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Meakz1973

What's Your Vice?

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I've decided to buy a vice for my work bench. I'm sure it will come in super handy for many needs.

It will be used primarily for RC and light DIY projects.

Are there any particular features or characteristics I should consider when selecting a vice or are they all pretty much standard issue?

Thanks

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I've decided to buy a vice for my work bench. I'm sure it will come in super handy for many needs.

It will be used primarily for RC and light DIY projects.

Are there any particular features or characteristics I should consider when selecting a vice or are they all pretty much standard issue?

Thanks

Quality can really vary.

Look for one with good square jaws and a good mechanism. Check that it can be secured well to your own bench (bolts in the right place etc). A set of soft vice jaws might be useful if you are working with fragile materials.

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Avoid anything from Harbor Freight as it is usually junk. If you don't find anything on modeling sites or shops, look into jewelers suppliers maybe...?

I don't have one yet, so I'm watching to see what advice you receive for my own nefarious purposes - Bwah Haw Haw. ;)

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I would recommend looking at getting an engineers vice suitable for use with a pillar drill, maybe even a medium duty cross vice. Pillar drills are not that expensive, and when combined with a cross vice enable you to accurately drill patterns of holes. Basically you can move the vice in an X and Y axis whilst solidly bolted to the pillar drill. For the money they cost, they give a lot more accuracy over a punch and a hand held power drill.

Example of a cross vice:

http://www.mscjlindustrial.co.uk/CGI/INSRI...ITEM=VJL-61400L

This one has a 360deg swivel as well:

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?h...ed=0CCkQ8wIwAQ#

Although they say you can use them for machining operations you can pretty much forget it unless it's bolted to a milling machine. A normal pillar drill fitted with a 3 jaw chuck simply can't hold the cutter steady and it vibrates like mad. i know, I tried it before I bought a milling machine.

I'd also consider trying to find a vice with 45 degree slots for holding circular metal horizontal and vertical, as with this vice. This is useful when combined with a pillar drill as it allows you to easily drill the end of ally rod, essential if you want omake your own 4 link suspension arms, etc.

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/info_DPV004.html

A cheap vice will have a certain degree of lift when you clamp it tight, i.e. the moveable jaw raises as pressure is applied to it. A milling vice will virtually eliminate this, if it is important to your requirement but expect to pay £70>300+ for one.

If you just want something for holding something steady whilst you cut it, the heavier the better, as it minimises vibration and wobble.

Edit: This is me using 2 vices to hold a 6mm thick metal plate in the miller before machining it for my tank project

img33435_17082010235251_1.jpg

PS: if you are looking at buying workshop tools, cheap but extremely useful are 150mm digital caliper (Look on ebay, theres tons of them on there), and an engineers T Square.

Hope this helps

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i'll post pics of my vice once i'm finished it :(

A 4 pack of Buckfast? :)

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I was going to say Pepsi Max, I can't live without that stuff, but then I realized you were talking about a different kind of vice, heheh

I have had the same forged iron vice for 2 decades with a home made set of aluminum jaw guards, it has been great but many times I have wanted the type that is offset on an angle so you can hold long lengths vertically.

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i see Dremel has made a tabletop version of a B&D Workmate

have used fullsize Workmate before as a vice to grip RC projects & as a lightduty press :)

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My comments from personal experience, possibly repeating some of above:

1. Get a cross/x vice if you can, you won't regret it

2. Get one with jaw adapters if you can so you can use soft or rubber inserts as well

3. Check the play in the outer (moving) vice/jaw up/down and side/side - the less play the better the quality of the vice (typically)

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Get one with three mounting holes, I made the mistake of buying a cheap one with two holes and it moves around when cut something above 10mm with a hacksaw. Record vices are one of the best and diefentaly worth the money.

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For small stuff, I have a really nice little one that suction-cups to the tabletop and can swivel around to any angle or direction. This is really handy when working on something oddly shaped that's difficult to clamp on to, just swing it around to get to the other side. I got it at a hobby shop ages ago, don't know the brand, sorry.

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Mines one off three big, hefty one from the 60s/70s that my grandad was given when the MG Abingdon car factory closed down.

They don't make 'em like they used to!

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i have one that was my dad's when he was a turner in the work - late 60s early seventies then. it was neglected so i refurbed it and it's being built back up now

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