A milling vice is a clamping tool that is primarily designed to be used on a milling machine due to its strong construction.mMilling places greater pressure on a workpiece as the cutter rotates along the material, as opposed to drilling, where the drill bit rotates directly into it. This means a stronger vice is needed.
A milling vice’s jaws are made of hardened steel which can bear the force of the cutter, and its body is made out of high tensile cast iron which provides greater strength and rigidity during the milling process.
A milling machine is a fixed machine where objects made of solid materials, such as metal and wood, are milled. Milling is a cutting process that removes material from the surface of a workpiece by using a rotary cutting tool.
The vice is mounted to the machine’s table and holds workpieces securely while it is in operation.
What is it used for?
The main use for a milling vice is to clamp objects in order to be milled. The vice is designed to hold the workpiece firmly between its jaws so that it stays completely still when the cutter rotates through the material.
A vice is often needed in operations such as milling, because when the cutter rotates, it exerts pressure outward that can cause a workpiece to spin or be thrown if it is not held down securely.
This can be dangerous to a user’s hands, so the vice is ideal as it allows both hands to be free and away from the cutter when milling.
The vice can be used to hold a variety of materials, including steel, aluminium, wood and plastic.
It can be used for a number of milling tasks, including plunging and profiling.
The vice is also often used for creating dovetail joints on a milling machine.
A milling vice is a tool used by all kinds of workers, from DIYers and hobbyists to industrial manufacturers.
Characteristics
A milling vice, similarly to a drill press vice, often has hardened jaws in order for it to withstand the large amount of force that comes with milling applications.
These jaws can then be covered with jaw pads in order to protect any softer workpieces, such as wood, from damage. For more information on jaw pads, visit What are jaw pads?
Many models of milling vice are equipped with a swivel base so that the vice can be rotated around into various positions during machining. For more information, visit What are the different types of machine vice base?
