I have a bunch of parts I am running, 2" wide 4" long and 1/4" thick. I drill 12 holes and tap 8 of them metric 6x1 each order consists of approx 200 parts, as you can imagine cycle time is less than load time on 4 vices and there are other parts the same shape wider and longer.

so sence I got a full 4th I was thinking of maybe making a tombstone to lay down out of 5x5 alum maybe steel. in that tombstone I want to build in vices/ for gripping/ the vice jaws I use on the bigger parts are .325 tall from locator face to top of jaw. and a max of 4inchs wide.

the tombstone I was thinking is 20" long 5x5 alum or steel using alum jaws as I have to cut them for the profile, with 16" workable is what I figure on a vf2.

running a 210 rotary hass rotary with a frame.

what is the proper way to build a mini short vice so it holds these parts, I want to build the vice into the tombstone on all 4 sides of it, Might have to for 3 sides.
so I guess my questions would start at/

Alum 6061 good enough?

if I run slots and a ball screw for the vice part leaving the other side built in would the vice jaws kick UP when you applied pressure? of should the slots be angled down at 1º.

ball screw or acme screw or ?

I only want to make it once but it needs to last hold the parts securely and accurately so the face of the part doesn't push up when I tighten the jaws.
I have a .001 thickness requirement.

I had thought of making the body out of alum ( the 5x5 tombstone) then using ground tool steel for the wear areas and the one movable jaw. kinda like Gibbs on the older machines.

my main concern is keeping the jaws from pushing the parts up when tighten, how do you accomplish that?

based on a 20" long tombstone I am thinking I will have 16" workable * this will be on a haas vf2ss with a 210mm rotary

if I go with a three sided tombstone I could get 4 vices wide on 3 sides, 12 total vices.

the 4 sides I would have to stagger them so 2 sides would have 4 vices 2 sides would have 3 vices, 14 total vices.

I do have to index 90º for 2 tapped holes on each side as well.

i could do other types of parts as well or pretty much anything that I would only need a side grip of .325 or less. as Long as the height doesn't hit the table on the rotation side.

Thoughts ?

Delw