Work offset trick that cut my setup time in half

I started using a dial test indicator to tram the vise jaws to the Y axis instead of trusting the edge finder on my 3rd shift run last week, and my repeat parts dropped from 15 min to 6 min each. Has anyone else found that measuring from the fixed jaw beats touching off the moveable one?

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1 Comment

ninagreen3d ago

Wait, are you saying the dial indicator itself cut the time, or that you changed which jaw you're referencing? Because the indicator just tells you where you are, it doesn't speed up the actual setup. The real time save is probably from using the fixed jaw as your datum, since the moveable one can shift slightly when you tighten it. That said, I've found on my older Kurt vise that the fixed jaw isn't always perfectly square to the ways either, so I still sweep it every few weeks just to be sure. It's a solid trick, but I'd say the half hour you saved is more about trusting the fixed jaw than the indicator itself.