[How-To] Milling vise jaws, how to move them correctly, and getting them back

After all, as machinists we are licensed to make changes as needed on our own stuff.:grin:
So true! Thanks for the details on the rear jaw. Helps me visualize how it was done.

I have a slitting saw now. The arbor sticks out too far below the nut, but most times it's usable. So at least I'm in the "has a slitting saw" camp now. Don't know how I managed without one.
 
"The arbor sticks out too far below the nut, but most times it's usable."



A handy project would be to make an arbor with a bolt that screws into the arbor so there is little obstruction.
 
A handy project would be to make an arbor with a bolt that screws onto an arbor so there is little obstruction.
I did that a while back, I made a pretty thin 'cap', so mine protrudes about 3/8" below. I made 3 sizes of arbor on it to fix the slitting saws I have on hand, otherwise I could have made that significantly less than 3/8".
 
"The arbor sticks out too far below the nut, but most times it's usable."



A handy project would be to make an arbor with a bolt that screws into the arbor so there is little obstruction.
Agreed. I did try this, but unfortunately failed. Couldn't hold the tolerance required. Chalk it up to inexperience. Ruined a perfectly good piece of 1144. More or less machined it in a way to guarantee it wouldn't work. Sigh. (Opposite tapers... A beginner's mistake.) Once I'm happier with my lathe alignment, I'll try again, probably on a practice piece first with a different design. Since that debacle, I've reduced the taper by 1/2. I have a piece of 1144 scrap sitting next to my lathe. Irritates me more than it should.
 
Pat yourself on the back. It was a learning experience.
True that.

Pity one has to make so many mistakes to learn!
Seems the most powerful lessons are the ones you had to struggle with. Yeah, I'm going with that...
 
+1 on the 4 jaw vice: I did the same thing, but steel jaws. Super helpful! The regular jaws are like parallels for the outside ones!

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Well, there are vices and there are vises, completely different things. The best I can do is try to have
more vises than vices.:) I have to agree that some steel jaws would be better than aluminum
but for the amount of times I use them, they are fine for what I do.
 
Well, there are vices and there are vises, completely different things. The best I can do is try to have
more vises than vices.:) I have to agree that some steel jaws would be better than aluminum
but for the amount of times I use them, they are fine for what I do.
What if your vice is vises?! I feel like that is double trouble.
 
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