Drill press vice advice please.

[Gareth0123]

I dropped my drill press vice today and broke off one of the sides of the base slots.. It's nothing special, just a 20 odd year old cheap Machine mart 4" drill press vice. I popped down to MM in the city this afternoon and their current range of DP vices are no different to the one I have...... if anything the quality has slipped as although the castings look identical in shape and size the material quality looks to be considerably lower and cheaper and they feel lighter..

So I am in the market for a 4" capacity drill press vice and I would like a little advice or pointers from first hand experience. Currently my budget is set at approx. £75.00 and I am not be adverse to purchasing second hand, which I'd actually prefer ....... especially quality brands such as Record in Good-Condition or Excellent-Condition.

Looking around T'internet, a S/H Record 414 vice seems to be absolutely ideal for my purposes, but they are also proving to be rarer than rocking horse $h1t to find.

I also like the look of the RDG 4" / 100mm SELF CENTERING MACHINE VICE but this looks to be a "closed well" casting that I would fill up with swarf in no time........... and I'd hit the vice screw with a drill; probably more than once!

 

[God mode restorations]

I dropped my drill press vice today and broke off one of the sides of the base slots.. It's nothing special, just a 20 odd year old cheap Machine mart 4" drill press vice. I popped down to MM in the city this afternoon and their current range of DP vices are no different to the one I have...... if anything the quality has slipped as although the castings look identical in shape and size the material quality looks to be considerably lower and cheaper and they feel lighter..

So I am in the market for a 4" capacity drill press vice and I would like a little advice or pointers from first hand experience. Currently my budget is set at approx. £75.00 and I am not be adverse to purchasing second hand, which I'd actually prefer ....... especially quality brands such as Record in Good-Condition or Excellent-Condition.

Looking around T'internet, a S/H Record 414 vice seems to be absolutely ideal for my purposes, but they are also proving to be rarer than rocking horse $h1t to find.

I also like the look of the RDG 4" / 100mm SELF CENTERING MACHINE VICE but this looks to be a "closed well" casting that I would fill up with swarf in no time........... and I'd hit the vice screw with a drill; probably more than once!

Have you looked at abwood vices. I have one. They are good well built and easy to maintain. They can be pricey .

 

[Maker]

I've got a vice almost identical to that one but with "Fabrex" cast into the jaw, just so you don't miss out on some by searching the wrong thing.

 

[Hood]

I have this if interested, paid £30 for it a few years back and never used it so would let it go for that plus post.
No handle for it but should be easy enough to make and even a 17mm spanner would work I think.
Not sure what the make is but could find out tomorrow.

 

[Gareth0123]

Hood, Thank you for the offer of that machine vice, It looks a bit much for my bench drill and would probably not be suitable for the drill's table so if you don't mind I'll pass..... but thank you again.

 

[Hood]

Hood, Thank you for the offer of that machine vice, It looks a bit much for my bench drill and would probably not be suitable for the drill's table so if you don't mind I'll pass..... but thank you again.

Not a problem and likely is a bit on the large side.

 

[Gareth0123]

I looked around at a few Abwood vices and the only ones I could find were machine vices, which are a bit of an over kill and in my case unsuitable for my bench drill. However, Fabrex look identical to Record 412/413/414 drill press vices so I will have a look around and maybe even a punt at any on eBay.

There are some Record 414's on Amazon which although are currently 33% over my available budget, there is no reason I cannot carry part of this month's replacement tool budget over into next month and go for one of these old but new stock 414's.

 

[exciton]

Hi there,

Not sure if it is quite right/quality you are after but Amazon have one for sale in their warehouse specials so another 20% off - so ~£65 delivered

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001414...ails?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1505552861&sr=8-9

Does seem to be £90+ elsewhere.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[mechman]

I bought a cheap one from Axminster tools (X&Y axis £22) years ago, still using it no probs, if its a cheap one you want have a look on their web site.

 

[dab4318]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162668689901

These are brilliant! I wouldn't buy any of the new stuff.

Or this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263210340885

 

[mechman]

I bought a cheap one from Axminster tools (X&Y axis £22) years ago, still using it no probs, if its a cheap one you want have a look on their web site.

Just had a look on their website and it doesn't look like its there anymore.

 

[Gareth0123]

I'm not interested in an XY vice, or a tilting one.......... well not at the moment.

My requirements are for a 4" X 4" and those Nippy vices do look the business but they are only 2" wide.

 

[Kram]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152652525353

 

[Gareth0123]

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152652525353

I don't see how I can bolt that down for referenced repetitive drilling.

 

[Gareth0123]

So, almost 2 months on from my original post I acquired an old but virtually unused Record 412 drill press vice, and at 2" X 2" capacity it is not exactly the 4" X 4" vice I thought that I wanted. This one was a steal and it is probably too nice for me to use so I am on the hunt for older used, possibly even battered about second hand Record Drill press vices.

However, I am intrigued by the machined front surface and I don't know its true purpose unless it is to slide down an angle iron fence for multiple holes in a held item along the same centre line.

 

[Maker]

Surely it's so you can stand the vice on its end? Not sure when that would be useful, espically without a machinist's jack under the far end of the work but it's a feature none the less.

 

[brightspark]

try and get a decent second hand nippy vice or a similar jones and shipman one http://www.1stmachineryauctions.com/lots/nippy-35-machine-vice

 

[penfold]

Hi there,

Not sure if it is quite right/quality you are after but Amazon have one for sale in their warehouse specials so another 20% off - so ~£65 delivered

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0014149Q0/sr=8-9/qid=150555286mean1/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1505552861&sr=8-9

Does seem to be £90+ elsewhere.

Cheers,
Mark

I've a very similar but slightly smaller vice that's branded Faithfull.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-Drill-Press-Vice-Unigrip/dp/B0086F9EZS