolt and trying to cut it with a hacksaw!
This is Marv Klotz's original Lantern Pin Vise:

 

[mikey]

I consider myself to be a Ninja with a hacksaw and files but anything that makes life easier in the shop is an idea worth noting. If you stop to think about how many times you have to shorten a screw or bolt over a lifetime, you begin to see the real value of something like this. It doesn't matter whose idea it was; it matters that you shared it and now we know about it. Thanks!

 

[C-Bag]

Thanks again Mikey, that is high praise coming from you. I have spent way too much time cutting off bolts and screws sweating bullets because I KNEW what I was doing was not safe. But what else could I do? I had several jury rigged messes that cut down on the fear but when I saw Marv's lantern vise I was stunned. Why didn't I think of that????

But in my last wage slave tour it was my job to "finish" a design and even though the basic idea was genius, it was truly only 80% done IMHO. The big brass knob was cool, but in the way to make it lie flat on the table and the jaws being square would let that pesky bolt or screw cock like they had done so many times over my lifetime. And the pivot screw, or whatever you want to call it was on the opposite side of the thumbscrew so you couldn't put it up against the bevel gauge. Details, yes, but details my pea brain can deal with The little clamping screw in the v of the vise finishes it off so it can do tiny screws and bolts. I couldn't come up with the idea but I could do tweeks that make it work for me.

 

[mikey]

Hah, now that you've done all the heavy lifting the rest of us can duplicate it and marvel at our copycat abilities. Sort of makes you feel Chinese! Oh wait, I'm 1/4 Chinese already ...

 

[Rootpass]

“Handy as a shirt pocket”
Love it

 

[mmcmdl]

Hey C , most of the equipment and machines at my workplace are built out of 80/20 . I personally hate the stuff . Light duty extrusions aren't good for heavy duty machines . I let them know it everyday also . That vice is a great idea as Im constantly having to make custom length bolts when the insert nuts strip .

 

[C-Bag]

Hey C , most of the equipment and machines at my workplace are built out of 80/20 . I personally hate the stuff . Light duty extrusions aren't good for heavy duty machines . I let them know it everyday also . That vice is a great idea as Im constantly having to make custom length bolts when the insert nuts strip .

I can relate, to each his own. I don't use it for heavy duty stuff and I'd complain to if I had to fix it all the time because it was not right for the application. My stuff is med. light duty and I love that it's totally adjustable and reusable when one of my contraptions don't work. I also got it used off CL at a fraction of cost. But if I was going to do something heavy duty I'd prototype with 80/20 then redo in steel or whatever.

 

[C-Bag]

Hey C , most of the equipment and machines at my workplace are built out of 80/20 . I personally hate the stuff . Light duty extrusions aren't good for heavy duty machines . I let them know it everyday also . That vice is a great idea as Im constantly having to make custom length bolts when the insert nuts strip .

It took a while to sink in. Most of the equipment and machines are made of 80/20?!?! Can you explain? The stuff I have was originally a 4x8 CNC router table. I got the impression it was an older outdated machine and they pulled all the electronics etc and we're going to scrap the frame. Luckily the kid who sold it to me decided to take it home to build his own machine then got to busy. Now I totally get 80/20 is not steel or cast iron and is not a substitute. I guess I'm trying to figure out a workplace where everything is made out of it. Besides my garage