Good Quality Drill Press Vice

[Tatey]

Good evening all!

I am looking to buy a new good quality drill press vice to replace my crap Clarke £10 vice.

Im happy to spend up to £50 on a new high quality vice. It needs to be 75+ mm jaw width and have a sheet metal step built into it and obviously be of good quality to mean that it will last the rest of my life time.

I have the opportunity to buy a Irwin Record 413 75mm vice for £40 delivered

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Record-No-413-...#ht_1731wt_932

It is pretty much brand new, but it doesnt seem to have a sheet metal step, only a pipe v, would this be any good for holding 3mm plate?

I have also seen a good looking 100mm SOBA heavy duty vice with a sheet metal step built in:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SOBA-100-mm-He...#ht_1177wt_812

Finally there is the axminster vice for £33 (axminster is around the corner from me):

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster...es-prod376864/

Could anyone advice me on which vice to get to give me the best performance and will last me the longest?

[HandyAndy]

I,ve not used any of the ones you have mentioned, but looking thru those links I like the look & functions of the Axeminster vice.
Seems a good brand with a good reputation & at a reasonable price.

cheers
andy

[Talonmotorsport]

Having made mistakes with drill presses, milling machines, surface grinders etc. I have a fair idea of what will let go and cause blood loss from fingers, face and chest areas. Don't buy the flat faced vice for use on a drill press, it's intended for holding square stock for milling. As you pull the drill down the material will twist or slip down the faces. The blue oxford vice is not bad but you have to be careful with the angle at which you grip your part at. Theres a tendancy for the part to be sqeezed out of the wider end >. I have some thing simular to the axminster vice also known as a nippy vice with 125mm wide jaws. It needs either bolting or G clamping to the table but comes in handy for doing batch runs.

[gtipping]

I have no idea of quality but have you looked at

http://www.drillvice.co.uk/

[Enoch]

My vote would be for the Axminster. The same vice is sold under several different names, I have had one the same for the last 10 years or so. Given that they are close to you I assume you can save on postage so that should help influence the decision
Enoch

[Bonzo]

The Axminster vice would get my vote, tis very similar to the one I use & is very versatile

As said, take the time to clamp them to the table.
When working with irregular shaped parts, take the time to clamp them to the drill press table ( I have a couple of carver clamps that are ideal for the job )

Seen some very nasty drill press accidents
I like my little pinky's, besides, they are one of the only parts of my body still working properly

[Tatey]

I guess it is the axminster vice then! I was impressed with it when i saw it the last time I was in. It will also save me a bit of money.

Thanks for all of your advice!