Fantastic Drill Press Vice

[randyjaco]

Over the years I have injured myself several times from not properly fixing something I was drilling to the table. Ruined a few bits too. We have all done it one time or another. The standard drill press vice is a PIA to use. I even let a vise get away from me because I didn't fix it to the table. Most of the time the damage isn't serious, but it can be. I have tried dozens of vises, but none have really been satisfactory.

A couple of months ago I scored a 4 "Heinrich TS vise thrown in with the purchase of a drill press. This thing is great. It's easy to use. It is easily posititionable over the table and is very secure. Note the square bar set up. That is the secret. The fact that there is no clamping screw makes it easy. Just push the jaw into position and push down the lock. The jaws have a built in step which eliminates the worry of drilling into the vise or table. The whole assembly can be quickly slid off the table in case you need to use something else.

Yeah, they are a little pricey, but my last injury cost me a lot more. Well worth considering. I also noticed that Northern Tool has a Wilton knock off. I would imagine that there are others.

Check them out.

Randy

 

[dlane]

May have to redo mine

Quicker than t bolts

 

[f350ca]

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.



I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.



Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544

 

[RandyM]

What great ideas! Now, I have another project on my list.

 

[12bolts]

Randy,
Does the lock just hold the push rod in position or does it actually tighten the jaws more as you press it down?

Cheers Phil

 

[bl00]

Somebody did a write up on making a float-lock style vise (like the one in f350ca's post) on the Texas Home Metal Shop Club. Scroll down to page 6:
http://homemetalshopclub.org/news/11/newsletter1104.pdf

 

[buffdan]

I have a import version and I have not been happy with the lock down.. It doesnt have the clamping force of a screw action. of course its not a Heinrich though

 

[randyjaco]

Randy,
Does the lock just hold the push rod in position or does it actually tighten the jaws more as you press it down?

Cheers Phil

Yes, it clamps an additional 5/32"

 

[wawoodman]

How does that square bar/clamp arrangement work? Is it attached to the table? How?

 

[randyjaco]

If you will look at the original pictures, you will notice a small green block with a channel cut in it. That piece is bolted to the table, but not tightly. The channel is a slip fit for the square bar. The other end of the square bar is bolted to the vise. This setup allows the vise to rotate around the block bolt at varying radii. It's very easy to position the vise, yet it will handle considerable torque.