Pro tip: an old toolmaker in Dayton told me in 1998 to always dial in the vise, not the part

Terry Dixon · 2026-10-16T17:35:03.499282+00:00

I was 22 and green on a Bridgeport, and he said clamping the part straight and skipping the vise was how you scrap a $400 block of 4140. Last week I watched a newer guy chase a 0.008 taper for two hours because he was tapping the part around instead of sweeping the jaws, and I showed him the indicator trick the old man taught me. Do your shops still teach guys to dial the vise first, or does everyone learn it the hard way now?

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Pro tip: an old toolmaker in Dayton told me in 1998 to always dial in the vise, not the part | CNC Operators - Librear