Looking for a good quality Cross vice for drill press.

[mangocrazy]

While I've been using my (pretty rubbish) Clarke drill press, the Clarke cross vice I've been using has been OK. The limitations of the Clarke pillar drill has hidden failings in the cross vice.

I've now transferred the Clarke cross vice (https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-4-inch-cross-vice-ccv4c/) to my newly refurbished Startrite Mercury and the shortcomings of the cross vice have been exposed. Basically it's ok when using smaller drill sizes, but yesterday I used it with a half inch end mill and the thing was walking about all over the place, even when both axes had been clamped down.

Can anyone recommend a better quality cross vice? OI know I'll have to spend more than the £50 the Clarke item cost, but I do need something more precise and better built.

 

[frank horton]

I'd be saying go get a proper milling vice.....not cheap though, mine must weigh close to 25kgs.......
many diff sizes but they don't come up that often used......

 

[500e]

Look at MSC

 

[Alan Reynolds]

I somehow "inherited" a vice from the cheapest Clarke pillar drill. It's made of pot metal and is by far THE worst thing in my workshop. I would never trust putting anything into it that was under power.

 

[Fazerruss]

Are you using it to mill? ( you mentioned using a half inch end mill) If so then there is your problem. A pilar drill is not a milling machine no matter what compound vice you attach.

 

[Munkul]

I don't think there's such a thing as a "good" cross vice.

And I'm saying that, having quite a decent old hefty XY table on my gear head drill... To be fair, if it had a lock function it would be fine!

 

[mangocrazy]

Are you using it to mill? ( you mentioned using a half inch end mill) If so then there is your problem. A pilar drill is not a milling machine no matter what compound vice you attach.

Yes, it was an end mill that was in the chuck, but it was being used essentially as if it was a drill. I just need to relieve a pocket of about 2mm depth in a piece of bar, on the same centre as a hole I'd previously drilled. I appreciate that a pillar drill is not a milling machine, trust me.

 

[Agroshield]

Almost every cross-vice you buy will be garbage. If you want to go down this route, a solid X-Y table with a proper vice on it will be a better option. For example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1757118208

 

[mangocrazy]

What's Axminster stuff like? They have what looks to be a decent cross vice and also a good looking X-Y table. Here's the cross vice (the X-Y table is on the same page of the catalogue):

https://www.axminstertools.com/axmi...sion-compound-slide-self-centring-vice-105593