MetMo Fractal Vise - The World's Most Frac-tical Vise
A Forgotten Relic, Reimagined for The Modern Day
Let's face it, most things that we need to hold are not perfectly parallel, leaving what you're working on teetering on the edge of slipping out...No more, with the mighty fractal jaw!
Six independent movements allow the clamping surfaces to perfectly wrap around what you're working on, holding it secure and steady. Ever wanted a flexible iron fist with the grip strength of a coconut crab? Well, this is your answer.
Why Have We Created MetMo Fractal Vice?
We've been playing around with the concept of making a fractal vise for a long time, but the immense amount of machining made the cost just im-fracitcal (get used to that) to make and sell. Sure, there are really big versions of this around, but what about the desktop makers? That’s where we started; a classic design but miniaturised for all of us working on things that little bit smaller… A piece of unobtainable 1913 heavy engineering, made useful for the modern world.
"All Glory to the Hypnotoad!"
What Can It Do?
Need to hold a toy shark down? It might happen...but seriously, with two sizes available depending on what you work on it can hold any arrangement of difficult shapes steady for you to file, paint, cut, drill, weld, or whatever you need. We're giving you that third hand you've always wanted, but made of solid metal.
Bolt it to your worktop, attach to the Workstation, use the Ball Clamp for omnidirectional excitement, or use it in a bench vice. This fractal is versatile, designed to sneak into whatever workflow you have.
Who's It For?
3D printing, model making, fixing things around the house, a completely unnecessary phone stand, or just want people to marvel at your new desktop wonder as they clamp their own finger… trust me it’s the first thing everyone does.
A Powerful Tool and The Perfect Desk Toy
Watching the fractal jaws move with six independent parts shifting individually to gently wrap around an unusual shape is endlessly satisfying. You'll find yourself constantly clamping objects just to see it move and appreciate this precision engineering wonder.
Back To The Future Part IV, The World's First Miniature Fractal Vice
"Too good to be true" I hear you say, "someone must have thought of this before..." you shout, and you would be right! Invented back in 1913 the fractal vice has been around a while, but it was made specifically for machinists and designed to bolt on to machine beds costing thousands.
Obtain intimate contact with bodies of any shape you say 🤔
What we've now done (and patented 😜) is miniaturise all of that precision into a handy desktop/worktop size for everyday use, giving you that third hand you've always needed while working on anything from models and 3D prints to watches, locks, tools, jewellery and even glass.
You could say it’s a fractal off the old block!
We also added some MetMo magic and more features to make it a useful tool in the 21st century.
Do It Once, Do It Well.
Built like a battleship and built to last, like tools of old.
Every part is machined from premium metals then hand finished to a brilliant shine. Fractal Vise is designed to last a lifetime, and will still be a working vise in 200 years. "Do it once and do it well" was the mindset of toolmakers from hundreds of years ago and we have embodied that same mindset with Fractal Vise, intending for it to be passed down to future generations of young tinkerers, apprentices, and budding engineers.
Clamp Any Shape
The fractal jaws will clamp any difficult shape, like round tubes, irregular mouldings, or miniature bananas! It gives you a secure way to hold your commonly unclamp-able parts, so you can work on your projects in totally new ways or just save your hands from cramp!
A gentle hug for your weird shaped bits, each jaw moves to wrap around any shape to grip on multiple points. This makes it ideal for delicate items and difficult shapes that would be impossible to hold with a standard vise.
Go Long!
Why the long face? Did your vise just run out of travel and now that doodad you need to clamp is going to forever meander around your workbench? Fear not, as we've designed a long travel version of Fractal Vise! If you're working on large scale doodads you can upgrade and clamp on to even bigger things.
It comes with some slight amendments to the design, and the only thing it will no longer do is work as a standalone vertical vise, but every other configuration gets a whopping +50mm of travel added to the fractal chomping zone.
Up Your Bench Game, Bro.
