Drill press vises?
- Thread starter quilty
- Start date
Shiftless
Well-known member
Others will chime in but I will lead off by recommending to look for old Palmgren drill press vises.
Like many manufacturers, newer vises are manufactured overseas and assembled in the USA. Does this qualify for you as “made in the U.S.A. ?
I don’t know when Palmgren transitioned.
Like many manufacturers, newer vises are manufactured overseas and assembled in the USA. Does this qualify for you as “made in the U.S.A. ?
I don’t know when Palmgren transitioned.
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slowtwitch73
Well-known member
Small milling vises work well.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I second @Shiftless , the Palmgren line is very nice.
I couldn't find an older one that wasn't beaten on or abused so I purchased a new Wilton quick release a few years ago and really like it.
Here it is sitting on my fabrication table. The slides operate smoothly and the quick release handle is very fluid in movement. It applies and releases easily so if doing a lot of parts, one can insert, drill, remove and insert again very quickly and minimize time. My old Wilton threaded clamp style, I now use as a welding vise. It is directly under the table's top but may be hard to see in the picture.
I couldn't find an older one that wasn't beaten on or abused so I purchased a new Wilton quick release a few years ago and really like it.
Here it is sitting on my fabrication table. The slides operate smoothly and the quick release handle is very fluid in movement. It applies and releases easily so if doing a lot of parts, one can insert, drill, remove and insert again very quickly and minimize time. My old Wilton threaded clamp style, I now use as a welding vise. It is directly under the table's top but may be hard to see in the picture.
paulsomlo
Well-known member
crguy
Well-known member
Cardinal Speed Vises are a good choice: https://www.speedvise.us/?srsltid=AfmBOoqqTPFljDxZLvBOlFRe5JpYfTL18hr-l4W8ABK6pGHWiEIdrzFy
Maui
Well-known member
I use Heinrich drill press vises. 
jmarkwolf
Well-known member
Agreement here. I have three. 3", 4" and 6".
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FrankLee
Well-known member
Oh, that's nice!
Did that size come with the Pump-Action lever?
I refurb'd a 6-SV, but it was too big for my drill press.
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slowtwitch73
Well-known member
For use a on a surface grinder with a magnetic chuck on it. If you have a mag chuck you could use it on a mill, or dp also...
Or you could just clamp it to a dp table as well, right?
I would use that vise to hold a small part to drill a hole in. Say a 1" square block that needs a 1/16" hole in it. I would not consider that a grinding vise.
lg
no neat sig line
Maui
Well-known member
Yes it does Frank. And I surface ground the jaw faces so they are perfectly square to each other. It works well.Oh, that's nice!
Did that size come with the Pump-Action lever?
I refurb'd a 6-SV, but it was too big for my drill press.
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
I wouldn't either necessarily, but it looks like it would not like being clamped in a larger vise.... flim flammy.
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
Don't think so.. I see no provisions for bolts or toe clamps (which many have).
Ed in Virginia
Well-known member
While I have two vices like those shown previously, I tend to use my cross-slide drill press vise the most. I keep it bolted to my drill press table since I use it a lot. Very handy to have for precise drilling.
crguy
Well-known member
I seldom clamp my vise down on the drill press. I do make sure it's oriented so that it will stop against the column if a drill does happen to catch.
Cleave
Well-known member
I have a modern Palmgren 6" DP vise, bought from McMaster about 10 years ago. Works great, quite accurate for DP work.
I also have an old Craftsman 2" DP vise.
Neither have slots to bolt them to the table. This is so you can put it on its side, which is occasionally important.
I use homemade step clamps to hold them to the table - much better than C clamps off the side.
I also have an old Craftsman 2" DP vise.
Neither have slots to bolt them to the table. This is so you can put it on its side, which is occasionally important.
I use homemade step clamps to hold them to the table - much better than C clamps off the side.
I second or third on a Heinrich Grip Master...
https://heinrichco.com/gpvise.htm
https://heinrichco.com/gpvise.htm
Ultradog MN
Well-known member
Heinrich vises are still built in Wisconsin.
They are an outstanding US made tool that clamp very strong and are quick and easy to use.
I have a pair of their 6SVs
Both of them were Horribly boogered up when I got them.
The first one I paid $50 for on CL. But it was so ugly I was embarrased to use it. Then one day I decided to try fixing it up and discovered it was made of cast steel - not cast iron and welded easily with mig.
