Drill Press ?

[rjwolfe3]

Is it better to buy a vise to hold blanks for drilling or make one? If it's better to make one, can someone point me to a plan? I checked the library and didn't see anything.

 

[R2]

Rob, If you make a vise then it is a good idea to have one that "self centres" as it were. That is the jaws close in simultaneously from each side. I think Rockler or PSI supply one, as does one of the forum members.

 

[CaptG]

Hi Rob. I started with a small, smoth jaw vise and a square to line up the blank. Would scribe lines for the center and line up by eyeball. Finally got smart and bought a pen blank vise. Find center once and bolt or clamp it down and all blanks drilled with little or no error. It is SO much easier this way.

 

[sparhawk]

Rob when I bought my drill press i also purchased a cross slide vise for it.Makes everything so much simpler. If something isnt just right you just turn the handle a little more. Cut a block of wood(oak)sqaure then ripped it down the middle, then 45 it center of the middle on both sections and you have a blank vise. Also works well on round blanks.Bought the vise from harbor freight for abot $39.

 

[rlharding]

Rob, somebody posted one they made just this week. Have a look through the posts.

 

[rjwolfe3]

Thanks for the advise. Guess I'll save up some cash and buy a vise. Tried to find that post that Ruth was talking about and gave up. Ack all these blanks sitting in need of holes, lol.