Want to fix your vise down? We've got you covered! We've put fixing points on the base that integrate directly with an adaptor plate so that you can bolt the vise anywhere you can drill a hole. Attach to a wall, ceiling, bench, dirigible.... the sky's the limit! The Adaptor Plate also lets you double up your vise game, but more on that later 😉
Once firmly affixed you can use the vise for cutting, drilling, and filing harder metals, or holding heavier objects like one of those crystal skulls. Fractal Vise gives you the freedom to work on what you want, no matter how unwieldy it is.
Vise on Vise
With its parallel design you can upgrade your existing vise by placing your Fractal Vise into any standard or machine vise in seconds. You can adapt your pillar drill, milling machine, or bench vise with a Fractal Vise to work on difficult parts with your existing setup.
Clamp On The Move
Designed to be mobile so you can move it around your desk or workspace to wherever you need it. Want to move it under a light? No problem! Need to evade a tiny child’s fingers at speed? Easy.
Then when you're done, easily tuck it away; "keep it secret, keep it safe" as a wise wizard once said.
A Third Hand
A vise that’s designed to be free standing and highly mobile. The 395g / 14oz of weight acts as a sturdy counter balance to give you a third hand, holding on to delicate parts and letting you put it in the perfect position for your task to work on it with both hands. Never be stuck thinking 'if only I had an extra pair of hands' again!
Sneaky Fractal
A new take on the traditional vise. We've made the Fractal Vise ultra compact so you can keep it on a regular desk, unlike having a big vise hanging off the edge (that you end up walking into every single day!).
This gives you more space to work and do the things you love. You can also go mobile and carry it with you to your next job, so you're never without the handy power of the fractal.
Pocket Size Fractal
Is that a fractal in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?
Vises aren't something you can typically carry around with you unless you're a nomadic metalsmith with a mule strong enough to carry your anvil. With the MetMo Fractal Vise you can carry this compact clamper with you wherever you go, so you too can embrace the nomadic metal life and work on projects wherever your legs may carry you.
*You may want to re-enforce your pockets before trying this one!
Rock Solid
Every component is machined from solid metal and held together with high tensile cap head bolts, all moving on precision ground rails making this compact vise extremely dense. We've not removed any metal for weight or cost saving, so this makes for one very rigid piece of kit. Even though its size is small you can use it like a serious tool while cutting and hammering, so it won’t slow you down while you work.
On The Flip Side
MetMo Fractal Vise is the only fractal vise to have reversible jaws, so you can clamp on the inside diameter of any object! Perfect for holding glassware and mugs while engraving or painting.
A Stand Up Fractal
Use MetMo Fractal Vise as a vertical vise too. Each side is precision ground so you can stand the vice on its end while working on your project from a whole new perspective, without having the hassle of undoing and repositioning your parts.
Moving the clamped part into different positions allows you to get to the most comfortable working position, giving you full access to three of the four dimensions.
For The Model Makers
Struggling to hold a difficult part? Need to hold two weird shapes together whilst the glue sets? It’s a constant battle in model making, and sometimes you just need that extra hand for five minutes! The fractal jaws recreate the finger thumb pinch, wrapping around a part without damaging it and holding it secure.
Clamping a dragons face used for dramatic effect 🐉
The Vise That Makes You Look Twice
Designed to look like an engineering masterpiece on your desk, gaze in wonder at a marvel of mathematics that's so unusual everyone one who passes by will ask 'what is this thing?' 🤔
Also it makes a pretty neat pen holder… when not fulfilling your vicey needs
A Fine Drive
A precision fine screw drive gives superior clamping power and also very fine adjustment, all whilst reducing backlash and movement that is experienced with most vises. When clamping you're in full control, applying just the right amount of pressure without damaging what you're working on.
No More Floppy Vises
Fed up with floppy vises? We were too! Most vises you can buy are made cheap to a cost, unless you're buying gear for heavy duty machines, resulting in things just clanking about until they're done up. With Fractal Vise we've used precision ground slide rails to re-create a linear slide from machine tools, so the winding in and out of the jaws is a perfect satisfying motion.
You can get the perfect clamp without damaging what you're working on. Excessive perhaps, but oh boy that motion is damn smooth.
