Miniature Boley vise creation

[Slava Yorish]

With this message I am starting the story of creation a miniature version of Boley jeweler's vise. First, I got a vise and thoroughly measured all dimensions. Then created a 3d version of it

 

[Slava Yorish]

Once I had the 3d model I printed a few small-scale miniatures just to determine which size I am comfortable to work with. It seems 1/3scale is too tiny, so I decided to start building a 1/2scale vise.

 

[Slava Yorish]

Once the size is determined, time to make a CAD of two molds- each for corresponding jaws. Molds should open allowing wax extraction. It also should have a port for wax injection. Some of the features cannot be resolved wothout cores. So the cores are designed as well. I 3d printed cores and molds on my resin printer. Here the result.

 

[Slava Yorish]

And here is a short video of the entire process. From mold assembly to wax injection and model extraction.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Neat stuff! This is your third series of vise recreations, right?

 

[Slava Yorish]

Third since I started publishing here. I created a few more miniatures before.

 

[LXCam]

That's insanely cool Slava, please keep up the presence here.

 

[Slava Yorish]

It took some time for all preparations. First, I built a wax tree where the stem will be a metal feed and the branches are the gates molten metal comes to the mold. After I finished with the tree I prepared investment mix and filled the flask. The mix dried and became solid. Next morning I started with steaming the wax out of the mold. Once it was done, the flask was inseted in the high temperature oven for burning out the ramains of the wax. No inclusions should present in the cavity when metal fills the mold. And finally a silicon bronze was melted and cast into the mold. I got my castings perfectly done. The next operation is cleaning and machining.

 

[LXCam]

That’s impressive how much detail you produced considering how small those parts are. I’m surprised the finish isn’t a lot more grainy.

 

[Slava Yorish]

That’s impressive how much detail you produced considering how small those parts are. I’m surprised the finish isn’t a lot more grainy.

Unlike sand casting here I used investment mix for jewelry. It is a fine powder that turns into solid in a few minutes and requires kiln firing before bein filled with liquid metal. The Technology widely used in jewelry. Therefore good surface finish.

 

[Slava Yorish]

Some slight filing and the rear jaw is sliding as it should.

 

[Slava Yorish]

In this wise the nut is turning and the lead screw is attached to the rear jaw. I made the nut today.

 

[Slava Yorish]

Retaining plate

 

[Slava Yorish]

I was ready to start milling jaws but my milling machine had different thoughts. The laprop that controls it just stopped turning on. Something happened to voltage regulator. Anyway, I found the one just like mine on ebay and already purchased it. I made the screw, pinned it to the rear jaw, tapped #00-90 thread in front jaw, installed retaining plate with tiny screw and made a handle while waiting for the replacement. Here are a few pics. The vise it is sitting on is the smallest in commercially available (in the past) Wilton baby vise. They do not make that small anymore.

 

[Slava Yorish]

In order to cut slots for jaws I needed a tiny key cutter. The one I had was too thick so I ground material from it with Dremel tool on the lathe. The cutter I made seems to work fine. At least on bronze.

 

[Slava Yorish]

I tested jaws. It fits in slots. Need to drill and tap holes in the body, counter bore jaws, and turn heads of #0-80 screws.

 

[Cruzan80]

Unlike sand casting here I used investment mix for jewelry. It is a fine powder that turns into solid in a few minutes and requires kiln firing before bein filled with liquid metal. The Technology widely used in jewelry. Therefore good surface finish.

Guessing this was vacuum casting once the investment was set up/burned out?

Looks great.

 

[Slava Yorish]

Guessing this was vacuum casting once the investment was set up/burned out?

Looks great.

It was vacuum casting. You guessed right.

 

[Cruzan80]

It was vacuum casting. You guessed right.

I teach CAD and the basics of injection molding to HS students as part of a class. Looked into investment/vacuum casting for their designs, but the restrictions of managing across school day hours reared its ugly head. So sand-casting it is (for them)...

Slightly in awe of how well you can mix the investment/powder so you dont have to deal with things like sandcores post-casting. Or is that due more to the process you are using (sand/injection vs vacuum)? Not trying to ask for trade secrets, just tips/tricks as I improve my own ability.

 

[Slava Yorish]

There are no secrets. The technology is available and widely used. The equipment I used came from jewelry because of small size of my items. You can buy all materials from jeweler supply websites such as riogrande or similar. Organizing casting session with students will require some arrangements because burnout cycle takes hours as well.as 12 hrs time of waiting for investment dries up. But nothing is impossible.

 

[Cruzan80]

Agreed. It was more monitoring the burnout overnight, and the "knack" of starting it at the right time for the class on the next day. With the sand-casting, we could make molds and then have then "sit" as long as needed, until "pour" day. So started with the slightly "easier" version (and Solidworks has mold-making tools designed around injection mold design that can be easily re-interpreted for sand-casting, so fit the curriculum closer).

I do have a teacher account @ RioGrande, funny you mention them.