# Drill Press Float Vise



## Racer57 (Mar 24, 2022)

It's been a while since I posted anything.  I have seen a couple Youtube videos on float vises for drilling and decided to have a go.   What I ended up with was similar to the drawings that I found but modified to fit what I had in the shop and my skill level.




There were challenges,  here is my shaggy dog story.  When I started I found a 5/8" rod in my stash that had very good diameter consistency, less than half a thou.   This was fine until I started to figure out what I needed to get a precise honed 5/8" hole.   I didn't have a 39/64 drill and really didn't want to buy one.   I settled on using a 5/8 drill that I had and a 5/8 hone.    The result was a loose fit on the fixed rod that I had to deal with later. 

The next issue was the threaded rod.    It turns out that 1/2-10 acme threaded rods are cheap.   I found a acme tap on ebay for am acceptable price.  I sort of knew that an acme tap had to remove a lot of metal and could be a challenge.   It was...   It took the better part of an hour to tap the hole.   Lots of small  steps forward and back.   But, still have a working tap along with a threaded jaw.

The final issue was that the loose fit on the fixed rod allowed the moveable jaw to deflect and the grip was poor.   My fix was to put a .040 taper on the moveable jaw.  That made the moveable jaw align with the fixed jaw under tension.  I used a 1/4-20 cap screw to secure the fixed jaw and it is solid.  I don't see this as a functional concern.   The only reference plane is the drill press table.   Everything else just holds the work piece where needed.

Everything else knobs, clamp block, etc.  were basic machining.   The ones on the web have a fancy knob to tighten the vise.   I may have a go in the future,

Will


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## Just for fun (Mar 24, 2022)

Looks like it should do the job!


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## Hawkeye (Mar 25, 2022)

I made one for my biggest drill press some time ago. It gets used all the time. Quick, convenient and secure. everybody should make one.


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## Chris Hamel (Mar 25, 2022)

Looks like it will work good


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## OldFatMan (Mar 25, 2022)

I have fought with trying to clamp and move cheap drill press vices forever. Never heard of a float vise- now I have to have one.  Thanks for posting


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## Todd3138 (Apr 6, 2022)

Racer57 said:


> It's been a while since I posted anything.  I have seen a couple Youtube videos on float vises for drilling and decided to have a go.   What I ended up with was similar to the drawings that I found but modified to fit what I had in the shop and my skill level.



Nice work.  As a newbie, just curious on what constitutes a "floating" vise?  I've seen a couple threads with folks sharing their similar projects but can't seem to figure out that part of it.

Todd


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## Racer57 (Apr 6, 2022)

It is a vise that clamps to the table and allows you position your work without adding any additional fixtures.

Using a “standard “ vise usually requires some additional clamping or you run the chance of chasing your work if the drill sticks. Ask me how I know . I will show the bent drill bits.

Will 


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## Todd3138 (Apr 6, 2022)

Racer57 said:


> It is a vise that clamps to the table and allows you position your work without adding any additional fixtures.
> 
> Using a “standard “ vise usually requires some additional clamping or you run the chance of chasing your work if the drill sticks. Ask me how I know . I will show the bent drill bits.
> 
> ...



Yeah, getting a vise locked down in the right spot can be a real challenge sometimes in my experience.  So where does this version lock down?  I assume it's then able to be freely positioned around your table for the particular job you're doing and then locked down again?


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## Racer57 (Apr 6, 2022)

The lock down at the rear secures everything when tight. The drill forces end up trying to rotate the vise at the end of a long lever. The force division by this lever allows secure location.


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## Todd3138 (Apr 6, 2022)

Racer57 said:


> The lock down at the rear secures everything when tight. The drill forces end up trying to rotate the vise at the end of a long lever. The force division by this lever allows secure location.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That makes sense.  So, last question - I think - is how are you locking it to the table?  It looks to me like it's locked down in one of the slots, presumably with a T nut in the groove and a cap screw up top?


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## Racer57 (Apr 6, 2022)

Home made plate under the table and screw clamp


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## Todd3138 (Apr 6, 2022)

Racer57 said:


> Home made plate under the table and screw clamp
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ah, okay.  Very cool.  Thanks for answering my questions!


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## T Bredehoft (Apr 6, 2022)

It's "locked" against rotation, the back of the 'vise' is behind the vertical support for the head, and cannot rotate. The vise is free to float about on the table until the stem encounters the head support.


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## will.mcray (Jun 21, 2022)

I just made one. Very handy. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			






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