Turbo Drive
Really need to crush the life out of something and don’t quite have the forearm? Then you can use the hex drive in the end of the adjuster to attach a hex key (or a MetMo Pocket Driver 😉) to get some real torque into it!
Getting Down And Knurly
Use the tie bar, or the knurled adjuster for extra grip, to give you direct feedback on what you're clamping so as not to over tighten and damage what you're working on. Designed to be comfortable when applying pressure, unlike a job interview!
A Fractal That Sticks Around
Get a grip with a silicone rubber foot! You won’t scratch the surface you put the vise on and it'll keep it from sliding around on a smooth worktop while you're using it in free standing mode, giving you a stable clamping platform you can work from.
Deep Jaws
Designed with a jaw depth of 20mm to give the vise a gripping height double that of standard desktop vises.
Inspired by machinist vises so you can grip deeper parts and have more contact area on them, preventing them from slipping and moving around while you're working.
Hold Your Ground
With the extended Stainless Steel Fractal Vise weighing in at 722g (1.3lb), this vise will be quite heavy and hold its ground. A solid enough weight that it provides you a very firm base to work from, much like the launch crawler for a Saturn 5, moving to where you need it on your desk then slowly sinking into the tarmac when you leave.
Built To Last A Century
As with all things MetMo we machine everything out of solid metal; no casting or rough edges, no plastic andno shortcuts. Just satisfyingly smooth fitting, engineering quality tools, built to last multiple lifetimes and work beautifully, like the Swiss watches of the vise world.
Breaking It Down
Bolted together and serviceable, so you can easily maintain each part of your Fractal Vise. Living by the mantra of 'look after your tools and they will look after you'.
Remove parts and re-configure your vice so that it works best for you and your work, making it your tool.
Agile Rogue Or Sturdy Blacksmith?
There are two main material choices with Fractal Vise and each comes with their own special characteristics, along with the option to upgrade to a larger working area for your more girthy projects.
TheBlack Fractal Viseis machined mainly from anodised aluminium, with hardened steel jaws and is perfect for lightweight tasks like model painting and fine detail work like watch repairs, as the extra maneuverability allows you to quickly move the Vise to the perfect location.
TheStainless Steel Fractal Viseis made entirely of heavy duty steel and is built like an absolute tank to survive anything you can throw at it. They'll be digging these things up in a few hundred years, marvelling at the still functioning fractals as they clamp their bionic future fingers. Choose this option if extra stability is what you value, as it's perfect for tasks like metal work or light machining.
Size: 32mm (1.2") Version:56.5mm (2.2") x 38mm (1.5") x 44mm (1.73") 82mm (3.2") Version:140mm (5.5") x 38mm (1.5") x 44mm (1.73")
Finish: Heat treated stainless steel, hard anodised aluminium (black)
Maximum TestedTensile:3000Nm *We can definitely go higher than this
Clamping Pressure:1965 PSI (pound per square inch)
Materials:Hardened Martensitic Stainless Steel grade 440, hardened tool steel, hard anodized 7075 aluminium, high tensile brass, plate stainless steel and class 10.9 bolts.
Jaw Opening Distance: 32mm (1.2") and 82mm (3.2")
Jaw Depth: 20mm
The Long And Short Of It
Small But Mighty
Designed with a high clamping force in mind, the thread is specifically designed to get as much torque as possible into the clamping faces, driving over 3000Nm of torque at maximum (around 300kg).
That’s the same as a one year old baby elephant standing on it, so you can grip what you're working on with confidence, or crush something like Vader. Just remember - the tighter your grip the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
What's MetMo Fractal Vise Made Of?
No cheap cast metals here, so it won't crack or shatter under an impact or if it's dropped- it might punch a hole to the centre of the Earth though! If only Professor Otto Lidenbrock had such a tool…
With metal options tailored to what you need, from aerospace grade aluminium if you work mostly with plastics, to our signature rock solid stainless steel if you're a metalworker needing something that will survive the apocalypse, there's a Fractal Vise for everyone.
