You won't have nay problem. Have done a couple sets of DX forks, Just need to make sure that the IDs are masked and holes plugged.

 

A little late on the clamp, I like the wood clamp idea but I'd screw the clamp together clamping say a piece of 1/4 inch thick wood. Use a 1 1/2 forstner bit to drill a hole at the gap.. Fork tubes are 38mm which is real close to 1 1/2 inches. I use a about a 2 x 2 3/4 x 1 rectangular aluminum block (scrap) with one ends bored to 38mm and slotted so that when I clamp the block in the vice, it grabs the tube.

Has Howard invoiced you yet. I ordered some stuff a couple months ago and still haven't seen an invoice/cost?

 

Please resend than call to make sure I have received it. It is not uncommon for e-Mails not to show up for many reasons. With a quick call and an conformation of the e-Mail assures you that I have it.

 

For your next project you can check out this design and make it fit into your vice via the screws already there. It is a replacement of your steel jaws. When I made mine, I selected a thicker depth aluminum stock and milled out the part that interfered with the bottom of the vice. Larger gripping depth for assorted work. With thicker stock you can make the sof-jaws overhang for more room from center of V to vice. You have to remember the table interference when hanging parts off the vice. Look at Racetech PN: TMVJ 065.

 

Thanks for the info on your clamp and my PC question. Yes, your thoughts on using a Forstner bit to "perfect fit" the clamp make a lot of sense. I thought I could keep it slightly "universal" and even hold one of lowers in it if needed...

Howard beat me to the answer on your question... I will say that I've found him to be EXTREMELY responsive by phone! I haven't been invoiced yet, for the simple reason that my order hasn't been placed yet. That will happen as soon as my springs are out for measurements.

 

Thanks for your info, Howard. If I do this again, a more robust tool will happen! For this go-round, I think my clunky wood setup will work. I have plenty of clearance from the bench, and it feels very secure.

Always learning...

 

Here's how a hillbilly does it

 

Tarik, I think the reference (or at least mine is ) was to the clearance of the Vertical_Drop from the Back Jaw to Bench Top ... as a General Shop Practice.

Do you have clearance?

 

OK, at the risk of appearing dumber than I really am, why? Is this a convenience, or do you not know how to loosen the caps, etc without one?

 

Having a way to hold the fork tube in a vise makes a lot of things easier, not the least of which is putting the fork cap back on under spring pressure (ie you aren't holding the fork and the cap at the same time while trying to keep the male tube from going down into the slider). It also provides a nice vertical hold for measuring fork oil level exactly which is a better practice than adding a liquid measurement volume. I do enough forks that it's worth the little bit of time I took making the "tools", not to mention it makes it a less frustrating experience.

Here's another tip: before you put the spring in the fork tube, take the fork cap and start it into the tube threads, just. Take a sharpie and mark a line on the fork cap and the fork tube so they line up. When you go to put the fork cap on for final assembly, put the line on the fork cap slightly behind the line on fork tube and press down until you make contact, then turn the fork cap line past the fork tube line until you feel the threads engage; then tighten it up. Clean off the sharpie lines and you're good to go.