Hey guys, just was looking at vices to put on my new checkering bench (to be built) and was thinking about when i tried to do some bolt jeweling. I did have some problems, granted, and put it on the back burner after doing about 3 bolts.

My question is this. What setup do you all use? I tried the 66 dollar jeweling jig from brownells, it's crap, it doesn't hold the bolt firmly enough. So I bought an inexpensive x/y vice from harbor freight, mounted it under my small drill press (that took some finesse, had to reverse the jaws on the vice so I could get the handle in the right spot etc.) it works, somewhat. I have two problems with it.

1. because the jaws run parallel to the press I have to do half a bolt, then turn it around and clamp in place again and make another run at it (makes matching up the swirls a bit tricky)

2. it is a cheap vice so the handle are sloppy and the indexing is not as precise as I think it might need to be.

So what is everybody's setup? Pictures are always nice!

I will probably post more questions later about jeweling now that it is back in the front of my mind.

Red

BTT dudes

I use the B-Square fixture that you're so fond of. The trick is to get it tight enough on the bolt that it doesn't turn unless you want it to. But then again, you're not milling with the thing, you're just using wire brushes or cratex sticks. Short of bumping the bolt handle, I haven't had a problem. The fixture is then put in the vice on a vertical mill.

I use the B Square index fixture also and have had good luck with it...Had it for years...I grind the brushes off very short for a small circle. put a little oil on the bolt and turn one out in about 30 or 45 minutes I guess...

I use a rotary fixture on a mill. Not super quick but uniform spacing. Regards, Bill.

Ray, you get my vote for fastest bolt jeweler. It's been a while since I've done one, but I usually alot about 2 hours start to finish. That include striping the bolt, finding all my tools and supplies (where'd that sumbitch go?), and setup. I advance the mill table .200 for each swirl for the full line then rotate the fixture to the next line. I use Clover compound w/ some oil and count to 5 as I hold done each time. I'm going to try your bristle shortening technique. O-rings kind of work, shrink tubing works better, your method sounds the easiest. <slap> That's my hand on my forehead for not having thought of it before.

I've come to realize that I'm just slower than hell. When people ask how much I charge an hour, I tell them I don't figure it by the hour. Nobody could afford me.

Using a SpinDexer on a manual mill right now, but will be developing a CNC technique on a 4th axis indexer. 45min.-1hour is typical time from start to finish on the manual system. Less than 3 minutes will be the time on the CNC. Trick will be getting the consistency in the brush without having the hands-on feel that you get doing it manually.

My dad built a semi-automatic system in the 60's that 34-45 min. turnarounds were typical. It was a great tool, until some turd broke into our shop a few years ago and stole it. Never got around to building another. Worked great with an upper-end drill press.

I have done two bolts using my x/y vise and just make a pass and then remove the bolt, turn and replace in the vise. But I am going to make a plate that will allow me to move the drill press farther back, giving me more travel, then put the b-square fixture in the vise.

I was able to do it in about an hour, but the swirls did not get deep enough. I was using a cratex rod in the holder that you can get from Brownells and just on the plain bolt. I will try the cratex with the Clover compound next time and that should work out good I hope.

I really appreciate all the help guys.

Red

Dago Red
I use the B-Square fixture and a Smithy mill/lathe. This set up works well. Its about the only thing a Smithy will do well.
Charlie

Dago Red,
I use a "home made" rig. You can attach it to the ways on a mill and advance with the feed or you can put it on a drill press. I do not use brushes. I use Cratex type of cylindrical tips similar to ink erasers. I sharpen them so they have a smaller contact diameter. If you use brushes you can get it done fast but the circles are big and the job tends to look amateurish. The discs in the picture are set up so you can do 24 lines (15 deegree turn), 28, 32 or 36(10 degree turn) around the bolt. You need a fine tip to do that. I still use some Clover 600 polishing compound- no oil. Oil will just help provide a smooth plane and resist the cutting you are trying to accomplish.

Thanks Chic, that is a great picture. I used, and will again, the 3/16" cratex rod. I had it in a little holder that brownells sells, but it tends to slide out and flare. so may come up with another way of holding it. I bought the Clover 320. Is that way too coarse you think?

I will probably try to put something like this together, but with just one indexing plate to start with, and just using the 3/16" until I get good enough to go down. I have been told that .125"-.150"dia. semi-circles look the best, likes jewels sparkling. 3/16 will be .1875dia. so not too big.

I am expecting another set of pictures from a gunsmith friend that did something like yours with the additional of a 3/8dia. 16 thread rod for a horizontal feed screw. I think I will make the contraption first, then find a way to make it fit on the drill press table. I'm going to make an adapter plate to move the press back further giving me more room.

thanks again!

Red

Red, Brownell's Gunsmith Kinks had a gizmo like that. I will try to find my books, it had the plans for it. A gunsmith friend mad one and it was a gem. I think it had a feed on it too.

Red, The fixture Chic is talking about is shown in Gunsmith Kinks II on page 177. They offered a set of blue prints for it for $2.00 at the time of publication of the book which was 1983. The fixture looks very much like the Wilcox fixture on page 208 of Brownells #56 catalog for $188.47