rod
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I have read a few postings in the past from some members who are new to using a ball vice and 'scope, asking how to keep your work area conveniently centered on the revolving axis of the ball vise and centered in the microscope. For those who might be struggling a bit with this, and if your set-up is something like in the photographs ( revolving turntable with top movable ball vice and microscope mounted separately on the bench) I invite you to have a try at this "ten cent solution" ....
Take a transparent CD case, lay one half on top of your work area, and let the other half hinge open till it hits the bench, or metal angle bracket in this case. The hinged back lid will probably hit the corner at an angle, but the other half will be flat on your work piece. For a quick trial, just add a little baking soda fillet where the CD case hits the bench, and add a drop of super glue to instantly hold it secure. Baking soda turns to hard marble in a second, when you add the glue. A little heat is given off in this process, so don't get any on your fingers.
Spin your vise while looking through the CD cover, getting a rough sense of where the revolving axis is located. Now move about 10mm away from the rough location and put a tiny hole through the CD case. I use a small bur on my handpiece, but ideally have it be just big enough to put a thin pencil lead through.
Hinge the CD case back onto your workpiece after placing a "stickie" paper label on the workpiece. Put your thin pencil through the hole and spin the turn table (not the vise!). The vice will revolve on the table and you will draw a small bull's eye on the paper which represents the axis of rotation of the turntable. Now take a small straight edge and scratch a cross hair on the CD cover that is centered on the bull's eye. Flip the CD case up into the vertical position and out of your way, remove the paper and start engraving. When you want to move to a new work area, hinge the cover back down on your work, and move the new work area to the cross hairs. The big top-moving ball vise can usually shift the work area faster than pushing the whole vise around on the turn table, but either way is good, as we know.
Refinement: the hinges of a CD case have a little bit of backlash which will appear magnified under the scope. To remove the backlash and give the hinge more precision, take the case apart, use a small hand saw to slice a half inch down the side of the hinge that has the little pips ( not the holes). This makes the pips flexible. Re-assemble and put an elastic band over the hinge to pull them into closer contact. This done, apply a dusting a baking soda into the saw cuts and a drop of glue. This will make the hinges work with no backlash. Do not glue the hinge solid by using too much glue!
It goes without saying, that this will not work with big chunks, like many gun parts, that have no easy top plane, but if you are developing your skills on practice plates, etc., it can help.
If you like using a fast target like this, and want to get fancy, a small red laser can be set up on a thin column mounted on your bench to give an always-shining, faint ,red dot showing your revolving axis, but then that would cost you ten bucks ...... instead of ten cents.
best wishes!
Rod
Take a transparent CD case, lay one half on top of your work area, and let the other half hinge open till it hits the bench, or metal angle bracket in this case. The hinged back lid will probably hit the corner at an angle, but the other half will be flat on your work piece. For a quick trial, just add a little baking soda fillet where the CD case hits the bench, and add a drop of super glue to instantly hold it secure. Baking soda turns to hard marble in a second, when you add the glue. A little heat is given off in this process, so don't get any on your fingers.
Spin your vise while looking through the CD cover, getting a rough sense of where the revolving axis is located. Now move about 10mm away from the rough location and put a tiny hole through the CD case. I use a small bur on my handpiece, but ideally have it be just big enough to put a thin pencil lead through.
Hinge the CD case back onto your workpiece after placing a "stickie" paper label on the workpiece. Put your thin pencil through the hole and spin the turn table (not the vise!). The vice will revolve on the table and you will draw a small bull's eye on the paper which represents the axis of rotation of the turntable. Now take a small straight edge and scratch a cross hair on the CD cover that is centered on the bull's eye. Flip the CD case up into the vertical position and out of your way, remove the paper and start engraving. When you want to move to a new work area, hinge the cover back down on your work, and move the new work area to the cross hairs. The big top-moving ball vise can usually shift the work area faster than pushing the whole vise around on the turn table, but either way is good, as we know.
Refinement: the hinges of a CD case have a little bit of backlash which will appear magnified under the scope. To remove the backlash and give the hinge more precision, take the case apart, use a small hand saw to slice a half inch down the side of the hinge that has the little pips ( not the holes). This makes the pips flexible. Re-assemble and put an elastic band over the hinge to pull them into closer contact. This done, apply a dusting a baking soda into the saw cuts and a drop of glue. This will make the hinges work with no backlash. Do not glue the hinge solid by using too much glue!
It goes without saying, that this will not work with big chunks, like many gun parts, that have no easy top plane, but if you are developing your skills on practice plates, etc., it can help.
If you like using a fast target like this, and want to get fancy, a small red laser can be set up on a thin column mounted on your bench to give an always-shining, faint ,red dot showing your revolving axis, but then that would cost you ten bucks ...... instead of ten cents.
best wishes!
Rod
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