MetalworkingFun Forum

I think it is 'fluff' from when I gave the arbour a brush over with a Scotch-Brite pad. They cut just fine and screw together nicely.

Not a big deal, just a handy and quick way to posistion and lock a vise to the drill press table. The parts are a power steering pulley, and hardware.

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Good idea, I just use a ratchet and socket.

Nice idea.

Me, I've never once secured a vise on a drill press. I just make sure that if anything is going to catch and start swinging, the column is what it hits and not me.

I don't feel at all unsafe, but that's my nature. I don't feel at all unsafe on my motorcycle either.

I don't have the willpower or google-fu to find it, but Tom Lipton has shown a vise base plate which has a long leg that rests against the column of the drill press, and is not held down by other means. That arrangement doesn't solve for work in grabby materials such as brass or plastics, however.

Al,

To safely drill "grabby" materials like brass and plastics, all you need to do is modify the drill a bit. Using a stone or grinder, grind a little zero or slightly negative rake on the cutting edges and the drill won't grab. There's a video on my channel showing hoe it's done.

Tom

It actually works best when drilling multiple pieces or brackets with multiple holes, provides a quick set up. That may not be obvious just looking at it.

That was the intent of the design, one hand loosens the vise. Move the vise, pull the bit down to the center punched dimple, rotate the chuck to check center. Lock the vise using the pulley and have at it.

One of my first tool projects was a 5" sine bar. I made the bottom one most likely in 1980 and used it for over 15 years until one day when I took it out of my box to use and noticed the crack, black marker arrow. It's goes all the way through. As far as I know it was never dropped or abused but that sharp corner must have had some stress in it and so it cracked. My new one has a very generous radius in those corners and should outlast me. It's an old project but I felt like posting it anyway. There will be more to come! Another shop picture too.

I made a nice big pair of Vee blocks and made the same mistake. Mine however cracked during hardening.

In case you guys haven't heard, over the past few days, HomeMadeTools.net featured some of the projects some of the members here have done. Penguin, TomG, krv3000 are three that I recall.