HSK32 benchvise - Modification

[@perw12345]

"I don´t want to make a huge project out of this..." he says, having already thrown parts on the lathe and surface grinder. That is why we love you Stefan, lol.

[@kevinsellsit5584]

I honestly found this episode to be extremely entertaining. I do apologize for finding pleasure in Stefans increasing level of disgust as he worked through this quick job to make this cheap vise work perfectly for his application. So, I second it "That is why we love you Stefan"

[@Tezza120]

"Not after precision" continues to make the flattest vice jaws in his suburb using a surface grinder...love it :)

[@Reman1975]

Yeah. I'm loving how this is what constitutes an imprecise sloppy rush job in his book. :D

[@Blondihacks]

“I’m trying not to make a science fair project out of this one” 😂 I know that feeling. Great modifications!

[@alihenderson5910]

Lol, then proceeds to go full NASA on it. He knows why we come here.

[@EitriBrokkr]

I can't be the only one who wants to see what stefan would do if he DID want to make it into a science project?

[@daveb3910]

Yes, that would be incredible

[@davidplatenkamp]

He'd just make the entire vise from scratch.

[@CameronMcCreary]

Oh boy here we go. I use a Kurt Anglock vise for my bench vise. It works great; all I have to do is replace the jaws to do different things. I also use one on the mill.

[@djizomdjinn]

About the screw plate... I think it would be fine, rifle stocks are held together with this sort of metal-wood-metal bolted sandwich, often with only 2 M6 bolts. If you're worried about long term crush, perhaps you could take a page from them? Pillar bedding is a technique where metal (usually aluminum) sleeves are placed over the bolts, cut to length just slightly shorter than the wood thickness, allowing the screws to be torqued down while limiting the amount of force the wood sees.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Good idea with the pillars!

[@crichtonbruce4329]

Fun video Stefan. Being a cheep fellow I've bought quite a few import tools and mostly found that, with some work, decent stuff can be made out of them. As many others have said: "Your not buying a tool, your buying a kit." Also, as you have shown so well here, they are cheep enough to modify for special uses, our creativity being the limiting factor.

[@Narwaro]

“I dont want to make a huge project out of this” proceeds to grind matched parallels on six sides for a bench vise 😅😂

[@olik136]

I was expecting to see the entire vice under that grinder at that point.. then other random pieces in the workshop.. then probably the Alps.. you know once you are at it..

[@RobertBrown-lf8yq]

Very good adaptation. Use the quality you NEED eh? 😎 Regards Robert

[@zachaliles]

That's "pretty good" in his book.

[@alihenderson5910]

As soon as he said that, I just thought, yeah right. Lol.

[@cadewey6181]

The range is “ good enough for wood working “ (in mm)- to - “ I like it ” SG ( >micron ).

[@Paul-FrancisB]

Always enjoy a video starting with "I got one of these import........" 🙂

[@TheWidgetWorks]

'well beating on stuff with a hammer is often a very good solution' LOL you made my day sir.

[@willi-fg2dh]

one must know one's limits though . . . i am about a three-pound hammer mechanic on a good day . . . my father was a twelve-pound hammer mechanic . . . i once watched him pick up the big hammer, take a full swing and make things better.

[@mathewritchie]

If you are making a forging.

[@Joel-st5uw]

"you're usually at a point where stuff is going really really wrong if you need to do that" I knew this video was gonna make my day. I just didn't know it was gonna make it THAT GOOD 😂🤣

[@jdclaypoole866]

Robin Ronzetti said it best: "Everything is a kit." Great job! I loved your tip on measuring in from an edge with calipers. Thanks for sharing.

[@BernardSandler]

That trick of using the top edge of callipers as a marking gauge is so helpful. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@mpetersen6]

I was doing that in the mid 70s.

[@ifsc9462]

I just checked my dial calipers and they do indeed have a second depth gauge! Thanks, I'd never noticed that before 😄

[@Crusher9mil]

That has to be one of your most DYNAMIC, and gripping videos to date. 😉😉😁

[@quinto3969]

Hey Stefan, if compressing the bench wood is an issue, drill four 10mm holes in the periphery of the plate seat on the wood itself and fill it with jb weld epoxy and you'll have four wood embedded 10mm posts that will counter the vise/plate compression.

