Breach Plug Vise

[TommyG]

After reading Allen Martin's great idea for the front sight vise, I thought I would share this tool as well.  I always struggle with holding breach plugs for shaping and filing the correct drafts.  So I made this vise to hold them.  I used a piece of 1.5 aluminum bar stock I had laying around collecting dust.  Cut to about 1.75 in length(1.5 would work as well).  I chucked it up in my lathe and bored a tap drill hole for 3/4-16 to 1" depth, tapped with 3/4-16 tap. Flip the piece and bored the tap drill hole for 5/8-18 from the other side thru to the larger hole, threaded with 5/8-18 tap thru to the larger hole.  Strike a centerline down the length of the block and cut a slot thru using a hacksaw.  You could easily do this on a drill press as well using the correct tap drill sizes.  Now you have a vise to hold 3/4 & 5/8 breach plugs for shaping.  Clamp in a large vise to pinch the block shut on the plug.  It works pretty well.

[J. Talbert]

Could you do the same thing just starting with a nut?

Jeff

[Metalshaper]

Could you do the same thing just starting with a nut?

Jeff

Jeff,

That's what I do in my shop. I take a nut and split in on one flat, chase the threads and then use it 
To hold the  plug . I can use it for filing on the tang and also for squaring the face.. if I need to shorten
The plug when fitting it it in the barrel.

Respect  Always 
Jonathan 

[TommyG]

So, yes, I guess you can do it with a nut as well.  I had some of this 2024 aluminum collecting dust so my thinking was it had some good fatigue resisting properties and was thick enough that when I clamped down on the plug and then released pressure that it would spring back and release pressure on the threads.

[Metalshaper]

So, yes, I guess you can do it with a nut as well.  I had some of this 2024 aluminum collecting dust so my thinking was it had some good fatigue resisting properties and was thick enough that when I clamped down on the plug and then released pressure that it would spring back and release pressure on the threads.

Tommy,

 Still learning to do boring and internal threading on my lil old Craftsman 109! didn't feel confident enough to try the job like yours. I improvised with a nut.. that's the only difference.
previously, I had made a 'sight vise' using bar stock and made it kinda like an old machinist's clamp ( with one longer leg to hold in the vise ) just because I have two pieces of bar stock laying
next to each other and within eyesight of of the machinist clamp.. bright or dim,  the light went on 

I learn a BUNCH from all of you guys!!!

Respect Always
Jonathan