Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, tnik wrote:

Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

On Nov 19, 11:58*am, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, tnik wrote:
Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Gunner Asch

I believe that these are used to hold thin, flat work on machine
tables for operating on the flat part. The step goes down, the jack
screw bears against the wide side and you get a downward force along
with the sideways one. Never have used any, saw the setup in an old
machinist's book for setting up big planer jobs. These would be tiny
next to the ones they had. If I'm wrong, someone will pop up.

Stan

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

wrote in message
...

On Nov 19, 11:58 am, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, tnik wrote:
Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

I believe that these are used to hold thin, flat work on machine
tables for operating on the flat part. The step goes down, the jack
screw bears against the wide side and you get a downward force along
with the sideways one. Never have used any, saw the setup in an old
machinist's book for setting up big planer jobs. These would be tiny
next to the ones they had. If I'm wrong, someone will pop up.

Stan

================================================== ====

You're right, but the small ones also are commonly used in vises. The edge
faces are slightly angled to apply downforce.

I have a set of them that I've never used.

--
Ed Huntress

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...


wrote in message
...

On Nov 19, 11:58 am, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, tnik wrote:
Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something
new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

I believe that these are used to hold thin, flat work on machine
tables for operating on the flat part. The step goes down, the jack
screw bears against the wide side and you get a downward force along
with the sideways one. Never have used any, saw the setup in an old
machinist's book for setting up big planer jobs. These would be tiny
next to the ones they had. If I'm wrong, someone will pop up.

Stan

================================================== ====

You're right, but the small ones also are commonly used in vises. The edge
faces are slightly angled to apply downforce.

I have a set of them that I've never used.

--
Ed Huntress

I have seen them used for surface grinding operations, like when using a
sine vise. They push the part down flat against the bottom of the vise.
Never seen them used on heavier machining operations like milling.

Best Regards
Tom.
--
http://fija.org/

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

"azotic" wrote in message ...




"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...


wrote in message
...

On Nov 19, 11:58 am, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, tnik wrote:
Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something
new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

I believe that these are used to hold thin, flat work on machine
tables for operating on the flat part. The step goes down, the jack
screw bears against the wide side and you get a downward force along
with the sideways one. Never have used any, saw the setup in an old
machinist's book for setting up big planer jobs. These would be tiny
next to the ones they had. If I'm wrong, someone will pop up.

Stan

================================================== ====

You're right, but the small ones also are commonly used in vises. The edge
faces are slightly angled to apply downforce.

I have a set of them that I've never used.

--
Ed Huntress

I have seen them used for surface grinding operations, like when using a
sine vise. They push the part down flat against the bottom of the vise.
Never seen them used on heavier machining operations like milling.

Best Regards
Tom.
--
http://fija.org/

================================================== ================

[reply]

That sounds like a better use. They don't look like they get a lot of grip,
but their original use, IIRC, was for holding down work on shapers.

Again, though, I've never used them. I just inherited a set.

--
Ed Huntress

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

On 2011-11-19, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, tnik wrote:

Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

They're used in a shaper vise most often. Start with a pair of
parallels, then modify them as follows (end view) -- view with a fixed
pitch font like Courier:

+--------\
\ \__________________________________
\ __________________________________
\ /
+-----/

Place them at the bottom of the vise, with the angled thick ends against
the jaws, and the sharp small ends against a not very thick workpiece.
The sharp ends will dig into the edges of the workpiece, and the angle
at the thick ends will cause the sharp ends to force the workpiece
against the bottom of the vise.

The shape above is not quite right, but within the limits of
hand drawn ASCII graphics. The bottom of the thick end should taper up
towards the sharp end so the sharp end will rest down at the surface of
the vise bottom.

I've got one small set (by Starrett) -- about the right size for
my 7" shaper. Don't need them too often, but when i do, they are the
best thing around.

If you don't have a shaper, they are probably not much use other
than as collectors items. The grip is not strong enough for a
horizontal spindle milling machine taking a good bite. It might work
with a vertical spindle and a *sharp* end mill taking a very shallow cut,
though I have not tried that. The reason that Starrett no longer makes
them is because nobody makes and uses serious shapers in this country
any more.

You could make your own with some care -- but you need to
properly harden them -- at least the angled back and the sharp edge. If
the OP's boss *really* wants more than one set from eBay -- get a set
from eBay and study that for the details of the shape, them make his own
to whatever size he wants.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:58:11 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, tnik wrote:

Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

Gunner

Holding thin stuff down in a vise. I'll try a little ascii art for the
cross section.

______
______/ /
/___________/

Sort of shaped like that, although the lower part is tapered. The
high edge is pushed by the vise, pushing down on the front edge where
it contacts the stock. Used one each side.

Pete Keillor

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

On 11/19/2011 11:01 PM, DoN. Nichols wrote:
On 2011-11-19, Gunner wrote:
On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:18:06 -0500, wrote:

Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320796770446

Thanks

Tom

What are they used for?

Im feeling rather embaressed that I dont know.

They're used in a shaper vise most often. Start with a pair of
parallels, then modify them as follows (end view) -- view with a fixed
pitch font like Courier:

+--------\
\ \__________________________________
\ __________________________________
\ /
+-----/

Place them at the bottom of the vise, with the angled thick ends against
the jaws, and the sharp small ends against a not very thick workpiece.
The sharp ends will dig into the edges of the workpiece, and the angle
at the thick ends will cause the sharp ends to force the workpiece
against the bottom of the vise.

The shape above is not quite right, but within the limits of
hand drawn ASCII graphics. The bottom of the thick end should taper up
towards the sharp end so the sharp end will rest down at the surface of
the vise bottom.

I've got one small set (by Starrett) -- about the right size for
my 7" shaper. Don't need them too often, but when i do, they are the
best thing around.

If you don't have a shaper, they are probably not much use other
than as collectors items. The grip is not strong enough for a
horizontal spindle milling machine taking a good bite. It might work
with a vertical spindle and a *sharp* end mill taking a very shallow cut,
though I have not tried that. The reason that Starrett no longer makes
them is because nobody makes and uses serious shapers in this country
any more.

You could make your own with some care -- but you need to
properly harden them -- at least the angled back and the sharp edge. If
the OP's boss *really* wants more than one set from eBay -- get a set
from eBay and study that for the details of the shape, them make his own
to whatever size he wants.

Good Luck,
DoN.


Yep, our manual machinist has a set of them and they work great in a
vise on the manual bridegport. Got this job where we have to grind down
or mill some 3"x5" inconell plates, .400 to .250 and using the holddowns
in a multivise setup on the mill was one idea. Think im just going to
create a fixture for the blanchard grinder.

I guess with all of the vacuum tables and ice tables out there, starrett
felt that the #54's just wasn't worth it anymore.

Starrett #54 hold downs..
 

tnik wrote:
Does anyone know of a company that makes these anymore? Starrett
doesn't, and sometimes the boss just is animate at buying something new..


You could buy 6" ones & cut them down:
http://www.nolansupply.com/bysubcate...lse&specs=True
or
http://tinyurl.com/6pbh3q8

Bob