Mini Mill + Tilting Vise vs Tilting Table

[RuleOfSines]

Ahoy!

I'm wanting to add a tilting arrangement to my mini mill, but am undecided on how exactly makes the most sense. I'm torn between adding a small tilting table and attaching a screwless vise to that, vs a complete tilting vise setup.

Anyone use either and have any suggestions?

This is the mill I'm using for size reference:

https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=4190

[netsurferdude2]

How much are you looking to spend?
You can pick up one of those cheap wilton any-angle drill press vises for like $50. With a little modification it could be a solid vise for a small machine.

What are you going to be cutting?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009E0EBE8

[RuleOfSines]

So far I'm keeping the add-ons at < 150 or so, with knock-offish versions of equipment. This is my primary vise:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It operates nice and smooth and copies the Kurt-style vise I think, so the jaws don't lift as they are closed. I have a smaller (2" I think) screwless vise I got at a flea market that is currently sitting unused.

[netsurferdude2]

If you got larger jaws maybe you could try out a sine bar but that isn't a lot of space to work with. Do you an idea of what type of tilt angle you need to work with?

[RuleOfSines]

If you got larger jaws maybe you could try out a sine bar but that isn't a lot of space to work with. Do you an idea of what type of tilt angle you need to work with?

I don't yet have any specific plans, but I anticipate I will want to be able to go up to 45* of tilt. One of the ideas I had was milling the angled rails off a Tac-One mag body.

[netsurferdude2]

Check out this cutie:

https://ebay.us/EMv73A

[RuleOfSines]

Oh! I gotta add that to my watchlist, that certainly looks solid.

[Rusty Brass]

I picked up one of these, or something extremely similar, long ago. Only used it a couple of times but it worked as expected. The only problem I ran into was running out of height in the work envelope.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/Shop-Fox-Angle-Vise/D2933

[RuleOfSines]

Yeah when I actually look at my mill and picture the vise on there, it seems like it would take up a lot of space and really limit what I can cut.

[Deus Machina]

I miss my machines, even the mini I had...
Yes, you run out of height quickly.
In that case, I got much more use out of things like this.

[RuleOfSines]

Just ordered some of these, they should take care of most of the situations I run into I think.

[KMDPB]

I have the harbor freight version of the same mill and you can tilt it by loosening the large nut on the back of the column, then there is an indicator of the front of the column to measure the tilt. does yours not have this function?

[RuleOfSines]

It does not, its got a hefty solid column. This particular model wasn't available with a tilt.

[tjd10684]

I agree with Deus and KMDPB if you just need a chamfer or something a chamfer tool would probably be easiest. If your looking for something more I would probably just tilt the column. Just make sure to tram it back in when you go back to regular machining.

[RuleOfSines]

I ordered up a set of chamfer bits, those will probably cover most of my needs. For the part I was working on right now, I was able to get away with using my rotating vise and making a bunch of passes.

[RuleOfSines]

ASA I'm making atm, the groove gave me room to use the end mills and make the chamfer.