Since I had surprised my wife with a new iPad recently she wanted to do something nice for me. On my front porch a very heavy box showed up containing a PM ultra precision 2 handed keyless chuck, a boring head set and a 6” high precision milling vise. There was also a quart of way oil in the box. PM’s packing was flawless. Everything was so well supported that even the way oil was undamaged. They filled every space with foam cubes so that nothing could shift. After all of the ridiculous Amazon packing it was a nice change.
First out of the box was the drill chuck. After a quick wipe down it went into service immediately, replacing a worn Jacobs Super Chuck. It immediately met every expectation. I didn’t check the runout yet but it is obviously tiny. Changing drills is fast and the grip is very good.
After completing the drilling job I unpacked the vise. My body isn’t what it was 30 years ago so I separated the vise from its swivel for easier lifting and set it on the mill table. The base will be set aside in case I decide to use it some day. A few passes with an indicator in the drill chuck show that the vise, just sitting on the table, suggest that it is very true. The deviation across the tops of the jaws is less than a thou. Not a scientific test, but encouraging.
The fit and finish is much better than described in the reviews of less expensive vises from Amazon. The edge around the bottom deserves some care in handling but it’s not razor sharp like reviews of the others. The top corners of the vise body are all nicely chamfered with the exception of the jaws which are crisp without burs. The jaws mate perfectly in all directions. Nothing can be felt where they meet.
The handle is bare metal, machined on all surfaces and appears to be steel bar stock rather than forged or cast. Happily, the hex shank on the screw is either 3/4” or close enough to 3/4” that the speed handle purchased for another vise fits perfectly.
The boring head looks like any other inexpensive one. The difference that attracted me is that the boring tools are high speed steel instead of brazed carbide so it should be easier to keep them sharp.
First out of the box was the drill chuck. After a quick wipe down it went into service immediately, replacing a worn Jacobs Super Chuck. It immediately met every expectation. I didn’t check the runout yet but it is obviously tiny. Changing drills is fast and the grip is very good.
After completing the drilling job I unpacked the vise. My body isn’t what it was 30 years ago so I separated the vise from its swivel for easier lifting and set it on the mill table. The base will be set aside in case I decide to use it some day. A few passes with an indicator in the drill chuck show that the vise, just sitting on the table, suggest that it is very true. The deviation across the tops of the jaws is less than a thou. Not a scientific test, but encouraging.
The fit and finish is much better than described in the reviews of less expensive vises from Amazon. The edge around the bottom deserves some care in handling but it’s not razor sharp like reviews of the others. The top corners of the vise body are all nicely chamfered with the exception of the jaws which are crisp without burs. The jaws mate perfectly in all directions. Nothing can be felt where they meet.
The handle is bare metal, machined on all surfaces and appears to be steel bar stock rather than forged or cast. Happily, the hex shank on the screw is either 3/4” or close enough to 3/4” that the speed handle purchased for another vise fits perfectly.
The boring head looks like any other inexpensive one. The difference that attracted me is that the boring tools are high speed steel instead of brazed carbide so it should be easier to keep them sharp.
