Work holding block

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • lathehand
    Senior Member
    • Mar 2005
    • 106

    Work holding block

    A coworker showed me a shop made block the other day. He copied it from another coworker who said "All Chicago toolmakers have one".
    The block was heat treated and ground all over. It was 2.375" x 2.125" x 3.000" long. The four corners were cut out so you have a 1/4" x 3/4" notch, a 3/4" x 5/8", 3/8" x 1/4" and 1/2" x 3/8" notch. The remaining outside surfaces have a series of 1/4-20 threaded holes for a clamp block. The ends were also drilled and tapped, and there was a 1/2" clearance hole through the whole block.
    Seems like a handy little aid, able to hold many size bars, giving clear access to at least two sides of the workpiece.
    Just thought I would share some metalworking content to get the average back up to where it needs to be.
  • tattoomike68

    #2
    It's a bench block, everyone should have one.

    I have a block of 1" x 4" x 6" that has tapped holes and two "V" groves with cross holes for holding small shafts for cross drilling or getting to the side to put in woodruff keys. I drop it in a vice and can hold small shafts and such.

    I handy little item to have.

    Comment

    • thistle
      Senior Member
      • Mar 2003
      • 1216

      #3
      I have a box table off a 10 inch elliot shaper mounted on the table of my little horizontal mill at the moment. same idea but bigger.

      Comment

      • abare33
        Junior Member
        • Nov 2005
        • 11

        #4
        pix

        Post some pictures of the block so we can see what you are referring to, can it be used on the Aloris system?

        Comment

        • Scishopguy
          Senior Member
          • Feb 2006
          • 948

          #5
          Work holding block

          Years ago, when I was working in automotive tool and die, we all had a list of tools, fixtures, and blocks that we wanted to make. All the old timers had this stuff that they had made on their breaks and lunch times. We had access to free tool steel, with the company's blessing, and access to an on site heat treatment oven. We made angle plates, sine bars, parrallels, box parrallels, vee blocks, and hardened quill and spindle pointers (for setting up a die model for tracing on the cinncinnati hydrotel). We made 1-2-3 blocks with tapped holes so that they would screw together and make small angle plates. It was great fun and very satisfying to make something like that. The only problem was that we didn't have as much time as we would have liked to work on our "government work" as we used to call it.

          Jim (KB4IVH)
          Jim (KB4IVH)

          Only fools abuse their tools.

          Comment

          • TECHSHOP
            Senior Member
            • Jan 2006
            • 1123

            #6
            Something a little different

            I will try to explain a bench block that I made from a mallet head. It is one of those replaceable mallet faces, brand unknown, about 3 inches in diameter. It is a yellow plastic with a wooden core, it is hard enough that it won't "sqwish" when I pound on it, but soft and smooth enough that it won't scratch the finish (bluing, parkerising, etc) on those fancy metal things I occasionally work on. A few holes to drive pins into, and a "V" for the round cylinder parts. I guess youses up north could just use a puck, but I think the thing I have is thicker, about 1.5 inches. The bottom is of a smaller diameter, so that I can clamp it in a vice, and have the shoulder rest on top of the jaws to allow longer "pins" to be pushed out. I have also used it on the little 1/2 ton arbor press.
            Today I will gladly share my experience and advice, for there no sweeter words than "I told you so."

            Comment

            Working...
            X