Milling Vise for pocket work

[mrmodfi]

Hi guy's,
Thanks for the nice comment, and yes, it is made of aluminum. 6061 as I recall. I would like to have it hard anodised some time, but it works great as it is for the small projects I do.

[rcaffin]

yes, it is made of aluminum. 6061 as I recall. I would like to have it hard anodised some time, but it works great as it is for the small projects I do.

Interesting. Of course, a 'real' toolmaker's vise 'should' be made from hardened steel, shouldn't it, but I wonder how many people are getting quite satisfactory results from aluminium alloy? Seems I have seen a fair bit of tooling (even commercial stuff) made from Aluminium, and I am wondering...

Fwiiw, I have even made up an ER35 chuck (just the female holder bit) to mount flat on a mill table out of nylon 66. Plastic?!?!? For light milling of Al & brass it seems quite stable.

Cheers

[RICH]

Nice job on the vise.
RICH

[RICH]

but I wonder how many people are getting quite satisfactory results from aluminium alloy?

I guess as long as it holds whatever to your liking it dosen't matter. All of mine are hardened, precision ground, and hardened steel.
Some are used on the grinding machine and Al just dosen't work with a magnetic chuck.

RICH

[rcaffin]

but I wonder how many people are getting quite satisfactory results from aluminium alloy?

All of mine are hardened, precision ground, and hardened steel.

Of course, but perhaps they were also expensive?
It's the MYOG bit using existing workshop gear which is attractive.
Cheers