Machinist Vise

[ddamoore]

Anyone use one of these for milling or mortise work? It is on sale at Rockler for $69 and they have free shipping now...so just wanted to get your thoughts on whether to pull the trigger or go another way?


Holds work material stable for precision milling in wood and plastic. X-Y movement in both directions with speed and accuracy and does not wobble.

• Provides fast and easy tool positioning without shims.
• Precision milling capabilities in wood and plastic.
• X-Y movement calibrated to reference scales.
• X-Travel 7'' and Y-travel 6''.
• Premium cast iron body.
• 4-13/16'' jaw opening.
• Standard reference scale on all four sides.

[LCHIEN]

Anyone use one of these for milling or mortise work? It is on sale at Rockler for $69 and they have free shipping now...so just wanted to get your thoughts on whether to pull the trigger or go another way?


Holds work material stable for precision milling in wood and plastic. X-Y movement in both directions with speed and accuracy and does not wobble.

• Provides fast and easy tool positioning without shims.
• Precision milling capabilities in wood and plastic.
• X-Y movement calibrated to reference scales.
• X-Travel 7'' and Y-travel 6''.
• Premium cast iron body.
• 4-13/16'' jaw opening.
• Standard reference scale on all four sides.

What are you going to use it for?
Looks like a good buy; something like that could be used for a mortiser instead of the sliding workpiece/hold-down clamp that everyones complains about. You'd have to raise up the mortiser head to allow for the added height.

[ddamoore]

My thoughts were to use it on my drill press, much like the set-up in the rocklers photo. Don't have a mortiser yet, but it is on my list

[JR]

HF has one, too

The specs seem to compare favorably, at a much lower price.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=538

[sacherjj]

I picked up one at HF and it looks more solid with more movement. I believe it was around $40.

[ddamoore]

Thanks guys for the tip on HF. I assumed the one at Rockler was higher-end, but after looking the photos over, I think the only difference may be the paint. I have a HF locally, so I will do some hands-on research. Now where did I put that sale flyer???

[guhor]

I used a similar sliding machinist vice a few years back in making a stereo cabinet out of Jack Daniels white oak whiskey barrels. Used the vice with end mill bits in my drill press to mortise the 2 x 2 front and back posts. Worked like a charm.
Good luck.
Tom J

[John Hunter]

I picked mine up at a Cummins truck sale a couple of years ago for $20 I use it all the time. I mounted it on a piece of hardwood that locks it down using my T-tracks.