Cheap drill vices...

[Farside]

... I know some will be crap, and some perhaps not so bad, but on here some have probably used some good and bad ones, so opinions wanted - and if you can point me towards something that does what I need but is one of the better ones at a low price (even used, is ok), then so much the better.
I have a cheap pillar drill, and know that I like to have more adjustment available to me than the basic vice, instead of having to slacken off, move around, tighten up again, so this thing appeals to me
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291361186279
It might be crap, but I think it will fit mine and if it does, it will make life just a little bit easier.

 

[oddbob]

I had one of those cross vice things years ago and didn't find it particularly useful without indexes, and proper compound tables are not what you could call cheap. I've had one of these (there's a slightly cheaper 3" version) for years and it's easily the best low cost vice I've had ...and still not sloppy, or seized up, after four or five years.

 

[optima21]

I just use a very cheap clarke vice for a pillar drill, but Im only using it for light work, as there is some flex in my pillar drill, its never going to be too accurate, so I'd use my milling machine for that. I ended up making a couple of t nuts as the slots in the drills table match up with the slots in the drill vice (which was pretty lucky)

I very rarely tighten up the bolts fully that hold the vice to the table or the clamp on the drills column, but have them so that they can be moved with a push (or tap from a hammer). the column has a rack and pinion adjustment so it stops it sliding down the column.

I know you wont find the above method in a text book,but it works for me, and if I think I'll have issues I do tighten everything up.

one of these days I might get round to modifying some cap head screws by drilling the threads out of a wingnut and loctiting it onto the cap head screw, so its easy to nip up without tools or you can still use a hex wrench if you need it tightening up properly

 

[Fazerruss]

I'll probably be shot down in flames for saying this but I have never bolted down a vice to a Pilar drill, nor have I ever seen an engineer bolt down (unless drilling inch and above size holes). Once centre punched and using consistent force with a sharp drill bit there is very little lateral force applied to the vice.

 

[mike 109444]

I think one thing you would have to watch for if you use (as I do ) a bench top pillar drill is the increase in height from one of those vices. I use same type as Optima21 and even then have issues with height as table will only drop so far. If yours is a floor standing one then not an issue.
It would/should be possible to workout from the thread pitch what one turn or part turn equals thus giving you some degree of indexing from one hole to the next (allowing for backlash!)

 

[gerrymoore]

I've used a Clarke 6" cross vice on my pillar drill for over 20 years...not the most accurate tool I ever bought but it's had some hammering in it's lifetime and is still going strong!! For what I paid it's been a bargain.

 

[balmerchris]

I like the look of this vice. Would keep everything centred without having to move the vice for different widths of bar. Maybe a little expensive though.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-self-centring-precision-machine-vices

 

[Farside]

Thanks, chaps; some interesting ideas there.
I like the overall look of Soba products and everyone who's bought one seems pleased with the quality of them, especially for the price.
Of course, if I nip up the bootsale tomorrow and find an old Clarke for a fiver, that'll do me just fine

 

[Maker]

I don't know if a there's a cheap alternative but a float lock vice is the best drill vice I've seen.

 

[mechman]

Ive used an axminster vice for a few years now no probs it has x and y cheaply made hence cheaply sold 20 odd quid does me for what I want