Drill press machinist vise info

[mercifiknow]

Some may know I have bench top Walker Turner drill press. At some point I plan on restoring it but when I go to my new shop I plan on using it for a while. Sooo, while I’m waiting I thought I would look into getting a machinist vise. Have little knowledge of them other than they are flat, can accept bar stock and round stock.

I suspect I will need something for pipe -have no idea on size. Are they upgradable (attachments)? Other than that not sure what else other than not HF models or cheap Chinese junk nor Ferrari models. Something very functional without breaking the bank.

Been thinking about getting a VFD to slow things down to mill if it’s possible (question for another day).

 

[RTM]

Don’t use it as a mill. Most don’t have the bearings for the side load

 

[mercifiknow]

Don’t use it as a mill. Most don’t have the bearings for the side load

That’s what I thought but I’ve read that they could be used to mill? They mention nothing about switching out bearings only reducing the RPM’s

 

[RTM]

Many things I’ve read says most drill press bearing are set up for downward pressure on the spindle, not lateral loading. Started looking there when someone fouled up a vintage press trying to use it as a mill, and asked in a group I was in at the time.

 

[shawhite]

Yeah not to mention the chuck is only held on by a taper that have the tendency to come off with side pressure. If you want a mill buy a mill it drills holes pretty good too.

 

[mercifiknow]

Thanks for the information. I thought as much as I stated and thought odd when I read it. Now I don’t have to start a thread on it.

Concerning the topic of the thread, suggestions on a machinist vise?

 

[shawhite]

A machinist vise is overkill for a drill press. Assuming you are actually talking about a machinist vise like a Kurt and not a x-y cross slide vise

 

[RTM]

But back to your original question on vises. I have a ShopFox drill press, and got a ShopFox vise to go with it. Keeping the cheap **** company as it were. At the time, SF was claimed to be a better cheap Chinese import. I still use the vise, but regret buying it. After 15 years in the shop, the dust in the threads makes it bind, the jaw racks easily, making it a bear to turn.

I have a better US made one that I use when I need better precision in my work, but it’s an unbranded used find, so no idea what it is. And no issues in 7+ years with that one

 

[mercifiknow]

RTM,

What was your US made vise?

 

[mercifiknow]

RTM,

What was your US made vise?

Never mind I see that you didn’t know what it was.

 

[mercifiknow]

A machinist vise is overkill for a drill press. Assuming you are actually talking about a machinist vise like a Kurt and not a x-y cross slide vise

Not an x-y vise

 

[Cruzan80]

Palmgren vises are great for general drill press uses.

 

[larry_g]

I always like to post the above to show one of the failure modes of milling in a DP.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[RTM]

Never mind I see that you didn’t know what it was.

came with a Pow’r Arm tho. The whole thing weighs 28#

 

[matt_i]

The Heinrich series of quick lock vises are very nice for general drill press use.

That said, bar none my favorite drill press vise is a Kurt D60 knockoff, thoroughly abused in a previous life. Its on a 20" drill press and not a benchtop so take that for what its worth but its hard to beat the mass.

Old obsolete vises without the "pull down" Ang-Lock feature that Kurt piloted (thinking of OE Bridgeport milling vises with rear/external pressure screw) also are good because of the mass.

Make some basic parallels from 1018 flat bar of various sizes, plenty accurate for drill press work.

 

[tool_scrounge]

I like Heinrich, cardinal, and US made older Palmgren vises for drill press work.

 

[FMB4]

A machinist vise and a cross-slide vise are, of course, two different things. And I also agree that you should not attempt to use a drill press as a mill. That said, most any well made M. vise, of the proper size, should suffice. Even a cheap HF M. vise is better than nothing.

 

[RAS61]

I'm also interested in a DP vise, have been looking at various used ones and am a little perplexed on what design is best. Would appreciate pics to help learn what's good and to look for. One question is how important are wings/tabs to bolt down to the table?

 

[RTM]

One question is how important are wings/tabs to bolt down to the table?

