I'm looking to get a decent Kurt-style vise for use on my mill drill, which has a 7-1/2" x 22-1/2" table. The picture shows what a Glacern 4" vise would look like if it were mounted using the second T-slot from the front of the table. I haven't settled on the Glacern for sure, but they had a dimensioned drawing on their website to work from. I assume that other 4" vises would be similar.
Anyway, I'm concerned about two things. First, with the vise open as far as it will go, and with it jammed all the way back against the column (in green), the mill spindle (in red) won't reach the vise's movable jaw. There is enough Y axis travel to move the fixed jaw out as far as the mill spindle. Second, the vise just seems huge to me. It would hang over the front edge of the table by about 4-3/4".
So I'm wondering if a 4" vise is about right for my machine, or should I be looking at something smaller. Any hints?
Thanks,
-- Russ
Help Sizing Vise for Mill/Drill
- Gary Armitstead
- Posts: 279
- Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 12:35 am
- Location: Burbank, CA
Re: Help Sizing Vise for Mill/Drill
Russ,rmac wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:22 am I'm looking to get a decent Kurt-style vise for use on my mill drill, which has a 7-1/2" x 22-1/2" table. The picture shows what a Glacern 4" vise would look like if it were mounted using the second T-slot from the front of the table. I haven't settled on the Glacern for sure, but they had a dimensioned drawing on their website to work from. I assume that other 4" vises would be similar.
Anyway, I'm concerned about two things. First, with the vise open as far as it will go, and with it jammed all the way back against the column (in green), the mill spindle (in red) won't reach the vise's movable jaw. There is enough Y axis travel to move the fixed jaw out as far as the mill spindle. Second, the vise just seems huge to me. It would hang over the front edge of the table by about 4-3/4".
So I'm wondering if a 4" vise is about right for my machine, or should I be looking at something smaller. Any hints?
Thanks,
-- Russ
vise.gif
I'm a retired Die Sinker (in the trade over 45 years) and I have an Enco mill/drill I purchased new in 1981. The vise I purchased for my machine is a 4 inch "Kurt type" mill vise from My Little Machine Shop. Works great for my 8-1/2 by 28 table. 6 inch would be a little large for your table, I believe. 4 inch is just about right. BTW, make yourself some sets of aluminum soft jaws for your vise when you do get it.
Gary Armitstead
Burbank, CA
Member LALS since 1980
Member Goleta Valley Railroad Club 1980-1993
Burbank, CA
Member LALS since 1980
Member Goleta Valley Railroad Club 1980-1993
Re: Help Sizing Vise for Mill/Drill
Thanks, Gary. I wasn't even thinking about a 6" vise.
-- Russ
-- Russ
Re: Help Sizing Vise for Mill/Drill
I'd totally agree on the 4" with a 7 1/2" wide table. Mine has a 9" x 32" table and a 6" with pretty much the same dimensions a real Kurt has works ok. A 5" might be a bit more suitable, but I couldn't get one in that size with the ground sides. Your table width fully supports the vise where it opens to and that's the important part. Glacern did have a Halloween sale going on, but you might have missed that. I've been happy enough with my vises from them.
Re: Help Sizing Vise for Mill/Drill
Another vote for the 4" size. Thanks, Pete.
- Bill Shields
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Re: Help Sizing Vise for Mill/Drill
it does not matter how big your vise it...some day...it will be too small for the job at hand....
even if you have a crappy junker sitting on the shelf...it WILL GET USED....
even if you have a crappy junker sitting on the shelf...it WILL GET USED....
Too many things going on to bother listing them.