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+-- Thread: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? (/showthread.php?tid=7337025)
Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - Bibliophile 13 - 02-02-2018
I'm in the market for a decent vise for my drill press. I pretty regularly need to bore accurate holes in small-ish workpieces (both wood and plastic), and I'm getting tired of clamping makeshift fences to my wobbly drill press table. I need a dedicated drill press vise that allows for accurate positioning on both the X- and Y-axes. The ability to add non-marring jaws would be a big plus.
I'm looking for something that adjusts easily in both directions, but I'm seeing prices all over the map, from $50 to over $500. I'm guessing you get what you pay for, but it's not like I'm using this thing every day. I just need something that's functional and more stable than my makeshift clamp-ups.
What do you folks recommend?
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - barryvabeach - 02-02-2018
I have one of the cheap ones. It has a slop in the x and y axis. I have read that they can be modded to reduce the slop, but never tried it. I don't use mine often.
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - Hank Knight - 02-02-2018
Palmgren makes a great XY vise, but they're expensive. No slop.
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - Carl10 - 02-02-2018
I just bought the WEN 4" from Home Depot online (free delivery) $70.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-4-25-in-Compound-Cross-Slide-Industrial-Strength-Benchtop-and-Drill-Press-Vise-414CV/303357125?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|google|&mid=s0nRcVzoo|dc_mtid_8903tb925190_pcrid_195274179091_pkw__pmt__product_303357125_slid_&gclid=CjwKCAiAtdDTBRArEiwAPT4y-64zsm9I0bfgSK4IeEwQ6MdP_Gh1uzSZvv23WuzwYJOmi8k9K8AbvRoCo9sQAvD_BwE
I read all about the ~$40-50 versions (same vise different name) or the HF $75 version, with too many complaining about slop, or it works OK after you take it apart, clean and oil the vise and adjust all the gib screws. So I tried this one which I could return to HD if it was junk. To my surprise it was well built and looks and feels smoother than the other versions. I am sure higher on your budget would afford a much finer piece of equipment but this suits my occasional need for such a tool.
Hope this helps. Let us know what you do.
Carl
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - daddo - 02-02-2018
I like the one from HF. You'll have to set it up and adjust it, but I like that once you have it where you want it, you can lock it in place. The softer pads keep from marking things up. I made the top that clamps onto the vise that also turns 360 degrees.
![[Image: 07adjzv.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/07adjzv.jpg)
I like that one Carl shows at HD's too. It looks like a good, if not a better deal as well.
Neither one, even if they are called a milling vise, are not strong enough or accurate enough to be actual milling vises, but with a drill press, it wouldn't matter if they were.
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - Lynden - 02-03-2018
Check out the Wilton 2-axis vises. I have a Wilton low-profile drill press vise which I'm happy with.
http://www.wiltontools.com/us/en/view-series/cross-slide-drill-press-vises/CrsSldDPVise
https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-11694-4-Inch-Cross-Slide/dp/B009E0E9YK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517635270&sr=8-2&keywords=wilton+cross+slide+vise+for+drill+press
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - Stwood_ - 02-03-2018
Grizzly has several to choose from.
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - Arlin Eastman - 02-04-2018
Go to Grizzly and they have a few good ones for less then $200.
It also depends on how big you want one or I should say travel on it.
http://www.grizzly.com/search?q=(cross+AND+sliding+AND+vice)+OR+(cross+OR+sliding+OR+vice)&pagesize=48
I like this one pretty well
http://www.grizzly.com/products/3-1-8-Vise/H7662?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com
Here is a self centering vice
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Precision-Self-Centering-Vise/H7576?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com
Here is one just $10 less and not as wide jaws but is nicer if you ask me
http://www.grizzly.com/products/2-Precision-Self-Centering-Vise/T10441?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com
Or angle vice
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Angle-Vise/D2933?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - BloomingtonMike - 02-04-2018
Check the Shars website out too.
RE: Recommend a Drill Press Vise? - Bibliophile 13 - 02-05-2018
Thanks, folks! This is really helpful. You've pointed me to several that I hadn't run across in my internet searches.
I'm not pulling the trigger on one just yet, so any other suggestions are very much welcome.