Milling Attachment Vise Modification?

[bhusted]

I've got a 12" Craftsman and the accompanying milling attachment and I've found it quite useful for small projects. While I don't have the space for a mill, I wanted to see if I can improve on the utility of the milling attachment. The "vise" as it is just has the two screws to clamp down on parts. I know that there are supposed to be jaw pads that go between the screws and the work, but I don't have them. Regardless, the vise lacks a real dynamic jaw to hold parts on parallels or otherwise. I don't want to modify the current vise, but make it possible to mount another vise on there. Has anyone swapped out the vise on the milling attachment for something else?

I was thinking of using a 2-3" drill press vise or screwless grinding vise that I could make a counter-bore in the bottom of for the dovetail attachment. I could also make a steel plate with a hole in it to attach to the dovetail instead. The import grinding vises would be more than accurate enough for the work I do, but I'm concerned that they may be too hardened to effectively machine the bottom. The drill press vise has the benefit that they are mostly cast iron and probably much easier to machine.

I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts or ideas on this.

 

[benmychree]

Grinding vises are guarenteed to be too hard to machine, the drill press vise would be a good option if is a type that would lend itself to the application, unlike the Chinese abortions that I mostly see.

 

[Manual Mac]

Look at lostcreek machine, for ideas? They have some used milling attachments with vise’s under their used lathe listings.
Even an atlas attachment with part machined off.
Interesting site to browse.

 

[bhusted]

Thanks for your responses. I wasn't sure how hard the import grinding vises might be. Some of the "hardened" Chinese tools I've purchases have turned out to be quite soft. I did consider clamping the grinding vise in the original Craftsman one, but am concerned that the overhang from where it mounts on the cross slide will be too large.

For the drill press vise, I've been looking for something like this:

I could mount a plate on the bottom to attach to the dovetail or counterbore the bottom of the vise itself if there is enough material. I actually just came across this from mymachineshop.net where they did exactly the same thing. I'm sure I can make my own for less than their $150 asking price.

Thanks for the mention of Lost Creek Machine. I had never come across that site before and it certainly has some interesting items. That Atlas milling attachment mounted to the X-Y table and half of the vise milled away seems strange. I'm sure someone had a plan there, but I don't know what it was.

 

[wa5cab]

http://www.mymachineshop.net/ sells a vise or maybe two sizes of vise that are modified to fit the cross slide pintle on the 10" and 12" milling attachment. I have one and use it sometimes. I also have the flat and V-grooved blocks that originally came with the milling attachment. I recommend that you acquire a set. They turn up from time to time on eBay. And mymachineshop has had them in the past. The problem with making them is that they need to be hardened else they won't remain usable for very long.

 

[welderr]

I bought a chewed up lower compound swivel off ebay cheap, the piece if I remember correctly is Identical to the one on the milling attachment, or at least if fits I plan to mill it flat and I picked up a little 5 inch southbend rotary table I intend to mount on it, also I have a little 4 jaw Craftsman Chuck that I can mount on the rotary, I am deep into renovations on the new house so this will have to wait. TJ

 

[wa5cab]

TJ,

The assembly that the Atlas parts lists usually call the Lower Compound Swivel is more commonly referred to by users as the Cross Slide. On the Atlas and Atlas/Craftsman lathes, the lathe cross slide is also used as the matching size milling attachment's Vertical Slide, with only one difference. Which is that for the Vertical Slide application, one of the in-board gib screws and lock nuts is replaced by a T-handle screw which is used as a lock. Everything else is the same, including the part number. Note that the cross slide used on the milling attachment remained the same as before when the cross slide was changed on the late 1/2" bed 12". However, the later cross slide could be used as a replacement if circumstances required. This applies to both the late 12" and the late Mk2 6".