Vise mounting

[lakebom184]

Total newby with an enco rf 30 mill and enco swivel vise. How do I mount the vise and read somewhere I would be better to eliminate the swivel part. Please be specific as possible. Many,many thanks!

 

[Asm109]

Vise should have two ears on the side where it is bolted down to the swivel base. Remove bolts and lift the vise off the base.
Set base in corner where you will trip over it for the next 20 years.
Vise is set on mill table and bolted down to the T slots using a 2 T nuts, studs and nuts and washers.

Once the vise is sitting on the table and the tnuts are in place and loose you will need to align the fixed jaw of the vise with the direction of travel of the mill.

Mount a dial indicator onto the head of the mill so the tip is resting against the vertical wall of the fixed jaw. I use a test indicator (type with the wiggly finger, not a plunger but you can use what you have) indicator is mounted on a rod held in a collet in the spindle.

My mill is set so I have good access to the handwheel on the right side of the mill and I am right handed.

I pre align the vise where I can visibly see the left side of the vise is closer to the column than the right.
Snug the right hand bolt on the vise.
Set the indicator in place on the right end of the vise with .010 inches of preload or so on the tip.
Pickup a soft blow mallet in your left hand.
Begin cranking the handwheel with right hand and tapping the front side of the vise with hammer in left hand.
Goal is to have the indicator needle not moving as you crank across.
when you run off the vise jaw, return to start and repeat cranking and tapping until needle does not move. .001 inches motion in a 6 inch jaw is okay. I can usually hit half that in two trips across the vise.
tighten the left hand bolt then right hand. Recheck indicator reading.
It sounds more complicated than it is, you can learn this skill in a couple of tries

 

[RobertB]

Set base in corner where you will trip over it for the next 20 years.

This is the most important part of the proccess, do not forget this step

Vise is set on mill table and bolted down to the T slots using a 2 T nuts, studs and nuts and washers.

When you put the studs in the t-nuts put a little loctite on the threads and thread them until just flush with the bottom of the t-nut. You don't want the studs screwing through the t-nuts and hitting the bottom of the t-slot.

 

[epanzella]

My vice from Victor Tools came with two slots in the bottom and two machined blocks that go into the slots. The blocks are secured with socket head screws and are a precise fit in the table T-slots. I plopped it on and it indicated within .001". This was after I removed the swivel base, of course!

 

[Illinoyance]

My vise also has keys to fit the table slot. I wouldn't want a vise that wasn't keyed.

 

[lakebom184]

Vise should have two ears on the side where it is bolted down to the swivel base. Remove bolts and lift the vise off the base.
Set base in corner where you will trip over it for the next 20 years.
Vise is set on mill table and bolted down to the T slots using a 2 T nuts, studs and nuts and washers.

Once the vise is sitting on the table and the tnuts are in place and loose you will need to align the fixed jaw of the vise with the direction of travel of the mill.

Mount a dial indicator onto the head of the mill so the tip is resting against the vertical wall of the fixed jaw. I use a test indicator (type with the wiggly finger, not a plunger but you can use what you have) indicator is mounted on a rod held in a collet in the spindle.

My mill is set so I have good access to the handwheel on the right side of the mill and I am right handed.

I pre align the vise where I can visibly see the left side of the vise is closer to the column than the right.
Snug the right hand bolt on the vise.
Set the indicator in place on the right end of the vise with .010 inches of preload or so on the tip.
Pickup a soft blow mallet in your left hand.
Begin cranking the handwheel with right hand and tapping the front side of the vise with hammer in left hand.
Goal is to have the indicator needle not moving as you crank across.
when you run off the vise jaw, return to start and repeat cranking and tapping until needle does not move. .001 inches motion in a 6 inch jaw is okay. I can usually hit half that in two trips across the vise.
tighten the left hand bolt then right hand. Recheck indicator reading.
It sounds more complicated than it is, you can learn this skill in a couple of tries

 

[lakebom184]

THank you for your help! Pretty much got the picture bot puzzled by the .10 in. of preload. Once again thanks for your gracious assistance

 

[lakebom184]

This is the most important part of the proccess, do not forget this step



When you put the studs in the t-nuts put a little loctite on the threads and thread them until just flush with the bottom of the t-nut. You don't want the studs screwing through the t-nuts and hitting the bottom of the t-slot.

Thank you , didn't do that but will now!

 

[Asm109]

The preload is just so the tip of the indicator stays in contact with jaw as it moves. Really annoying to think I have it perfect and then realize the indicator tip is touching nothing but air.

 

[darkzero]

When you put the studs in the t-nuts put a little loctite on the threads and thread them until just flush with the bottom of the t-nut. You don't want the studs screwing through the t-nuts and hitting the bottom of the t-slot.

Good advice to avoid a disaster!

Or if the T-nuts are not hardened, can peen the bottom threads so the studs won't screw past it. They also sell T-nuts that are already made this way (not fully threaded through) I got mine from Mcmaster.