So I welded up all the divots and holes then milled the jaws back to specs.
Second one I bought last day at a flea market for $25. It was so abused that no one but a true bottom feeder would want it - and I fixed it up the same way.
I made one set of jaw inserts and bought the other. Also bought new clamping rings for both of them and a couple of new knobs. Parts from Heinrich are expensive but very high quality.
I probably have about $300 in the pair of them now.
I own and have used other kinds of drill vises but IMO these are the best of the best.
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Beerhippie
Well-known member
I just don't get it. The "arc of shame" on a DP table makes sense--drilled through something without making sure the center hole was centered--but "Oops! I missed the thing I had clamped in the vise"?
But then, I generally don't drink when using power tools....
Ultradog MN
Well-known member
I just don't get it. The "arc of shame" on a DP table makes sense--drilled through something without making sure the center hole was centered--but "Oops! I missed the thing I had clamped in the vise"?
But then, I generally don't drink when using power tools....
Lol
So you can can understand why I was too embarassed to use it as it was and fixed it?
gatewaysysop
Well-known member
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
I have used most of the vises shown here in the past. What I like these days is the Heinrich Grip-master drill press vise. The 6” drill press vise weights 22lbs vs. the standard Grip-master vise at 37lbs so it is easier to lug around. It also has a smaller footprint and can be placed on its side to drill end-on with longer pieces. The vise also has built in V grooves for long round objects.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
And a fine job you did of it!
I had six pieces of aluminum round stock to center drill, tap drill, tap, and countersink.
The vise set up this way allowed quick change between operations.
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alfadan
Well-known member
Those look they've been through the Battle of the Bulge!
Ultradog MN
Well-known member
No,
It was the battle of Leyte Gulf.
It took a Japanese battleship with her 18" guns to do that kind of damage.
Cleave
Well-known member
Here's my 6" modern Palmgren in action.
At work we had 16 downlegs for a roof (not your ordinary structure).
Each is about 8 ft long, 1.5" sch 40 pipe (1.9" OD). At each end there's an angled notch, with a short bit of the same pipe welded in there.
The angles at each end vary, and there's also clocking from on end to the other.
Here's my setup for the job. A Bridgeport with tilting head would have been more efficient and accurate, but this is what we've got and it worked. This also shows the homemade step clamps I mentioned earlier in this thread.
At work we had 16 downlegs for a roof (not your ordinary structure).
Each is about 8 ft long, 1.5" sch 40 pipe (1.9" OD). At each end there's an angled notch, with a short bit of the same pipe welded in there.
The angles at each end vary, and there's also clocking from on end to the other.
Here's my setup for the job. A Bridgeport with tilting head would have been more efficient and accurate, but this is what we've got and it worked. This also shows the homemade step clamps I mentioned earlier in this thread.
cosmokenney
Well-known member
Sorry if you mentioned it earlier, but what vice is this? I really like that. I have a 20" Dayton press with a t-slot table. The vice I bought from my local (independent) tool supply store turned out to be worse quality than you would get at tractor supply if you can believe that.I had six pieces of aluminum round stock to center drill, tap drill, tap, and countersink.
The vise set up this way allowed quick change between operations.
d42jeep
Well-known member
I took a few pictures of my vise that I found at an estate sale years back. I use it all the time but I never checked it out very closely. Today I wiped off a little of the grunge and spotted the markings. 
-Don
-Don
Farmer J.
Well-known member
Mysteriously, that's got the same markings as mine, and my drill has the same thing too..I took a few pictures of my vise that I found at an estate sale years back. I use it all the time but I never checked it out very closely. Today I wiped off a little of the grunge and spotted the markings.
-Don
Your vice jaws are in better condition than some on this thread, Beerhippie
Well-known member
I think they made a lot of different tools. I know I have several sockets made by the same company.Mysteriously, that's got the same markings as mine, and my drill has the same thing too..
I didn’t mention it just posted how I clamp my vise that’s similar to the one the OP asked about.
Mine is a Palmgren that I’ve had for maybe 25 years. Might have gotten it at a garage/estate sale or maybe my favorite SE Michigan used tool store.
The Detroit area was an excellent area to shop for used tools and equipment.
This is what I meant (granted this isn't being clamped to a DP but you get the idea)
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Yup. That also works well in many cases
Ultradog MN
Well-known member
With a great USA made Wilton clamp no less.
My name is Jerry and I approve this set up.