Question about J&S version of the NiPPY drill vice

[egaParticipant @ega]

There have been a couple of threads about the NiPPY vice in recent years, one including a reference to the Jones & Shipman version which seems to have been called the Unigrip, possibly a misnomer as the elaborate jaws of both versions permitted gripping the work in a variety of ways.

At a MEX some years ago I bought a simplified version of the Unigrip with plain jaws and RH M12 leadscrew working in a tapped hole in the casting. I have used this rather infrequently as the relatively fine screw makes adjustment painfully slow compared with the NiPPY arrangement of a LH 8TPI acme screw working in a threaded hole in the knurled handle. Having looked at a friend’s NiPPY I am planning to modify my vice to provide similar more convenient working.

The NiPPY’s clamping force is reacted via a keep plate rather after the fashion of the ML7 tailstock and there is a spring washer between the inner end of the handle and the bottom of the hole in the casting. According to my 1976 J&S catalogue, however, their type 4608-001 version’s handle was “mounted on ball bearings to give more gripping power, smooth action and longer life.“

I speculate that this may be a reference to a thrust bearing in the same location as the NiPPY’s spring washer and, presumably, that the keep plate is still necessary. Can anyone who has the ball bearing version comment, please?

[egaParticipant @ega]

How is the ball bearing arranged?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Mine is a 4608-001

I will have a look, later

MichaelG.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Michael Gilligan:

Thank you. There is no urgency, of course.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

It's all rather nicely concealed:

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Note : What looks like a washer in this view is actually the end of the 'handle'

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Here's the reataining screw:

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MichaelG.

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/12/2018 14:15:53

[egaParticipant @ega]

Many thanks indeed for your excellent photos which I will digest alongside some of the NiPPY; at first sight, the construction seems somewhat different.

As you may have gathered, I felt that my later J&S represented a "dumbing down" of the design of the one you have. There is, however, one point where the later one may score in practice: "mark 1" has the leadscrew rigidly fixed to the moving jaw and this, along with the ant-lift plate underneath the slide, restricts the jaw's ability to accommodate a slightly out of parallel work piece; "mark 2" has a notch in the jaw which flexibly holds the (rotating) screw and allows a small amount of pivoting movement limited, of course, by the anti-lift plate.

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Posted by ega on 18/12/2018 13:00:11:

I speculate that this may be a reference to a thrust bearing in the same location as the NiPPY’s spring washer and, presumably, that the keep plate is still necessary. Can anyone who has the ball bearing version comment, please?

In Michael's second photo there is a grub screw in the top of the casting, on my version that screw is the hole blanker for the bearing race, to remove the handle from the casting it is necessary to remove the blanking screw and get all the bearings out through the hole, a strong magnet helps!

Edited By Nick Hulme on 18/12/2018 17:52:39

[egaParticipant @ega]

Nick Hulme (and Michael Gilligan):

Thank you for this further interesting piece of information.

Assuming that your version is the same as Michael's, can either of you confirm that there is no keep plate as mentioned in my OP, please? And if so, is it just the retaining/blanking screw that reacts the clamping thrust (via the bearing)?

I don't know if the type 4608-001 was so marked but its net weight is given as 3.6 kg which might help with identification (the NiPPY is some 3.8 kg and the "mark 2" Unigrip 3.3kg).

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

The blanking screw clamps nothing, it merely facilitates removal and replacement of the bearing balls, the inner race is integral with the handle, the outer is integral with the housing, no plate as the bearing does all the work.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, Nick … You have saved me a job

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by ega on 18/12/2018 18:53:35:

I don't know if the type 4608-001 was so marked but its net weight is given as 3.6 kg which might help with identification

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No number on the vice … but the lid of cardboard box identifies it :

… Getting a bit tatty, but it is about 35 years old

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MichaelG.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Thanks to both of you. It sounds a bit like the Burnerd Multisize chuck so far as getting the balls in and out is concerned.

I shall now see if I can translate this idea to my own vice.

PS I'm getting a bit tatty myself!

Edited By ega on 18/12/2018 19:26:12

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

ega for info.

I just had a browse around … and found this rather worrying: **LINK**

http://rotagriponline.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=9139&flypage=shop.flypage&pop=0&keyword=vice&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29

Same part number as mine, but looks more like what you described

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MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/12/2018 20:45:46

[egaParticipant @ega]

Michael Gilligan:

Your linked item looks identical to mine save that mine has the J&S branding; it is surely incorrect for them to use the same type number as the real thing even though there is no real danger of confusion.

I am not myself worried; it's just a matter of deciding what to do and thanks to you and Nick I am now in a better positon to do so. I need to identify a suitable bearing and perhaps I could trouble you to post the diameter of the screw on yours (7/16" on the NiPPY)?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by ega on 18/12/2018 23:37:42:

I need to identify a suitable bearing and perhaps I could trouble you to post the diameter of the screw on yours (7/16" on the NiPPY)?

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1/2" Diameter on mine

… although, curiously, the various fixings are Metric hex-socket.

MichaelG.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Michael Gilligan:

Thanks again. I imagine there were many mixes of English and metric back in the 70s. The larger screw seems sensible.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by ega on 19/12/2018 10:57:00:

Michael Gilligan:

Thanks again. I imagine there were many mixes of English and metric back in the 70s. The larger screw seems sensible.

I eventually decided simply to replace the M12 screw with a 1/2" Acme screw; this gives adequate clamping pressure and is more convenient in use. My photos show the vice with new screw, the body of the vice set up for tapping and the tool used to cut the screw thread:

In the middle photo the job is being aligned with a mandrel in the ER chuck; this was then replaced with the tap and the thread cut under power with the saddle feed set for 10TPI.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Nice job, ega

They may “not make them like they used-to” … but you have !!

MichaelG.

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