I typically don’t bolt it down when drilling wood. For metal, you usually find you need to bolt it down when you come out the bottom and the bit catches, For light drilling, usually no big deal, the vises weight holds it. For heavier work, I always attach it to the table.

 

[FMB4]

Yep, bolt it down for heavy work. Otherwise, I have a large allen head bolt tightened to the table that helps to keep the stock or vise from rotating.

 

[paulsomlo]

https://www.penntoolco.com/cardinal-speed-vise-quick-action-design/

https://www.heinrichco.com/gpvise.htm

 

[dutchgray]

I use mill vices for drilling quite often, they are slower and a bit more of a fiddle to use than your typical drill vice but they are generally much heavier which can often mean you don't have to clamp them down as often.

 

[dr_clyde]

Cardinal Speed-Vise. End of discussion. Hands down one of the best drill press vises made. I own 3 or 4, and we use the hell out of them. I can't remember ever bolting one down, either. Sometimes we will clamp them to the table with a C-clamp. But rarely is it worth the effort to get the tee slot nuts out and all that.

Do not attempt milling on your drill press. You will have a bad time, possibly break your work, your cutter or your drill press. They are designed to drill, not mill.

 

[mercifiknow]

Wow! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I love this forum!

never heard of any of these.

Cardinal Speed-Vise. End of discussion. Hands down one of the best drill press vises made. I own 3 or 4, and we use the hell out of them. I can't remember ever bolting one down, either. Sometimes we will clamp them to the table with a C-clamp. But rarely is it worth the effort to get the tee slot nuts out and all that.

Do not attempt milling on your drill press. You will have a bad time, possibly break your work, your cutter or your drill press. They are designed to drill, not mill.

Yes I figured as much.

I use mill vices for drilling quite often, they are slower and a bit more of a fiddle to use than your typical drill vice but they are generally much heavier which can often mean you don't have to clamp them down as often.

I use mill vices for drilling quite often, they are slower and a bit more of a fiddle to use than your typical drill vice but they are generally much heavier which can often mean you don't have to clamp them down as often.

What’s the difference between a regular vise and a mill vise?

 

[mercifiknow]

https://www.penntoolco.com/cardinal-speed-vise-quick-action-design/

https://www.heinrichco.com/gpvise.htm

While the cardinal’s look great I can’t afford them.

heinrich might be possible but pricey a little bit

 

[paulsomlo]

While the cardinal’s look great I can’t afford them.

heinrich might be possible but pricey a little bit

Set up an ebay search.

 

[Firebrick43]

The best drill press vise bar none for 95 percent of the work is the Float lock/Heinrich safety vise style.

https://www.penntoolco.com/heinrich...e-quick-acting-vise-opens-to-12-3-4-70-974-1/

TubalCain on youtube has instructions if you want to make your own. Its fast, efficient, and safe.

 

[jmarkwolf]

Sooo, while I’m waiting I thought I would look into getting a machinist vise. Have little knowledge of them other than they are flat, can accept bar stock and round stock.

I think the OP is confusing a cheapie X/Y type vise with a machinist vise.

 

[larry_g]

Wow! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I love this forum!

What’s the difference between a regular vise and a mill vise?

Typically a mill vise is held to much closer tolerances of having the bed, top and bottom, parallel and the fixed jaw at near perfect 90* to the bed. That way when you put a part to be milled in the vise you can be assured that it will be milled true. There is a bit more to getting the vise on the mill and square to the ways, but that is a different lesson.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[rmack898]

I have a few drill presses in the shop as well as a bunch of different vises I use on them. One of my drill presses is a 9” Walker Turner like the OP.
My most used vises are South Bend branded vises that came out right after Grizzly bought the SB name. These are made in Taiwan vises that are really quite nice and are my most used DP vises.
I watch project Binky on you tube and always admired the DP vise that they had in their shop, I knew it was an import but it was painted a particular blue/purple color. I recently saw a similar vise on eBay and it was the exact same color so I made an offer on it and got it for $45 delivered. It is quite well made and has removable jaws. It is the perfect size for my 9” WT