Do I need a swivel base for a mill vise?

[woodchucker]

I am only a couple of months in on using my new to me mill. I picked up an older bridgeport vise.
It did not have a swivel base. At first I said I don't need it. It will lead to less rigidity. But now, I am wondering how I'll make angled cuts. The vise is bigger than my table.
How often do you use your swivel?
Can you do it w/o the swivel still in the vise? I can't forsee blocking it up easily.
Sure I could clamp to the table...
just looking for ways to make a decision.

 

[Glenn Brooks]

Iam in the same boat. Have a swivel base - don't use it unless I need to set a specific angle for a cut. Then it comes back off the table, and I just use the solid upper part of the vise for day to day work holding. I guess the loss in rigidity (and height!) is just a necessary evil.

Glenn

 

[cathead]

It all boils down to versatility. Sooner or later you will need one. Rigidity hasn't been a problem for me so it is on the mill
most of the time in case I need an angle cut. It's really handy for thin material circle cutting with a center pin. It's all in
the operations you do.

 

[benmychree]

There should be no loss in rigidity with a swivel base; height MAY be an issue on benchtop mills, but not most others.

 

[Buffalo20]

I use the swivel base on the mill vise very often, most of the time its just left under the vise (too lazy to remove it)

 

[Cobra]

As said, there should not be any rigidity change with the swivel base but on my mill I didn't want to loose the height space.
I put it on when needed and then go back to the fixed vise.
Jim

 

[RJSakowski]

A swivel base came with my vise and I have never used it. (Disclaimer: my Tormach CNC makes it redundant.) It does take up valuable vertical work space and will be less rigid than mounting the vise to the table. If I didn't have the CNC mill, I would probably only use it as needed, removing it for other setups.

However, I keep a 12" RT permanently mounted on my old mill drill, largely because it is a pain, literally, to move it in and off the table.

 

[Bob Korves]

A swivel vise is not necessary to make angled cuts. A vise is not necessary to hold work. Much work can be attached directly to the table. Think outside the vise box...

 

[joshua43214]

Get a cheap, but decent Chinese swivel vise for the rare times you need it.
Just wait for a sale to come around, should not set you back more than $100.00 or so.
If you live in city, good chance you can get one from MSC during a sale, and pick it up to save the shipping.

 

[Groundhog]

Like RJ, I have a CNC mill so as he said ...

"A swivel base came with my vise and I have never used it. If I didn't have the CNC mill, I would probably only use it as needed, removing it for other setups.