Forgot to tighten a vise jaw last Thursday and my part launched across the shop like a rocket.

Was running a batch of aluminum brackets and didn't snug the jaw down after a tool change, next thing I know a 4-pound block is bouncing off the wall 20 feet away. Boss just shook his head and handed me the chip brush, has anyone else had a part take flight like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona98524d ago

Nah man that's just you being sloppy. If you can't properly lock down a vise jaw that's a skill issue not a machining problem.

janarivera23d ago

Have you actually tried working with a cheap import vise that has a 0.010" gap in the jaw from the factory? Sometimes the hardware just isn't up to spec no matter how careful you are.

wendyprice23d ago

I mean come on, it's not like you launched a C-clamp through a window or something. So a part flew off, big deal. That's shop life, happens to everyone at least once. People acting like you committed a crime against machining or something. It's a 4 pound bracket, not a precision instrument. The boss handed you a chip brush, not a write-up, so clearly he didn't think it was the end of the world either. If you're not occasionally launching a part across the room, you're probably not running your machine hard enough. Let's not pretend every mistake is a career-ending disaster.