[@djizomdjinn]

This comment is unrelated to this specific video, but I recently bought a 9x20 import lathe, moving up from my old 3x8 Sherline... and by sheer coincidence it seems to be more or less the same as your old 9x20 way back when. I just want you to know that your videos, even almost a decade old, are still helping hobbyist/home shop machinists out there :D. Now a solid toolpost is a given for me, but do I want to do the tailstock quill mod or do carriage drilling? Decisions, decisions...

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Ahoi! Congratulations to the lathe - They are a great and very versatile size of machine. With the solid toolpost and if you like drilling with the toolpost (you have to try that, if you like it), I would not do the capstan/rack pinion tailstock.

[@billdoodson4232]

A very welcome return Stefan. Looking forward to what you do with this.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Thanks! Glad I made it back :)

[@EverettWilson]

Hey Stefan, hope things are okay. Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge and experience with the world.

[@CrankyOldMachinist]

When I got my first home mill, I didn't have money to buy a good vise. I purchased a very crappy import one and just made do until I found a used Kurt. Years later I found that old one and decided to accurize it. Did many of the same things you did and now I have a decent, light-duty, mill vise. Mainly use it for quick one-off parts and don't want to break a setup on my main vises. Enjoyed the video!

[@bonnersommer7201]

I have the same Heuer vice! Thanks, Stefan, for praising it.

[@CB.5]

I actually enjoy these types of videos where machinist make improvements on say, "cheaper quality" tools and make them fit their needs. Thanks Stefan

[@ROBRENZ]

Very nicely done Stefan! It takes a lot restraint to not go Science project on something like this. I liked the screws to hang the other vise when not in use. ATB, Robin

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Thank you Robin!

[@aserta]

10:40 if you have some tubing, you can replace that part with a reaching nut. Essentially, the moving jaw's riding surface becomes fully encapsulated and the nut is moved from the back of the vise all the way to the front at the static jaw. Popular mod these days as it puts the nut against the casting and thus makes it stronger.

[@BruceBoschek]

The proverbial sow's ear becomes silk purse. Actually the vise wasn't all that bad to begin with. But, your modifications certainly make it a far more valuable tool. Thanks for another excellent video.

[@hadinossanosam4459]

Enjoyed seeing your approach to a lower-precision, "just make it work" kind of project - I tend to lean towards being too perfectionist when machining, and end up not getting much done (hobbyist, so no time pressure either), so it's always interesting to see what corners people cut and why, especially from someone who normally lives on the precision side of things :) (Side note: at 21:30 I was doubting if you'd really skip cleaning up the ends, after already bringing out the grinding vise... and whaddaya know, next shot they're back on the grinder in spite of the narration :P)

[@Muckinaroundintheshed]

Cheap Chinese tooling is usually written-off as either “works okay for the money” or “straight in the bin”. It’s really cool to see you make these modifications. It helps me understand the strengths and weaknesses of these products. Really useful (and of course entertaining). Thank you!

[@shawnstuart1029]

I put a thrust bearing on the tightening screw. Much smoother to use and easy to tighten and loosen. I got my vice from princess auto in Canada, paid under a 100 for it. Same design but better finish and paint.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Good idea! I will see if I have something that fits.

[@MgBaggg]

As always the import hobby kit assemblies are a joy to watch!

[@samrodian919]

Great little project Stefan. One thing I would advise, if the bench does start to crush and looking at the quality of it that may well be the outcome over time. The solution is to get yourself some 19mm Baltic Birch plywood . That stuff is as hard as nails, and 4 eight millimetre screws will never crush birch plywood. It's probably easier to obtain in Germany than it is in the UK, where it has almost totally disappeared . All we get now is Far Eastern ply which is rubbish. By the way I'm now a hobby machinist but in another life I was a high school teacher of woodwork and metal work and before that I was a church pipe organ builder, and thus have used many sheets of Baltic Birch Plywood. It's the very best stuff!

[@JonesMetalCraft]

That was a fun way to spend the morning with my coffee. Thanks!

[@angelramos-2005]

Very interesting modification Stefan.Thank you for your time.

[@yomama5785]

Sort of refreshing to hear you essentially say "good 'nuff." I like seeing where you think its critical and where it really doesn't matter.

[@YouShouldThink4Yourself]

There's hope for you yet! That's almost down to us mortals standards, almost. 😜 Looks like you can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I love watching your work.

