Trash to Treasure? Modifying a 3" Vise-shaped-object into a Shaper vise

hman said:
That half-ball is really a piece of work, isn't it. Perhaps you can find a ball bearing ball with a diameter between 11.5mm and 12.5mm (which includes ½") and proceed as I'd planned as one of my paths forward. Soft solder it to a length of brass or steel pipe, grind away half of it, then unsolder and hot-wipe the solder residue off. The solder should hold the ball well enough. I was planning to do the grinding by hand, quenching frequently to prevent the solder melting. You might well be able to do it on your surface grinder ... much finer control!
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I've no idea how I can hold them, but I just picked up a bunch of 1/2" ball bearings on amazon, so I'll give it a go! I have no idea how I can hold it in the surface grinder... I wonder if 'boxing' it in on the mag chuck would work...
 
ErichKeane said:
I've no idea how I can hold them, but I just picked up a bunch of 1/2" ball bearings on amazon, so I'll give it a go! I have no idea how I can hold it in the surface grinder... I wonder if 'boxing' it in on the mag chuck would work...
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You could plunge a 1/2" ball end mill into a piece of stock about a half inch deep and then use either super glue, or if your worried about the strength of the supper glue then epoxy, the ball bearing into the stock and hold that. Heat will release them and if you get by with super glue, acetone will clean it up nicely. I've used super glue for workholding on the lathe many times, it's fine if you don't get the part too hot.
 
cjtoombs said:
You could plunge a 1/2" ball end mill into a piece of stock about a half inch deep and then use either super glue, or if your worried about the strength of the supper glue then epoxy, the ball bearing into the stock and hold that. Heat will release them and if you get by with super glue, acetone will clean it up nicely. I've used super glue for workholding on the lathe many times, it's fine if you don't get the part too hot.
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I don't have a 1/2" ball endmill :/ Not sure it is worth the cost for this project. I spent a little more time on it flattening the back (which mine is in much better shape than the one above) and rubbing it with some lapping compound in the hole, and it is pretty good!

Unfortunately, I DID have to make the nut 45 a bunch deeper (as the ridge from the end of hte endmill I cut there was causing jaw rise), and I ended up stripping the bolts going to the fixed jaw in the process of removing the nut. SO, I need an ace run sometime soon to just get it back to working.

Otherwise, it seems to run pretty decently.
 
Alright, I think I'm done :)

I replaced the fixed jaw bolts with domed Allen screws, and added a M6 rod for the moving jaw tightening bolt. I was STILL getting a ton of jaw lift, like 10 thou! I added some dykem in a bunch of places, and inspected for a while, and realized I was bottoming out the ball a bit, just enough to lift.

So, I put the nut in my mill again, this time at 50 degrees(I figured being a little steeper would help make it slide better), and milled further down. I went quite a bit further this time.

I reassembled, still with the stock ball, and tightened the keeper bolt, and no more jaw lift when I tightened it! I also added a new ball oiler (6mm).

I probably have 1 more task, but it can wait. I have to cut the angle indicator at one point, since the stock one (which doesn't even have the line!) Is on the far side. I figure I'll file a flat when I get it squared, and file the marker line too.
 
You both remind me of Stefan Gotteswinter when he bought a Vertex rotary table and treated it as a casting kit to make a really beautiful RT out of it!! Very nicely done!
 
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