[How do I?] Squaring Up Stock - What Am I Doing Wrong?

Here is the way that I would square up the stock.

1. Face 1" side first
2. Turn 90 deg. and face 1/4" side. If your vise is square you should have two square faces.
3. Place 1/4" faced side down with 1" faced side to fixed jaw
4. Tap in with hammer. A single parallel is all that is required; verify that the parallel is tight. Face upper 1/4" side, measure thickness and reface to desired dimension.Note the position of the z axis as you can use it for the remaining facing
5. Rotate 90 deg., tap in with soft faced hammer to seat the bottom face against the parallels, Check the parallels; they should both be tight. Face the top 1" side to desired dimension.
6. With the end of the piece extended past the vise jaws and 1" side down, mill the 1/4 x 1" face to square it.
7. With the opposite end of the piece extending past the vise jaws, mill the other 1/4 x 1" face to dimension.
You should now have a squared rectangular block

Notes:
1. If you are machining short pieces, less than half the jaw width, you can bias the moveable jaw, giving poor clamping. Place an appropriate spacer on the opposite side to balance the jaw forces.
2. Deburr after each cut with a file or deburring tool.
3.If your hot rolled is severely rounded or out of square on the 1/4" side , it may be preferable to face a 1/4" side first to give a good surface for clamping.
4. Some of the U Tube how to videos show rotating the block 90 deg. (face against fixed jaw and end down) to face the end surface. This does not give you a square end unless you indicate the 1/4" face to square it. That is why I cut the 1/4 x 1" face with the side of the end mill.
5. The oxide coating on hot rolled is very hard and will dull a HHS end mill quickly. Remove it prior to machining by chemical or abrasive means. If using abrasives be sure to carefully clean to remove any traces of abrasive.
6. For irregular faces against the movable jaw, two pieces of copper wire inserted vertically between the piece and the jaw face will give you a reliable clamping
 
Working on a Sherline 2000 mill with Sherline's vise: I've indicated vise and it is as close to square as i can measure. I'm trying to square up small pieces of 1/4 X 1 hot-rolled, which of course starts out with crowned surfaces and pretty rough. My first cut is to clean up one edge. I then turn piece over in vise and clean up other edge, which I would assume would produce parallel edges, but for some reason doesn't - about .002 off in an inch of length.

My thought was that if i can't get two faces parallel it is never going to get better. It seems possible that the crown on the one inch wide surface is somehow causing the piece to lift in the vise when I tighten it up. It occurs to me that maybe I should put something on the slide face that's softer to better grab the piece and force it against the stationary face.

Maybe the question would better be how to get a reliable grip on rough stock.

???

Hot roll has a small crown on one side and a dip on the other if memory serves me correctly. Use the same side when squaring your stock. You can use a sheet of sandpaper and a flat surface to tell which side has the crown by gently sanding one side.
 
Here is the way that I would square up the stock.

1. Face 1" side first
2. Turn 90 deg. and face 1/4" side. If your vise is square you should have two square faces.
3. Place 1/4" faced side down with 1" faced side to fixed jaw
4. Tap in with hammer. A single parallel is all that is required; verify that the parallel is tight. Face upper 1/4" side, measure thickness and reface to desired dimension.Note the position of the z axis as you can use it for the remaining facing
5. Rotate 90 deg., tap in with soft faced hammer to seat the bottom face against the parallels, Check the parallels; they should both be tight. Face the top 1" side to desired dimension.
6. With the end of the piece extended past the vise jaws and 1" side down, mill the 1/4 x 1" face to square it.
7. With the opposite end of the piece extending past the vise jaws, mill the other 1/4 x 1" face to dimension.
You should now have a squared rectangular block

Notes:
1. If you are machining short pieces, less than half the jaw width, you can bias the moveable jaw, giving poor clamping. Place an appropriate spacer on the opposite side to balance the jaw forces.
2. Deburr after each cut with a file or deburring tool.
3.If your hot rolled is severely rounded or out of square on the 1/4" side , it may be preferable to face a 1/4" side first to give a good surface for clamping.
4. Some of the U Tube how to videos show rotating the block 90 deg. (face against fixed jaw and end down) to face the end surface. This does not give you a square end unless you indicate the 1/4" face to square it. That is why I cut the 1/4 x 1" face with the side of the end mill.
5. The oxide coating on hot rolled is very hard and will dull a HHS end mill quickly. Remove it prior to machining by chemical or abrasive means. If using abrasives be sure to carefully clean to remove any traces of abrasive.
6. For irregular faces against the movable jaw, two pieces of copper wire inserted vertically between the piece and the jaw face will give you a reliable clamping

A good point I always used a extra part on the opposite end to balance out the vise.
 
I hope all these suggestions help. Be sure to deburr before and after each cut so that the part is sit flat against the parallels. HRS is a good material to work with next to CRS. Aluminum on the other had takes some practice when clamping. I have messed a few pieces by over clamping and leaving impressions in it.
 
one more trick is to put a piece of round stock between the movable jaw and the non machined face of the part this ensures that the part will not be cocked by the vice jaws put the round stock somewhere in the middle of the vice jaws. bill
 
RJ has the way to do it. It is the way I was taught and has always worked for the 50yrs I have been machining.
 
one more trick is to put a piece of round stock between the movable jaw and the non machined face of the part this ensures that the part will not be cocked by the vice jaws put the round stock somewhere in the middle of the vice jaws. bill
I'd say use thick copper wire , it will conform to the shape needed. One reason the squareness is off tightening the vise on uneven surface.
 
You've gotten excellent help from the other guys. The only thing I can add is if you need a visual check this Youtube video out. Cheers.
 
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