[@JohnBare747]

Nice job Stefan, as usual so that should go without saying. When I get an import item, especially if it has castings, I just automatically consider it to be a project kit. Some need only small things like tossing all the fasteners and replacing them with better than minimum grade hardware. I never have had access to a surface grinder so can't give things that treatment. I've scraped a few surfaces that just did not fit. Even with my minimal facilities and talent I can have a fairly decent tool for a affordable price, most times, I can't match Stefan's results but better than when it came in the door is better than nothing. Just getting the burrs off the edges is a giant step forward. Flush out all the crap and chips they exported helps greatly too.

[@Chris-pb3se]

I love when you completely redo a Chinese “kit” tool. I absolutely do it all the time now after watching you. When I buy something I consider how to tear it apart and make it better. In fact, I’ll buy a tool so that I can redo it. Taking on a project to expand my shops capabilities when I have the time to do so

[@somebodyelse6673]

An entire channel could be made just for that. Buy a knockoff, make a good tool out of it, and sell it to pay for the next one.

[@veejaybomjay8145]

Hi Stefan, this may have been your best video to date, most enjoyable, as you were the true Stefan Gotteswinter!

[@malteser0212]

For the mounting of the vice on the table: you could, instead of adding a second plate on top which would interfere with anything you want to put on top, you could just use steel tubing which you secure with wood glue so that the screws will run through the tubes. The vice could then sit on top of the tubes, and you can make the tubes flush with the top surface.

[@19672701]

0:17 Great build Stefan! I love modified tool builds,and with your precision and thought of space utilization was a fun watch.also the Kopal clamp cameo I covet, haha!hope you do more shop tool builds.

[@JyrkiKoivisto]

For milling the pipe jaws I would have used adjustable parallel under the milled and ground jaws. I also would have been proud of that setup... :) Lovely video as always!

[@RookieLock]

I have a similar vice but quick a bit smaller.. It's great for the price. Very nice project Stefan, thanks for taking us along !

[@bostedtap8399]

An entertaining shaped part, love it, thanks Stefan. That vice looks quite good for a Chinese import, another kit project. Thanks for sharing

[@supatipannobhagavato]

I almost goes for this kind of vise but decide to get regular Bison bench vise instead for my first vise in the shop years ago. Thank you for showing that it can be improved (with enough skill and dedication of course).

[@Lokimyrottie]

Love your Videos, watched every single one of them, I did my Apprenticeship from Siemens Training Center India.

[@Preso58]

A nicely upcycled vice. It looks like it might have been malleable iron given the chip formation.

[@stumccabe]

Thanks Stefan - excellent as usual. I could say a lot, but I'll comment on only one thing: I'm glad you mentioned that scribing with calipers is bad for the calipers - it drives me mad when I see people doing it!

[@flyerphil7708]

Many engineers have set just for that purpose, ground accordingly. Not a problem at all.

[@joansparky4439]

Or get one of those (or make one) which takes hss/carbide round bar instead of one of the jaws. My dad has a pair made by a machinist from like 30 years ago where the inside diameter jaws are removed and one carries a roller and the other one holds a HSS round of about 1.5mm diameter. They see regular use.

[@David-Rule]

@ 31:00 I like the way you turned the level around. A+

[@Timeonabike]

It's not a travelling nut - it's a DYNAMIC nut. Ha. Thanks again for another excellent video. I hope your mood improves. All the best.

[@alungiggs]

Very happy to see a new video from you 🙂. For what it is, that’s not a terrible vice, which has now been turned into a useful asset for the shop. 👍🇳🇱

[@garysgarage101]

I love seeing these kind of projects. My brain needs a break every once in a while from your NASA level work.

[@jeffkeen6943]

Great work as always...and I love the fact that your cardboard CNC enclosure is still going strong!!! 🙂

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Its holding up annoyingly well :D

[@Mister_Brown]

@@StefanGotteswinter structural cardboard is a real thing

[@MarkW321]

Nice upgrades.

[@624Dudley]

Hello Stefan, I’m with you - those low-cost vises need some tuning up just to be bearable. 👍

[@JB-ol4vz]

Love your videos with manual work. Thanks man.

[@craigspicer4296]

Stefan what is your favorite coffee. You will always go that extra step and that is what makes you top of line machinist. Its something i try to do in my hobby machine shop.

[@fpoastro]

Four fairly large diameter, steel bushings counter bored into the wood top with the steel plate below would be a good option. That way when you tighten down the vise, it’s gonna land on the bushings . Would likely still leave an imprint in the top but at least it would be rigid and easily removable on and off.

