4 ms·

Very cool. Does anyone who uses a vice a lot think this is beneficial, or more gimmicky?

luma 3y ago
I don't fully understand who this style vice is actually for, and despite looking very cool, there's a reason nobody has these things 100+ years after their invention. A woodworking vice typically has softjaws and despite the flexible-ish nature of this vice they still would leave marks in wood so not much help in the woodshop. A metalworking shop typically uses vices to hold work that they are going to beat on with a hammer, lean on it with a pry bar, attack with a torch, and generally use as a super-secure hold while applying a lot of forces to the work. The vice here has a lot of precision moving parts which wouldn't really hold up to that sort of use case. A machinist vice is a precision tool and the fixed jaw is a reference surface for the work. With suitable stops, one can use a machinist vice to place work into a predictable position time after time ("repeatability"). This style of vice can't do that either. I could almost maybe see this used for small parts fabrication on a drill press maybe? The OP uses it as workholding while engraving which feels a little contrived and there are other cheaper/faster/easier solutions out there but sure maybe?
- cowl 3y ago
  it says it right there in the website. it's for engraving so definitely not a machinist tool, more like a jewel-crafter or watchmaker tool. Engraving does not apply a lot of forces generally.
- Filligree 3y ago
  I’ve got one that I printed in PLA. It’s useful for holding arbitrary parts in arbitrary orientations while I paint, glue, or do other post processing work on them — installing electronics sometimes — that sort of thing. No force is intended to be applied at all, beyond gravity. A dedicated jig is always better, but takes time and effort to create. This thing always works moderately well.
  - luma 3y ago
    My solution for that sort of use case has been TPU softjaws for existing vices (woodworking and metalworking). I will say this: it sure is a neat mechanism and I've thought of printing my own just to play with it. You got any pics of your setup, it sounds cool!
- soligern 3y ago
  I think this would be a pretty great work holder for a metal milling or CNC job. Throw some foam in between the teeth and the work and it should work pretty well for wood CNC jobs as well. It’s usually a pain to hold irregular parts without a flat surface. In fact, I can’t think of a good way to do it at all.
  - luma 3y ago
    For machine work, the lack of repeatability is a killer. Maybe for hobby use on a home wood router sort of setup, where you are going to manually indicate in each job anyway? In a production situation, repeatable workholding is not optional or you're going to burn loads of time on setup. > It’s usually a pain to hold irregular parts without a flat surface. In fact, I can’t think of a good way to do it at all. Jigs/fixtures, side clamps, strap clamps, toe clamps, Mitee-Bite-style off axis cams, plenty of options. There are commercial manufacturers of flexible workholding solutions similar in spirit to the OP but those are generally targeted at QC purposes where you'll be running a CMM of some sort over the part and so no reference surface on the fixture is needed: https://engtechgroup.com/technical-partner/hyfore-workholding/ https://engtechgroup.com/technical-partner/hyfore-workholdin...
    - soligern 3y ago
      Yeah, I’m definitely speaking to hobby grade workholding but at about $1.5k that’s where this would be used anyways. Also why wouldn’t it be repeatable? If you have a stop set up on one “face” of the fractal vise, wouldn’t it always hold the item in the same configuration (at least theoretically)? I’m not sure what mitee bite is but the other suggestions are not realistic. Side clamps wouldn't be able to hold something shaped like a 2D Christmas tree rigidly. Strap clamps are not nearly rigid enough even for hobby grade work. Toe clamps won’t work for anything rounded etc. All of the above can be held with the fractal vise.
      - luma 3y ago
        Well, as a final argument I would ask you look into any hobby or commercial or industrial machine shop on any scale and note the complete absence of these vices, despite the original patent being issued 100 years ago. I use strap clamps on a hobby mill to hold steel while being machined, they are plenty rigid.
- UIUC_06 3y ago
  Since you've used this repeatedly: it's spelled "vise" not "vice"

luma 3y ago

I don't fully understand who this style vice is actually for, and despite looking very cool, there's a reason nobody has these things 100+ years after their invention. A woodworking vice typically has softjaws and despite the flexible-ish nature of this vice they still would leave marks in wood so not much help in the woodshop. A metalworking shop typically uses vices to hold work that they are going to beat on with a hammer, lean on it with a pry bar, attack with a torch, and generally use as a super-secure hold while applying a lot of forces to the work. The vice here has a lot of precision moving parts which wouldn't really hold up to that sort of use case. A machinist vice is a precision tool and the fixed jaw is a reference surface for the work. With suitable stops, one can use a machinist vice to place work into a predictable position time after time ("repeatability"). This style of vice can't do that either. I could almost maybe see this used for small parts fabrication on a drill press maybe? The OP uses it as workholding while engraving which feels a little contrived and there are other cheaper/faster/easier solutions out there but sure maybe?

cowl 3y ago
it says it right there in the website. it's for engraving so definitely not a machinist tool, more like a jewel-crafter or watchmaker tool. Engraving does not apply a lot of forces generally.
Filligree 3y ago
I’ve got one that I printed in PLA. It’s useful for holding arbitrary parts in arbitrary orientations while I paint, glue, or do other post processing work on them — installing electronics sometimes — that sort of thing. No force is intended to be applied at all, beyond gravity. A dedicated jig is always better, but takes time and effort to create. This thing always works moderately well.
- luma 3y ago
  My solution for that sort of use case has been TPU softjaws for existing vices (woodworking and metalworking). I will say this: it sure is a neat mechanism and I've thought of printing my own just to play with it. You got any pics of your setup, it sounds cool!
soligern 3y ago
I think this would be a pretty great work holder for a metal milling or CNC job. Throw some foam in between the teeth and the work and it should work pretty well for wood CNC jobs as well. It’s usually a pain to hold irregular parts without a flat surface. In fact, I can’t think of a good way to do it at all.
- luma 3y ago
  For machine work, the lack of repeatability is a killer. Maybe for hobby use on a home wood router sort of setup, where you are going to manually indicate in each job anyway? In a production situation, repeatable workholding is not optional or you're going to burn loads of time on setup. > It’s usually a pain to hold irregular parts without a flat surface. In fact, I can’t think of a good way to do it at all. Jigs/fixtures, side clamps, strap clamps, toe clamps, Mitee-Bite-style off axis cams, plenty of options. There are commercial manufacturers of flexible workholding solutions similar in spirit to the OP but those are generally targeted at QC purposes where you'll be running a CMM of some sort over the part and so no reference surface on the fixture is needed: https://engtechgroup.com/technical-partner/hyfore-workholding/ https://engtechgroup.com/technical-partner/hyfore-workholdin...
  - soligern 3y ago
    Yeah, I’m definitely speaking to hobby grade workholding but at about $1.5k that’s where this would be used anyways. Also why wouldn’t it be repeatable? If you have a stop set up on one “face” of the fractal vise, wouldn’t it always hold the item in the same configuration (at least theoretically)? I’m not sure what mitee bite is but the other suggestions are not realistic. Side clamps wouldn't be able to hold something shaped like a 2D Christmas tree rigidly. Strap clamps are not nearly rigid enough even for hobby grade work. Toe clamps won’t work for anything rounded etc. All of the above can be held with the fractal vise.
    - luma 3y ago
      Well, as a final argument I would ask you look into any hobby or commercial or industrial machine shop on any scale and note the complete absence of these vices, despite the original patent being issued 100 years ago. I use strap clamps on a hobby mill to hold steel while being machined, they are plenty rigid.
UIUC_06 3y ago
Since you've used this repeatedly: it's spelled "vise" not "vice"