In a perfect world, everything you tried to clamp in a vise would have nice straight sides. The world isn’t perfect, though, which is where the Tivise comes in. It’s a modern-day fractal vise with jaws that adapt to the unique shape of whatever’s placed inside of it.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Tivise is made by Hong Kong gadget company MakerPi.
And yes, it’s clearly riding the coattails of the unrelated MetMo Fractal Vise, which was successfully Kickstarted earlier this year. That said, fractal vises in general date back to the early 1920s … but just what are they?
Well, whereas regular vises simply have two straight-edged rigid jaws, fractal vises’ jaws incorporate multiple nesting/rotating semi-circular grips. As the jaws are closed around an object, those grips freely and independently pivot to conform to its contours. In this way, they hold the item secure without placing too much pressure on any one part of it.
Measuring 113 mm long by 52.5 mm tall by 60 mm wide when closed (4.45 by 2.07 by 2.36 in), the base version of the Tivise is about twice the size of the MetMo. Its extra width allows it to grasp objects with a total of eight 22-mm (0.87-in)-tall grips, as opposed to the MetMo’s four.
MakerPi Tivise | Work Made Simpler and More Fun
The Tivise comes standard with a set of titanium grips, for exerting maximum clamping force on rigid items. For working with more delicate objects, however, buyers can opt for softer brass grips, even softer nylon grips, or downright rubbery silicone grips. All of them are simply slid in and out of the jaws by hand, in a matter of seconds.
Rubber pads on the underside of the Tivise help keep it from sliding around when in use. To really hold it in place, though, you might want to get the optional desktop-mount adapter. Some of its other features include dual bubble levels (one on each side), metric and imperial measurement markings on the two guide rods, a threaded quarter-inch tripod-type hole in the underside, and the ability to lock the jaws in place if necessary.
MakerPi
Other optional extras include mini magnetically-attached storage bins for small parts, a plate for linking two of the vises in a side-by-side orientation, plus a 5X magnifying glass on a screw-in articulated arm.
The MakerPi Tivise is being offered in body material choices of titanium or an unspecified type of steel, and in maximum clamping widths of 45 or 90 mm (1.77 or 3.54 in). Kickstarter pledges run from US$145 for a steel 45-mm vise, up to $199 for a titanium 90-mm model – the planned retail prices are $218 and $288, respectively. Pricing for the MetMo Fractal Vise starts at around $225.
Source: Kickstarter
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