Switched from a standard vise to a 5-axis unit for a tricky aluminum part.

Michael Morgan · 2026-03-10T04:10:08.332021+00:00

I had to pick between a full fixture build or buying a new vise for a job with 22 angled faces, and my boss in Dayton said the vise would save time. It actually added two hours of setup per run because the part kept shifting. Anyone know a good trick for holding thin walled aluminum in a 5-axis setup without crushing it?

sandra_wood7mo ago

Dayton bosses love that quick fix logic. The real time sink is always in the fixturing, not the tooling. Try a low-temp thermoplastic mold for those thin walls, it grips without the crush.

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the_wyatt7mo ago

Honestly, the fixturing is part of the tooling time though.

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victor_robinson7mo ago

Ever try vacuum chucks like sandra_wood's mold idea?

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betty_wells6mo ago

Check if your vise jaws are actually parallel. Had a cheap import unit that was off by half a degree, caused all sorts of drift on light cuts.

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