Vise advice? (Drill press)

[PJH]

I have an old Craftsman floor model drill press. It has served me well for a long time. I want to get a decent vise for it. What do you guys know about good vises? Keep in mind - this isn't a milling machine, but I'd still like to have something that doesn't rock the part out of level when I tighten it. My drill press table does not have "T" slots - it has open slots in an "X" pattern, with a center hole. That limits my mounting options and makes me think I need something with a cross slide, but I've always figured the cross slide would give more slop. I know some of you guys have been exposed to good vises, and I wonder if there's anything that you would recommend, or at least, what should I stay away from? Thanks for any advice.

 

[kcm.MN]

I had a cross slide vise and used it on occasion as a sort of woodworkers milling machine. It was a 6" vise, so these were for small parts. Anyway, that vise had adjustments where you could eliminate any slop.

I bought that vise 30-sum years ago, then lost it in a house fire about 20 years ago. I can only assume that modern cross slide vises have the same or similar adjustments for eliminating slop.

I have seen more recently some drill press cross slide tables for basically turning your drill press into a milling machine. I would assume "meant for wood", but has been a while since I looked at them. Here's the one I was looking at had:
https://www.amazon.com/Proxxon-2710...-15&keywords=cross+slide+drill+press+vise

 

[Butch(OH)]

The cheap imported cross slide drill press vices are terrible, never seen one worthy of use. Wilton sells one that should at least be decently made but close to $300 I have never personally been around one. Wilton also sells several decent standard drill press vises. The only zero lift vises that I am aware of are made Kurt or the imported copies of them. As for positioning the vise you need a pair of half clamps that bolts to the slots. Google "drill press half clamp" there are several differant styles.

 

[M-MAN]

I have an imported cross slide on mine. Took a while to dress the slides and properly adjust it but it works well for me. I have done small milling jobs with it also. You don't need a high end milling vice on a drill press. JMO

 

[Fawteen]

[i:654c4848f0]The cheap imported cross slide drill press vices are terrible, never seen one worthy of use. [/i:654c4848f0]

For milling/machining to tolerances measured in thousandths, yes.

For general drilling, I find my <$100 cross slide table handier than a pocket on a shirt.

Yes, you DO need to take it apart, clean the cosmoline off it, stone the ways and stone and adjust the gibs, but once that's done it's a decent tool for it's intended purpose. Mine is bolted to the drill press table and then a vise is mounted to the t-slots on the cross slide table.

Get something set up in the vise once and then crank the table around to drill as many holes as you like.

 

[kcm.MN]

Fawteen, that's a nice setup.

 

[Den N Ms]

PJH,Here are all kinds of press vices take your pick.
Drill press vices

 

[Hobo,NC]

For general drilling, I find my &lt;$100 cross slide table handier than a pocket on a shirt.

Once you go there you will wonder how you got a long with out it...
Then comes angle blocks and hold down clamps etc to drill what ever you can clamp to the table...

 

[retired farmer]

Get a six inch cross slide vise from Harbor Freight. I use mine all the time.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

If you don't care about drilling straight holes in anything, I guess it's okay. Look at Fawteen's table, and how far it's tilted to the side just from the weight of that cross slide hanging off.

I've given up on drilling holes in steel on a drill press. They always end up wandering off at some odd angle.

 

[Brian G. NY]

I expect that's just an optical illusion......it and the table look fairly rugged.

 

[timcasbolt]

A quick check on ebay produced new Wilton 4" cross slide vises for a little over $100. As previously mentioned, Wilton is known as a good quality product, tho your mileage may vary.

 

[jeffcat]

You have several good advice on the drill vise. Just make sure it will do horizontal and vertical. Must have two groves cut into the faces. The other thing to prevent drill bit wandering. Makes life SOOOO much easier if you buy a good set of 135? split point bits. If you carefully line things up and gently start drilling then after the bit bites you can feed a bit harder. The 135? bits work like magic. Just took a look on Wikipedia about drill bits. Whole pile of information to read.

 

[Texasmark1]

I bought a 4" years ago at HF. Has the X-Y positioning, chuck is about 1" high and total height is about 2" several bolt holes for mounting to the table. If not using it for larger items, I just set them on top of it ensuring that the area under where the hole is to be drilled is clear. Loosen the table and the table arm that mounts to the DP vertical tube and you can position most anything under the bit with it.

 

[PJH]

Thanks for all of the comments. I'll study this more before I pull the trigger.

 

[dr sportster]

Palmgren vices

 

[PJH]

Fawteen - what brand is your cross table? That looks like the one that Shars has in their catalog, and it's on sale right now.