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.