[@alexanderviner]

Hey Stefan! Thanks for this video! You could put some cylindrical bushings between the steel plate and the base. Hight should be as the thickness of the wooden top or slightly less. It seems that you are very happy with the cardboard enclosure of the CNC mill :D Greetings from Nürnberg Alex

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Good idea on the bushings, thats a good solution. The cardboard is holding up annoyingly well.

[@georgegeorgiev2610]

Perfect, as always, cheers from Bulgaria

[@Ekanselter]

Very nice! A fun little project that saves money and offers real benefits at the same time.

[@markfoster6110]

Now that's a good idea! Even the drill press sounds good .will jave to look for those table clamps now !! Great stuff as usual

[@StefanGotteswinter]

The Copal clamp? Better have a seat before you see the pricing on them. But they exist on the 2nd hand market.

[@DanielPerez-bn9bi]

Very cool project Stefan! It looks like it perfectly suits your needs.

[@fluffyeggs]

I've had one of these for about 10 years. They were sold in the US under the Bessey name at Home Depot. I agree that the biggest issue is the horrible finish on the jaws. Ruins anything you clamp with the slightest bit of pressure. I leave a set of rubber jaw covers on 99% of the time. Overall, it's been worth the $50 I spent when it was on closeout.

[@timgrenville-cleave2848]

Hi Stefan, Possible workaround for mounting the vise. Inset a plate into the bench, securing the two plates to each other with clearance holes for M8 on the top plate and thread the lower plate. You could perhaps utilise the setup for attaching any other tool/ fixture deemed suitable.

[@rodentofanger1720]

Great vid Stefan. I have a Chineseium vise also. I wish I was your neighbor. One question, do you not lubricate the lead screw or the turning surfaces? Cheers!

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Nice upgrades. Well done.

[@makingoutinthebarn]

Wow! Caliper tricks, setup block tricks. What a great video.

[@tommelomme6761]

Love it! But! Did't you make the second pair of jaw bell mouth by preloading the the first pair? Thanks for showing us!

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Probably? :D Dont think thats an issue.

[@paulwomack5866]

I have a very nice version of this sort of vice, by Swindens, a English company. One of the less obvious things you can do with it is hold a pipe or bar in the pipe holding jaws (the cast iron ones, in your case) and then ROTATE THE VICE 90 degrees on the axis of the screw. As long as your bench is high enough, you can now work on the END of the securely held bar/pipe rather easily.

[@keithnicklin8819]

Stefan. What about recessing the bench top and insetting the plate. Then bolt the vise to that. Also when vise removed it would make usefull hard area.

[@noberet]

Thank you Stefan! I would have never thought of most of that.

[@MichaelMoranGearHead]

I have to agree with the others. There is something very amusing about watching a precision machinist bring a vice into acceptability as he finds ever more flaws. We love you. 😅

[@jesusmarquez1785]

Stefan, add 4 drill bushings thick wall, into the wood table, all drill bushings same height and inside diameter to the bolts being clamping. The vise and lower plate will clamp on the drill bushings not the wood, just an idea.

[@pirminkogleck4056]

ahhhh, after hours of scraping Practice...a GTWR Video :)

[@junkdubious]

Oh, I've had castings with ball bearing fill! Fun times!

[@zsigmondkara]

It's not too shabby 👍

[@roippi3985]

Quite the glow-up, imagine this vice going to its 10 year reunion.

[@imysteryman]

You might consider replacing the steel jaws with copper, I did that to a vise and simply love it.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

I tried copper jaws, I do not like them very much - I always had a problem of pressing steel chips into the soft jaws which would then damage any part clamped in them. Hardened jaws have worked way better for me in that regard.

[@eviltreechop]

That brontosaurus helicopter clamp on the drill press is pretty cool

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Until you see the price of the darn thing :-| (Made by kopal)

[@OmeMachining]

Great project and result. 😊👍

[@randyshoquist7726]

The step measuring feature was a Mitutoyo innovation at least forty years ago. "Quadri-measure" was an exclusive selling point. Now virtually all calipers have it.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

I did not know it came from Mitutoyo! My dads very old calipers dont have that feature yet.

[@frankerceg4349]

Thank you Stefan!

[@TomChame]

Excellent, as always!!! Thank you!

