Drill press vise

[Uncle Alvah]

For use in building a Longrifle, is the regular drill press vise or the cross slide vise to be prefered?

[WKevinD]

I think it all depends on who you ask and what they have. Not trying to be glib, just honest.

[Scota4570]

When drilling a hole with a drill press it does not matter. 

Here is why.  Spot the hole with the center punch.  Start the hole.  Stop.   Drill a small pilot hole.  You will have to fudge the part around until the bit goes straight into the started hole.  The bit should not bend.  Run the hole through.  If you neglect this the hole will go off course.  Check that the hole is where you want.  If needed correct it with a little file or rotary burr. Finally, drill the hole to size.



 

[tgraytn]

Here are a few pictures of my drill press vise set up.  The slide and low profile vise were purchased from Amazon.

[David Rase]

The important thing is that your vise is tight, square, flat and level. A loose sloppy vise will cant your part and drill a non perpendicular or crooked hole, which is the main purpose of work holding.
David 

[dogcatcher]

Before buying the vise, do you have a quality drill press?  The vise can only be as good as the drill press. 

[Goo]

The vise is important  but .... Balancing long barrels/stocks etc. at the extreme ends once they are in the vise is another set of problems to find solutions for.

[Majorjoel]

I use a side to side tightening DP vice that I can move about freely on the press table and use a pair of grip clamps to hold it when I get everything lined up for drilling.

One of the most important tools that seems to not get mentioned much is a small bubble level.
Even when you are working on a level table surface, the stock or part being drilled may not be 90 degrees to the drill. 

It takes a bit of measuring along with alignment fixing to get that close to perfect drill hole!

[Bob Roller]

For use in building a Longrifle, is the regular drill press vise or the cross slide vise to be prefered?

In the absence of a milling machine I would want a cross slide with X-Y-Z and rotary capability.
It will allow precise placement of a hole to be drilled or reamed.I use both the mill and the
drill press for a variety of jobs.

Bob Roller

[P.W.Berkuta]

Here are a few pictures of my drill press vise set up.  The slide and low profile vise were purchased from Amazon.

Very nice set-up and if I did not have a mill I just might use one of these for precision hole drilling.

[Mike Brooks]

For use in building a Longrifle, is the regular drill press vise or the cross slide vise to be prefered?

I don't use a vice on a drill press.

[Uncle Alvah]

do you have a quality drill press?

Its certainly nothing special. Actually, it is not here yet, scheduled delivery is tomorrow. Its a bench top model, certainly not something a tool and die maker would be happy with but.......... it is still the best drill press I have available.

[tgraytn]

do you have a quality drill press?

Its certainly nothing special. Actually, it is not here yet, scheduled delivery is tomorrow. Its a bench top model, certainly not something a tool and die maker would be happy with but.......... it is still the best drill press I have available.

I owned and spent many hours using a Delta brand bench top drill press that I purchased from Lowes years ago.  It served me well!!

[Bob Roller]

I use a side to side tightening DP vice that I can move about freely on the press table and use a pair of grip clamps to hold it when I get everything lined up for drilling.

One of the most important tools that seems to not get mentioned much is a small bubble level.
Even when you are working on a level table surface, the stock or part being drilled may not be 90 degrees to the drill. 

It takes a bit of measuring along with alignment fixing to get that close to perfect drill hole!

I have been one half a bubble from level for 81 years
Works for me.

Bob Roller

[Scota4570]

That is a fancy drill press.  It is almost a milling machine.  With such a set up I would start the hole with a real center drill.  Then replace the center drill with a regular drills and proceed. 

An edge finder would be a good addition.  Otherwise you can not be sure you hit the mark.  Do not start holes with a regular drill if you care where it lands. 

When I care I use a milling machine with a drill chuck, edge finder, center drill and such.  It is actually faster to use the old center punch method.  . 

[SingleMalt]

Here are a few pictures of my drill press vise set up.  The slide and low profile vise were purchased from Amazon.

That's a set-up to have.

[Black Hand]

Here are a few pictures of my drill press vise set up.  The slide and low profile vise were purchased from Amazon.

You're putting us on. That's not a real shop - too clean!

[WadePatton]

Here are a few pictures of my drill press vise set up.  The slide and low profile vise were purchased from Amazon.
...

You're putting us on. That's not a real shop - too clean!

Looks more like the showroom floor, with the lights off. My guess is that the shop has less experience than the operator.   

[B.Habermehl]

For long rifle work I can't remember the last time I use a vise on a drill press. I use a center to center point set up, or a extension table with carefull lay out and finger started drill bits with a pin vise holding the drill bit. The key is to have the lock panels square to the top flat of the rifle barrel, both lock side and side plate side. These will index you with the help of the extension table. My extension table is simply a 1by6 clamped to the drill press table. Support the wobbly end if needed by what ever means you have handy. BJH

[tgraytn]

Here are a few pictures of my drill press vise set up.  The slide and low profile vise were purchased from Amazon.
...

You're putting us on. That's not a real shop - too clean!

Looks more like the showroom floor, with the lights off. My guess is that the shop has less experience than the operator.   

I know... I'm an extreme neat freak! 

[Bob Roller]

My eyes are not working right but I see no calibrations in decimal or metric
on this set up.

Bob Roller

[flehto]

The setup shown below is used for accurately drilling the holes for the bbl lugs, RR pipes, trigger pivot pin and the lock bolts. The hole for the tang screw is done w/ 2 vises using a separate setup. All the other holes are done w/ an electric hole shooter.

The stock/bbl assy is clamped at the breech end in this very accurate tool maker's vise w/ the top bbl flat against the permanent jaw. A parallel is used for support on the muzzle end and to make the ass'y horizontally correct.

After the holes for the bbl lugs and RR pies are accurately laid out, this setup is used to drill 1/16 dia holes....first for the bbl lugs and later on for the RR pipes.

To drill the 4 bbl lug holes takes at the most, 15 mins and slightly less for the 3 RR pipes.

The lock bolt holes are spotted from the lock plate which is then removed and the clearance holes drilled through.

This setup is as accurate as the layout and the drilling technique.....Fred

[Acer Saccharum]

If you don't use a vise, the drill can grab the work causing it to spin. I saw a guy try to grab his spinning work (to save it from flying across the room?). I don't know what he was thinking. Bashed hand up pretty bad.

When the work jumps, it usually causes the hole to get messed up.

If you use a free-floating vise, it's easy to align the work under the drill. Just put a pin or bolt on the table somewhere to keep the vise from spinning should it ever spin on you. Don't go grabbing the durn thing, though.

The tilt fixtures, cross slides, etc, are nice, but they add tremendous weight to the table. They also use up height capacity between chuck and table. These units are best for floor model presses, where you have lots of daylight between chuck and table. Often you have to move the work up or down when you go from long bits to short ones. A drill press with a rack and pinion on the column is very helpful, if not vital, when using a cross slide or heavy vise. Always give a table a lift as you crank up or down.