Thread: Vise Stops

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing Dave.
All the best
Kevin

great machining Dave...

please excuse my ignorance....but why do I want a vice stop/s?...

They are used if you are making several similar operations - to quickly locate the job in a consistently fairly accurate position.
I also use the small type on my Douglas shaper, clamped to the slideway so the cross-slide bumps into it. I find it's handy to set the "end of traverse" position.
Only $3 from CDCO Machinery Corp., where they call them "work stops" in the milling tooling section.

Jordan

thanks Jordan

Nice work Dave.
Now if I can just get some shed time.
Thanks
Stuart

Hi Dave,

Nicely thought out, should be nice and rigid, and easily adjustable, and beautifully made (as always). I especially like the idea of welding the allen keys together.

I like the oil blackened stops.

I made a few fishtail chisels last week, using 01 steel, and left them oil blackened, (except for the back and bevel edges of course) I think it looks better, and provides a bit of rust resistance.

Regards
Ray

Thanks guys,
Eskimo,
I think Jordan has answered it for me. They are really handy for when say, you take things out of the vise to turn them over to do the other side and things like that.
I have been getting around this using a small clamp because I could never be bothered to make one up.LOL

Ray,
I am not sure if they are worth making just one for the price you can buy them. I made 3 at the same time so it made me feel better making them.
I sent one to Stuart with his tubing, so I have 2 left and only need one, would you like me to send you the other one? Just let me know and I will stick it in the post.
I am very efficient in sending things, just ask Stuart after his month wait for his tubing.LOL

With the oil blackening, I had a really good mix of dirty old sump oil that has done a good job for years. Just after doing these I went to pack up the propane and the lead caught the can and spilt it all over the floor. I am not sure which was worse loosing my good mix of oil or spilling it. LOL I had another can but it doesn't seem to work as good.

Dave

And a big Thanks to Dave for his vice stop
As as for the tube, surprisingly I didn't get all my other jobs finished before it turned up so no biggy.

Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

And a big Thanks to Dave for his vice stop
As as for the tube, surprisingly I didn't get all my other jobs finished before it turned up so no biggy.

Stuart

I note that the rest of us didnt get one....

ah well guys, at least we now have a design we can copy

A silly question.....When you heat the item to put into the sump oil for blackening, What temperature do you heat it to ??
And does it have any effect on the part you are treating ?? ie; Warping or putting the part out of square ??
And do you end up case hardening the steel ??
Also, Just out of curiosity does this method of blackening help stop rust ?? Or do rust prevention methods still need to be implimented..
Thanks people for and advice as this looks to be quite an interesting and cheap way to blacken steel.
Matt

Hi Matt
Red hot, but if you cant get red hot anything over about 300C seems to work a little but you get more of a brown than black.
Dave heats to red hot, dips and repeats, it comes up great.
It could warp the part in theory I guess, it will release any stress in the part but I doubt you'd notice for the most part.
I've heard people say that there maybe some hardening depending on the oil used. I don't think it would be much and it certainly wouldn't be very deep.
It does seem so stop rust for indoor use.
A couple of warnings, one make sure your oil container is big enough for the size and amount of parts you are doing as obviously the oil gets hot. Also careful with sump oil the first few times, it can be pretty flammable and will flash a little when you put the parts in. So nice long handle pliers or wire.

Stuart

Good on ya Stuart, Thanks Mate,
Looks like a good cheap alternative to chemical blackening for basic bits and pieces.
Matt

I just spent half an hour typing this and lost it. I am a slow typer.

No silly questions here, we all learn't off somebody. I showed my 88 year old Grandfather (who is a boiler maker) this a few years ago and it was new to him.

Stuart has just about covered it but I will ad this.

On small parts I get them red hot, but on larger parts I am lucky to get the to a dull red with the propane torch and it still works. I find I get good results with filthy black used oil, so save the next oil change or get one of your mates to.

I heat to as hot as I can get the part then dunk in the oil, pull it out then use the torch to dry out all the oil on the part and then dunk it again and leave it to cool. I was reheating to red hot but have tried just drying the oil off lately and it works the same and takes less time.

With warpage, I use a lot of hot roll so I don't see much and I usually only blacken brackets and stuff like that where it doesn't matter. I have done taper pins and things like that with no problems.

As for hardening I don't think it does anything to mild steel. If it was hardenable steel it would as normal hardening.

It stops rust unless you drop the part and chip the oil coating. It helps to keep it lightly oiled but the oil seems to stay on the part better unlike bare steel.

As Stuart said above about the warnings,
I use a coffee large can for my oil, after doing a few part the oil will become hot and catch fire. It is not a huge worry as it goes out or you can put the lid over it to put it out.
One thing I learned last night was to not point the torch flame in the direction of the smoke or it will make a small fire ball in the air.
I use tie wire to hold any parts I am doing and it is stiff enough to put a bend in it so your hand isn't directly above the part.
It's raining here at the moment and the large vise stop is showing signs of surface rust already so it's getting a oil blackening as well. Machined parts look nice but don't last in my steel ventilated shed.

For people that want to give it a go and don't have a torch but have a BBQ. Take the plate(s) off and hang your parts with wire over the flame on a steel rod across the BBQ to heat them up. Then do the process above.

Dave

Dave...........I have been oil blackening for some time also and use the same method as you describe but add a couple of points I've found along the way..........I now use a small aluminium dish about 6" sq and 2" deep with a suitable metal covering lid as the oil always catches fire when I do it but is quickly smothered by the lid........I tried metal jars such as coffee tins or fruit cans but found some reaction with the tin/zinc coating in lots of cans??? I believe this caused 'blotching' on the small parts I do.....my opinion at least........that's when I drop it straight in.........sometimes I'll tie the piece in copper wire to suspend it if I can't fix permanently and keep it cherry red. The copper seems to cause less blotching than piano or other steel wire but is harder to keep from bending and the piece falling out with the lower MP.

I use Hypo90 diff oil instead of normal engine oil - mainly because I have more, but also I found the heavier the oil, the darker the "blackening"......maybe it's just me as I know others who swear by veggie oil...

Another point I've picked up is that it seems the higher the carbon content in the steel, the better the finnish with this method...in fact some parts I made from very old springs and axles - seemed to get the best blackening compared to some recent FCMS and BDMS I have.....???? I put it down to the carbon at least.....

Most of the parts I do are less than 2" long and relatively small....have no idea if my points transpond to larger pieces - others more experienced than me would know....from your piccies, I'd say you've got it nailed....nice work

Just my 2 bobs worth FWIW.........Lee