Fractal vise

The (fractal) vice was invented by Paulin Karl Kunze in 1912 and patented in 1913. It allows you to grip any shape and fix it firmly. I took the idea of this vice and made my own fractal vice capable of being printed on a 3D printer. Given the material used (PLA), it is not possible to use it to work on parts that require very high robustness. You can use it with plastic elements for example but limited to a maximum width of 34mm. There are steel and aluminum fractal vises that you can purchase from different Asian suppliers. 

Various additional elements, such as screws and springs must be integrated into the vice. I suggest using a metal screw to lock the handle to the spindle. You can also choose if you want a flat contact surface or equipped with a rubber pad (must be glued to the flat surface).

In developing this vise, I had to use a large amount of filament to find the right balance between print time, material strength and print accuracy. Another factor I had to take into account is the contraction of the material. I suggest you use high quality PLA filament and use the provided print settings. Most of the vice is printed with Prusament PLA Prusa Galaxy Black. I have had good experiences with this material. Printing the entire vise takes some time. You will also need to invest time in deburring the clamps. This is one of the most important phases and must be carried out with the greatest care because the dovetails are quite small and precise. To reduce the friction of the individual parts you can use a few drops of oil (WD-40 does the job very well and does not attack PLA). I designed the vice in such a way that it can be used directly as it is or you can screw it onto a surface. When screwed, a locking system allows you to change the angle of the vice on its base. The only weak point of the vise is the spindle and the spindle screws. It hasn't happened yet, but I could easily imagine that if the screwing pressure is too high, the spindle, the spindle screws or both will break. The spindle screws can also be replaced with M4 metal screws. However, care must be taken to ensure that the end of the screw is round. Happy printing and assembly.