[Steve Seebold]

When I sold my shop in 2008, I had 4 Quad 1 vises that I sold . Well, I bought one back about a month ago to do a job that I had to turn the vise on its side to do.

When I finished the job, I wanted to continue using the vise, but it was 2 1/4 inches too long for my PCNC1100.

Here's where the bad part comes in. I took the vise to a friends shop, and cut 2 1/4 inches off the back of the vise. Now it fits my machine.

I like the Quad 1 because the fixed jaw is on the front of the vise which allows me to program in X+ Y+ moves.

Qhen I asked my friend to cot the vise off, he made me promise not to tell anyone where I got it done.

[crawley]

Steve,

I'm affraid if someone had cut 2 1/4 inches off the back of my vise, he would have been in a race to see who could finish first.

He gets his tools packed or I get his last check ready.

I just can't see cutting the back of a vise off like that. My feeling is, if the vice was supposed to 2 1/4 inch less material, the factory would have sent it out like that.

Sorry, but I think you really screwed up your vise.

Joe


----
All kidding aside that's pretty cool, you should post up some pics. I'm always impressed when someone has the skill to modify something expensive with potential for scrapping it or devaluing it, just like that guy who sleeved his table. If it makes it better for YOU it definitely isn't ruined.

[Steve Seebold]

Steve,

I'm affraid if someone had cut 2 1/4 inches off the back of my vise, he would have been in a race to see who could finish first.

He gets his tools packed or I get his last check ready.

I just can't see cutting the back of a vise off like that. My feeling is, if the vice was supposed to 2 1/4 inch less material, the factory would have sent it out like that.

Sorry, but I think you really screwed up your vise.

Joe

----
All kidding aside that's pretty cool, you should post up some pics. I'm always impressed when someone has the skill to modify something expensive with potential for scrapping it or devaluing it, just like that guy who sleeved his table. If it makes it better for YOU it definitely isn't ruined.

Gee, where have I seen that first line before?

Joe, under normal conditions I will have to agree with you. If some dickhead that worked for me did that without talking to me first, I would probably have called the police and had him arrested for indistrial sabotage.

With the vise turned so the screw faced the front of the machine it hung 2 1/2 inches off the back of the table. That took away 2 1/2 inches of travel in the Y axis.

I don't do parts that are that big any more. so as long as the vise still opens 4 inches it will work fine for me.

I'll post a picture later today.

Steve

[foam27]

LOL, mine came from the factory that way

[Sp-4renegade]

I wouldnt say thats bad. Most cant or wont modify things to work, buy new. I had a 1942 Warner and Swasey turrent lathe, spindle bore was to small, I bored it to the next shaft size bigger. Debated over that for 2 weeks. Final answer 1. I saved the machine from the scrap yard in the first place, 2. Got the job done, 20 years later its still turning out good parts. Down fall? Now people want to buy it cuz it can handle bigger parts. Those machines where over designed anyway. I saved a lot of old machines from the scrap yard by rebuilding and modifing them to run again, and still are running.

[Don Clement]

"I'm affraid [sic] if someone had …on one of my machines, he would have been in a race to see who could finish first.

He gets his tools packed or I get his last check ready.

I just can't see … like that. My feeling is, if the … the factory would have sent it out like that.

Sorry, but I think you really screwed up ...

Steve"

[TXFred]

"I'm affraid [sic] if someone had …on one of my machines, he would have been in a race to see who could finish first.

He gets his tools packed or I get his last check ready.

I just can't see … like that. My feeling is, if the … the factory would have sent it out like that.

Sorry, but I think you really screwed up ...

Is this going to become a meme?

Frederic

[Don Clement]

Is this going to become a meme?

Frederic

It's Déjà vu all over again". As Yogi would say.

It's Déjà vu all over again". As Yogi would say.

It's Déjà vu all over again". As Yogi would say.

[palenn]

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Don't worry about it, just move forward. What's the worst that could happen?

[Steve Seebold]

It turns out, cutting 2 1/4 invhes off my Quad 1 vise is about the best thing I could have done.

It still gives ma a 4inch plus vise, and it is still 6 inches wide.

I saw the guy I bought the vise from a few days ago and when I told him what I had done, he told me I was crazy.

Hey, the vise fits my machine now where it was just a useless hunk of iron before I cut it off.

[Sp-4renegade]

Oh, I understand. I had my 2 kurt 6" vises on the Tormach. Its a lot of extra iron. You did give me an idea though. Going to build 6" scaled down vises. Or get 2 new import vises and cut them down.

[Steve Seebold]

Oh, I understand. I had my 2 kurt 6" vises on the Tormach. Its a lot of extra iron. You did give me an idea though. Going to build 6" scaled down vises. Or get 2 new import vises and cut them down.

Before you buy vises and cut them down, decide what kind of work you want to do and buy your vises accordingly.

Don't buy 6 inch vises to do 3 inch work, but by the same token, don't make the same mistake I did and try to run 5 inch work in a 3 inch vise.

I got lucky with my Quad 1 vise. I make a part that is 1/4 inch thick, 7 inches long and 1.125 wide. I have to drill a 1/8 inch hole in that part that is 4 1/2 inches deep, 1/8 inch from one edge. The finished part in the area where the hole is finishes at .200 thick. For that I can turn the Quad 1 on its side and hold the part almost full length.

[MetalShavings]

The only thing I would consider "bad" about cutting down your vise is the fact that you mentioned what you had done here on this forum.

It was your vise. You bought it with your own money. That give you the right to do whatever you want with it. There's nothing wrong with that.

The fact that it worked out well for you in the end is always welcome news. It may have even helped out a few guys here to know that cutting down a vice is doable.

I get alot of apposing responses to my post on other forums when I modify one of my military surplus firearms. Some folks are just purists. There's nothing wrong with that either.

The important thing is that you're happy with the results.

MetalShavings

[HLF Ordnance]

if it works and its yours, who cares. I would love to see a pic though!

[TXFred]

if it works and its yours, who cares. I would love to see a pic though!

The man who built it is probably crying himself to sleep right now.:violin:

Frederic

[zephyr9900]

The man who built it is probably crying himself to sleep right now.

Like the guys at AC Cars cried when that upstart Carrol Shelby butchered one of their chassis into the first Cobra...

Randy

[Don Clement]

Like the guys at AC Cars cried when that upstart Carrol Shelby butchered one of their chassis into the first Cobra...

Randy

I wonder if Shelby added insult to injury by switching ground from positive to negative.