What Is a Drill Press Vise?
A drill press vise is a tool used to secure the workpiece during machining. Also known as a solid vise, it is mounted on the table of a machine tool for machining.
Attached to the drilling machine table, drill press vises secure the workpiece. Clamping the workpiece to the vise aligns it parallel to the drilling table.
The vise has a hollow bottom at the mouth where the workpiece is clamped, preventing damage to the vise after drilling through it with a drill or other tool.
How to Use a Drill Press Vise
Fix the vise to the drilling table using mounting clamps (mounting screws). Initially, only tighten the clamps temporarily to adjust the vise’s parallelism later.
Check the parallelism of the vise with a dial gauge. Adjust if the vise is not parallel.
Once the vise is confirmed to be parallel, fully tighten the temporarily tightened clamps. Place the workpiece in the clamp, ensuring it is parallel to the table. Turning the handle moves the vise’s movable part, securing the workpiece firmly without wobble or lifting.
How to Select a Drill Press Vise
When choosing a drill press vise, consider the width of the mouth and the maximum opening width of the clamping portion. Ensure the vise can be mounted on your machine without exceeding its loading weight. The material and functionality of the vise should suit your working environment and the machine tool.
- Material of the Main Body
Choose a cast iron (carbon-mixed) vise for operations like cutting and drilling, as it resists abrasion and absorbs vibration. Ductile cast iron offers high impact and tension resistance, plus elasticity, for strong clamping force. - Functionality
A vise with a precision-finished bottom surface ensures greater parallelism with the drilling machine when mounted, reducing rattling or tilting on the drilling table.