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Great video as always Stefan 👍👍

[@rogerrascal8632]

Excellent work Stefan thank you. I am impressed with your drill press, speeds and threading capabilities, what brand / model is it please.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Thats a OPTIdrill DH 40GP

[@rogerrascal8632]

@@StefanGotteswinter Thank you Stefan, I will do some chasing to see if I can obtain one here in Australia. Is that clamp you use on it one of your creations or a commercial item? Thanks again.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

@@rogerrascal8632 Thats a Kopal clamp - better sit down before you look the price up. As for the drill press, there are probably dozen of import companies selling the same machine

[@rogerrascal8632]

@@StefanGotteswinter That Kopal clamp, I needed a heart starter after the price !! $856 AUD ($532 EU) !! Didn't realise the gold colour was solid gold! Thanks anyway I will seek another way.

[@StefanGotteswinter]

@@rogerrascal8632 They are in fact Bronce castings :-) Keep an eye on the used market, they show up for like 1/10 their new price.

[@welldoneworker]

Sience Fair Project 7/10 😘

[@TrPrecisionMachining]

good video stefan,,thanks for your time

[@UncleKennysPlace]

Don't worry about the wood crush; the vise itself has more "unit pressure" than the backing plate, and with that large area, you'll not suffer any consequences. Your "quick and dirty" projects are more _sciency_ than the precision projects of many of us.

[@pingwax.]

Watching a dude with your skill and mindset moving fast is fun. Not a 70 euro vise any more!

[@caseytailfly]

The Traveling Vice Nuts, great band from the 70s

[@LikeDotAudio]

Very impressive

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Very interesting. Nice work sir

[@ChimeraActual]

I have a similar vice, a littler bigger, made of steel, No markings, Chinese I assume, quite useful. It was a trade, and didn't come with those disk jaws you are modifying at 40:00. Marked the holes like you did, and made up some steel plates as "original" -- I assumed. Well, the screws wouldn't drive. A little examination showed the threaded holes were not only sort of randomly placed, NP, but they were drilled, and threaded, at an ~8-10 deg angle off vertical each one different. Sigh. Put it aside until I feel like lugging over to the mill. Haven't needed that feature for the last ten years so that may be never.

[@donsipes]

You could epoxy some steel sleeves in the plywood. Say 25mm in diameter and flush to top to prevent crushing plywood?

[@ikkiiiieee]

why don't you add a little lip on one of those Alum jaws so the toolholder doesn't slide down during clamping?

[@StefanGotteswinter]

There is a lip :-)

[@cbnoot]

2 minutes in the video I realised I'm not the only one that recycles he's cup every day...

[@luket7776]

Stefan - or anyone else who may know - what brand of ratcheting combination wrenches are you using? They look nice. Thanks! 😊

[@StefanGotteswinter]

They are Wera Joker - Would not buy again. Definetly buy ratcheting wrenches with a reversal lever, not the style that you need to flip around.

[@juleslobo5644]

Stefan, vielen Dank für dieses großartige Video! 1 Stunde "die Welt ist schön". Mal ganz 'was anderes.. - Frage mich nur, warum du die schwarze Skala vom Gehäuse abgenibbelt hast? - Uiuiui.. Stahlwerk kommt irgendwie direkt nach Paulimot, hätte nie gedacht, dass man mal so ein crappy Teil in deiner wohlüberlegten High-End-Werkstatt sehen würde.. "Hochwertiges Chinesium", wie es so schön heißt. Okayish trifft es wohl auf den Punkt. - Wünsche dir jedenfalls alles Beste! Und freue mich auf dein nächstes Video!

[@StefanGotteswinter]

Die Skala hat mir zu räudig ausgesehen, deswegen hab ich die Runtergefummelt - Vieleicht sollte ich den restlichen Kleber auch mal abknibbeln :D

[@tomeyssen9674]

Enjoyed! Thanks!

[@MecMod_Homeshop]

Hi, very smart solution for your collet, it is cold in Germany, you wear a sweater? 😮

[@StefanGotteswinter]

The video was taken in April, it was cold-ish at that time. Right now we have 26-28°C during the day.

[@Tezza120]

Sometimes it's worth going a cheap import just for a "roughed" part and you just do the finishing to dimensions you're happy with.

[@gerdigerdi6893]

Sehr schön Stefan, hab auch so einen im Gartenhaus und betrachte ihn nun mit ganz anderen Augen :) Und was ist mit painting ?!?