Need drilling vise recommendation

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Joemac8

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Jun 2, 2011
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Chicago, Illinois USA
I just started turning pens and bought a drilling vise that I am not very pleased with. The vise that I have has a handle on one edge that is turned. That edge goes in fine but the opposite edge hangs up. As a result of this I have to turn with one hand and squeeze the other side with the other hand to get it to close. As a result of this, the blank tends to spin in the jaws.

Can someone recommend a decent, one hand operating vise?
 
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StephenM

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Apr 16, 2011
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Webster Groves, MO
I have 2 1x2s hinged at one end with a V notch cut out of each board. I put the blank in the notch, squeeze the end and drill. Works fine on everything but Celtic Knots - still working on lathe drilling for that.
 

Gilrock

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Oct 18, 2011
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Tucson, AZ
I came close to buying the vise from Woodcraft but every time I've been there it seems like I'm already spending too much on other things and the vise setup I have has been working fine. When I started I found a video online that showed how to use a standard drill press vise. I have one that looks a lot like this but I think mine might be a little longer:
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-drill-press-vise-68297.html

So what you do is clamp two pieces of wood around 3/4" to 1" thick each. Then drill a 1/4" or so hole right in between the two pieces of wood. Then remove the wood and each piece will have a half circle. Use something like a band saw to square that off into a V-shape in each piece. The nice thing using that method is you know the groove you created is parallel to the drill bit.
 

Joemac8

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Jun 2, 2011
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I have a Lee Valley where the turning mechanism is on one edge of a series of flat plates and the other edge of the plates rides on tubes. What happens is that the threaded edge closed when you turn the wheel but the other edge binds on the tubes and you have to "pinch" them together to move the jaws.
 

Tim'sTurnings

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Aug 19, 2008
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Central Michigan
joemac, have you tried to put some lube on the slides that it is binding up on? I have one from woodcraft that looks very similar but mine is all aluminum. I have had to clean off and lube the slides and occasionally tighten or loosen up the nuts on the slides to get it to work correctly.

I would think you could either lube it or adjust it to improve its function.
Hope this helps a a little.
Tim.
 

Joemac8

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Jun 2, 2011
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Chicago, Illinois USA
joemac, have you tried to put some lube on the slides that it is binding up on? I have one from woodcraft that looks very similar but mine is all aluminum. I have had to clean off and lube the slides and occasionally tighten or loosen up the nuts on the slides to get it to work correctly.

I would think you could either lube it or adjust it to improve its function.
Hope this helps a a little.
Tim.


Tim, no I haven't tried to lube it. Probably a good suggestion & I'll give it a try.

Thanks, Joe
 

maxwell_smart007

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I haven't used Paul Huffman's vice, but I know it's a popular item around here.

I use one I got from Lee Valley - I'm not a fan, but it was what i could afford at the time. I still can't afford $100 for a vice, but if I could, there'd be no question.
 

wiset1

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Aug 25, 2010
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Florida
I tried a couple of the vises when I first started and never really had any luck, in fact I think I blew through about $150 worth of Eugene's blanks before I called it quits on the whole vise idea. I ended up getting the dedicated pen chuck from PSI along with the drill chuck and I hit perfect center every time and have yet to blow out a blank or wildly bore the blank due to walking. Knock on figured wood!
 

Joemac8

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I tried a couple of the vises when I first started and never really had any luck, in fact I think I blew through about $150 worth of Eugene's blanks before I called it quits on the whole vise idea. I ended up getting the dedicated pen chuck from PSI along with the drill chuck and I hit perfect center every time and have yet to blow out a blank or wildly bore the blank due to walking. Knock on figured wood!


Tim, I just ordered one. Thanks for the tip!

Joe
 

Alzey

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Oct 9, 2011
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Erwin, Tennessee
I bought a drill press vice at Harbor Freight that you could remove the jaw plates. I then use 1x2s to create a v-notch clamp. Works well unto I can get the parts to drill on the lathe.
 

Hess

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Jul 15, 2010
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Cleburne TX
If you have what I think mine did the same. if there are nuts on the end of the rod they can be adjusted what is happening is you are out of alinement and the vise is not drawing together at the same rate on each side. Loose the nuts there will be one one each side of the moving plate back off the inner on and adjust until it fits flush and tighten them up
 

Simplex

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Aug 22, 2010
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Mather, Ca
I abandoned drilling vises a long time ago after I discovered drilling on the lathe worked so well. If you are able to, this is the route I would recommend. You wil need a collet/chuck system though (got mine through PSI).
 

randyrls

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Feb 2, 2006
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Harrisburg, PA 17112
As a result of this, the blank tends to spin in the jaws.

Joe; Are you using round blanks? It is difficult to get a good clamp on round blanks. In the past I have drilled a hole on the joint between two pieces of wood and then glued sand paper along the hole with the sand paper side toward the blank. This increases the clamping force on the blank.

Hope this helps.
 
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