Enhanced PSI Pen Vise

[Mguyre]

Got tired of hand holding it or messing with clamps that would get in the way. BB plywood and some mag switches resulted an a rock-stable drilling jig.

 

[plano_harry]

Good thing you used 3. I only bought 2 and the vise can be bumped out of position, but it is an improvement. Really like the sacrifice slot you added.

 

[Old Codger]

After several problems with the centering the vise on my drill press, I decided to go with the Nova Chuck Pen Drill Jaws and couldn't be happier!!! I've never had a problem with them and they ALWAYS allow me to drill a properly centered hole no matter what the size of pen blank! My only problem is that I spent $50+ on the drill press vise when I should have gone for the $45 pen drill jaws. My advice...don't waste your time, money or wood on the pen vise, to with the Nova jaws everytime!

 

[Fay Prozora]

And here I was looking for some thing like this. I made my own but not having very good luck with it any more. I have the barracuda chuck system with all t hem chucks so I also ordered a drill chuck for the tail stock so I can drill my pen blanks on the lathe. I hope it is easy and I'm sure I will get better drill holes in my blanks. My drill press is an 8" one and it doesn't drill all the way through the blank so have to finish with a hand drill and I don't get it very centered that way, but hey my pens turn out great in spite of that. Good luck with your pen vise and it looks great the way you have it clamped down like that. It looks like it will stay in place. Mine gets bumped. Fay

 

[Mguyre]

I prefer the drill press because my tail stock does not gave enough travel to do the longer blanks in one shot. I also think that there is a much greater chance of blowing out the other end on a chuck because you can't use a sacrificial block.