Work Holding question!

[J.B.]

I am new to hand engraving and have recently purchased the En-Set system. I am currently using just a ring clamp with a GRS shellac pad to hold my work. I am thinking about investing in a ball vise but I can't seem to find one cheap enough. Is this a "must have" investment? Would a jewelers benchmate system suffice? or even a "peg clamp hand tool"?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-W...503?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27d1189057

I am a jeweler by trade and am considering purchasing the benchmate again. What are the advantages and disadvantages to each with hand engraving?

I would greatly appreciate all opinions!

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Brian Marshall]

The weight of the vise and the "universal" positioning ability make a huge difference.

Peg clamps, shellac sticks, pitch bowls and ring clamps will get the job done if you only do a few a year...

It comes down to how many jobs, what's in your wallet and how much more easily and accurately do you want to work?

They do hold their value if you can find a used one. I believe there is one on the BUY/SELL page right now.


Brian


A relatively inexpensive method to get by with is a pitch bowl, half filled with lead tire weights and plaster. Melt the pitch on top. Green or red - stay away from black pitch.

You can also fill a small mixing bowl with concrete, set some bolts in it before it hardens - and bolt a small toolmakers vise to it.

Use the solid rubber lawnmower tires for a base. (There's a funny story about those if anyone wants to hear it)

 

[dogcatcher]

This is strictly a hobby for me, the cost of fancy vises etc., would be a waste of good party money. For a similar vise for my wood carving I made one using a bowling ball. Here is a link for a simple bowling ball vise. http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/37483-quot-Bowling-Ball-quot-Vises
My cost for a similar one was less than $20, the bowing ball was $5 at Salvation Army store, the tire, free from the local lawnmower repair place, the drill press vise, used for $10, miscellaneous $5.

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Watch this guy and then you will see what is NEEDED........
He has a few videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9R7cm9pS7o

Enjoy,
michael
michael

 

[dlilazteca]

Hello,

I thought about the same thing, just get a vise, you'll need it, I got mine used and in payments, people here are very , passionate, and helpful!

But don't low ball (haha funny) yourself.


Carlos De La O III

 

[dlilazteca]

The weight of the vise and the "universal" positioning ability make a huge difference.

Peg clamps, shellac sticks, pitch bowls and ring clamps will get the job done if you only do a few a year...

It comes down to how many jobs, what's in your wallet and how much more easily and accurately do you want to work?

They do hold their value if you can find a used one. I believe there is one on the BUY/SELL page right now.


Brian


A relatively inexpensive method to get by with is a pitch bowl, half filled with lead tire weights and plaster. Melt the pitch on top. Green or red - stay away from black pitch.

You can also fill a small mixing bowl with concrete, set some bolts in it before it hardens - and bolt a small toolmakers vise to it.

Use the solid rubber lawnmower tires for a base. (There's a funny story about those if anyone wants to hear it)

Please tell



Carlos De La O III

 

[mrthe]

Definitly you need a vice and a good one, acvoid the cheap china ones .
Personally i think that when a people upgrade a very engraving basic set up, the first step is a good sharpening system the second a good vise and the third a air powered system if you don't have the first two is very hard enjoy well the third

 

[Dani Girl]

rio grand sell a little spinning vise for about $30. You can screw it down to a lump of wood and bolt it through your bench, if you don't mind drilling a hole in it. I found that a great little tool while i was learning... i reckon it's only one step down from a micro block... disadvantage being you can't tilt it unless you can figure that part out.

My recommendation

danae.

 

[Brian Marshall]

There was also a Craftsman angle drill press vise in an earlier thread for $40...

It's in Mitch's thread FYI 4 DIY Vise Builders - 11/01/13. Belongs to Paul Lantuch.

One of my students bought one and brought it for me to look at.

He got an inch thick, 14 x 14" piece of steel to slide it around on under his magnifier lamp.

Been making money with it already, so soon he will have his choice of upgrades.

I'm sure he won't part with it, even when he has a better setup.


Brian

 

[Brian Marshall]

The adventure with the lawnmower tires was maybe 10 years back...

I had half a dozen blocks that needed uniform bases. I wasn't happy with what was out there, nor the prices.

So I went down to our local hardware store and bought a bag full.



When I got home and pulled them outta the bag - they had these metal "rims".

I tried a coupla times to pry the tires off the rims with large screwdrivers... wasn't gonna work.


Then I got to thinking about how they could have gotten them on there in the first place.

Heat came to mind.

Torch? No, rubber melts. Heatgun? Tried that. Was gonna take too long and not uniform enough.


I am the cook in our household. It happened that I had a pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove and the pasta pot was right next to it...

Instantly filled it with water. Got it up to boiling and dropped the tires in. Covered the pot.


Wife comes home from work. Asks what's for dinner.

I say "it's on the stove"...


The look on her face when she lifted the lid on the pasta pot was priceless!

She was a wee bit annoyed at me for a while.


I pulled the tires out one by one and pushed them right off the metal rims over the sink, with my fingers. Yeah, they were warm...

When I was done, threw the rims in the garbage - because I couldn't think of a use for them - washed the pot, and made the pasta.


She swore it tasted "funny". I just added more sauce to mine...



Brian

 

[dlilazteca]

Brian

Funny, thanks for sharing

Carlos De La O III