Anyone used the any of the Axminster Drill Vices?

[builderchad]

Looking to put a precise drill vice on my little Jet drill press and have been eyeing out the Axminster ones. This one looks particularily easy:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-SCV5-Cross-Vice-21304.htm

Anyone used one from this line or another line? I assume I will need to drill holes in the drill press table if the current ones dont line up so was wondering if this is a big ask for such a chuck of cast iron.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Not familiar with it, builderchad, but I love the new dust mask :wink:

Paul

 

[DaveL]

I have not used the Aximinster one but here is where I tried a Machinemart one, I took it back for a better one. If you get a good one it will be useful. Drilling cast iron is quite easy.

 

[jasonB]

Only problem with the cross vices is that they reduce the distance between workpiece and the nose of the chuck, if you only have a small bench mounted machine you may have a job getting larger bits in.

Few more to choose from at the bottom of this page

Jason

 

[builderchad]

Thanks for the links, lots to look at.

The main issue I have with my drill is that it has such a short plunge that most the time I have to move the table to change bits anyway, making the depth stop useless. This also makes it impossible to keep alignment if I'm using a regular boring bit followed by a forstener bit. If the table didn't swivel or I had some easy way to line it up on the post it would be alot better. Gotta come up with a plan for that.


Thanks.

 

[engineer one]

ok lets look at this from a different perspective.

what are you trying to do????

if the problem is the table not giving you enough room, why
not remove it, and then mount a false table on the base. maybe some kind
of mdf box. you could mount a two way vice on that but unless
you are going to mortise on the drill, why do you need the various movements????

if all you are doing is drilling holes in something, then what you need is
the maximum plunge depth. i found with my cheap desk top drill i could
remove the moveable table, then move the head up and down the
pillar, whilst the parts can be held on the cast bottom table, and lifted if
necessary by a supplementary table.

real engineering solution, (see alf i could find a use for my skill somewhere! :lol: )

i use a normal machine vise on mine.

paul

 

[jasonB]

. This also makes it impossible to keep alignment if I'm using a regular boring bit followed by a forstener bit.

Thanks.

Thats where you are going wrong.

If counter boring a hole you should start with the larger bit, in your case the fostner then follow through with the clearance hole. Doing it the other way round means that the center point of the fostner has nothing to engage in.

If just using twist drills you can do it either way but there is a risk of the larger drill pulling into the work.

Jason

 

[builderchad]

ok lets look at this from a different perspective.

what are you trying to do????

if the problem is the table not giving you enough room, why
not remove it, and then mount a false table on the base. maybe some kind
of mdf box. you could mount a two way vice on that but unless
you are going to mortise on the drill, why do you need the various movements????

if all you are doing is drilling holes in something, then what you need is
the maximum plunge depth. i found with my cheap desk top drill i could
remove the moveable table, then move the head up and down the
pillar, whilst the parts can be held on the cast bottom table, and lifted if
necessary by a supplementary table.

real engineering solution, (see alf i could find a use for my skill somewhere! :lol: )

i use a normal machine vise on mine.

Mine is a really small bench-top press where only the collet moves when you turn the rotary handle, and not the whole head. But then I did only pay £25 for it :roll:

I'm not morticing at all on it, but I do need very precise dirlling for the tools I'm making. If I'm out by a mm or two it could mean the bowsaw is a little warped and putting stresses on the blade in the wrong directions.

Is a normal machine vise all I need in that case?

Thats where you are going wrong.

If counter boring a hole you should start with the larger bit, in your case the fostner then follow through with the clearance hole. Doing it the other way round means that the center point of the fostner has nothing to engage in.

If just using twist drills you can do it either way but there is a risk of the larger drill pulling into the work.

Thanks Jason. I wanted to preserve the marking lines so I figured if I used the forstener bit first it would wipe them out and I wouldn't have a precise mark for starting the boring. And I did wonder about why the forstener bit was quite unstable during my test runs

Thinking about it I could drill the wide hole first then turn the piece over and bore from that side where the markings are still present.

 

[Alf]

Is a normal machine vise all I need in that case?

I think so. To be honest I find clamping work to a fence is as good a system as any for getting holes in the right place. Some thing like this is handy I find, fwiw:

Cheers, Alf

 

[builderchad]

Good plan Alice. I have a few toggle clamps from Axminster to experiment with various jigs. Your picture gave me a great idea for easier changing of the bit: If I mount the clamps to a board like you've done but also put a low fence or small hook on one end then I can remove the workpiece to change drill bits. This way when I put the workpiece back it will be in exactly the same position it was before, eliminating the need to move the table.

And they say that programmers are clever...I dont think so; since starting WW I have discovered a whole area of creativity and 'mechanica obscura' that is totally undeveloped in me . All I can say is thanks be for forums and the helpful people on them.