New Mill vice. Did I Screw up?

[epanzella]

I just got the harbor freight version of the RF30 mill drill. Today my 6 inch mill vice arrived from Victor Tool. This thing is way bigger than I expected. The vice fits on the table but I'm wondering if it's size will limit travel to the point where the vice's capacity will be a hindrance rather than a benefit. Is it a bad fit for my RF30? I never had a mill before so help would be appreciated.

 

[darkzero]

I wouldn't say you screwed up, I've seen lots of people put oversized vises for the size mill they have. But 6" is way too big for a RF-30 IMO. I have a RF-45 and I went with a 5" Glacern vise but really a 4" is better suited for my size mill IMO. Actually my mill came free with a 4" Kurt style vise. My mill doesn't even have enough Y axis travel to make full use of the 5" vise.

A 6" vise will have a lot of over hang too, if you don't have a DRO, it'll make it hard to read the Y axis dial. Having a huge vise really has no advantage & it's just extra weight (I remove my vise quite often). However, if you ever upgrade to a full size knee mill the 6" will be perfect.

I actually just ordered a 4" screwless vise, should be here Monday. I suspect I may end up using it just as much as the 5" if not more.

 

[dulltool17]

I use a 6" vise on my G9729 combo Lathe/mill and find it to be a bit cumbersome, but great for holding larger workpieces. Like Darkzero said, it does have a lot of overhang, but I haven't found it to be any more limiting than the machine itself.

 

[epanzella]

I wouldn't say you screwed up, I've seen lots of people put oversized vises for the size mill they have. But 6" is way too big for a RF-30 IMO. I have a RF-45 and I went with a 5" Glacern vise but really a 4" is better suited for my size mill IMO. Actually my mill came free with a 4" Kurt style vise. My mill doesn't even have enough Y axis travel to make full use of the 5" vise.

A 6" vise will have a lot of over hang too, if you don't have a DRO, it'll make it hard to read the Y axis dial. Having a huge vise really has no advantage & it's just extra weight (I remove my vise quite often). However, if you ever upgrade to a full size knee mill the 6" will be perfect.

I actually just ordered a 4" screwless vise, should be here Monday. I suspect I may end up using it just as much as the 5" if not more.

This mill is it for me so no upgrades. I guess I'll be returning this for a 4 or 5 inch vice. I'll take all the measurements I should have taken the first time and decide.
Thx
Ed P

 

[mikey]

I would send it back and replace it with a 4" vise.

 

[Janderso]

Or buy the 4" and use the 6" on the bench. They come in handy on a welding/fabrication table.

 

[epanzella]

Just went over the specs for the 4 inch vice. Looks like a lot better fit. Now to call Victor tools and eat some humble pie!

 

[epanzella]

Or buy the 4" and use the 6" on the bench. They come in handy on a welding/fabrication table.

I took a toasted 15 inch cutoff saw and cut off the arm and motor. What was left was a base with a large capacity vise. Works great on my welding table.

 

[darkzero]

Just went over the specs for the 4 inch vice. Looks like a lot better fit. Now to call Victor tools and eat some humble pie!

Good choice Ed. Bigger isn't always better. All good, it happens to all of us!

I wanted the next size up Cobra pliers. Since there was only 2 more sizes larger than my largest I figured I'd just buy the largest size since it didn't cost much more than the size I originally wanted. Well the damn thing ended up being too big & is useless for me.

I'll probably just give it to my buddy after I buy the size I originally wanted.

 

[C-Bag]

My Rf30 came with a huge old 6" Palmgren vise and it taught me quickly it was not going to work. For me the standard Kurt style vise was not a good fit because you can't mount the vise sideways so you can use it vertically. I got a 4" this style and it's been exactly what I needed.