Bench Drill Vice - help!

I have just bought a new bench drill and am now looking for a vice for it. It appears that a 3" vice is the size that will fit the table, so off I went today and bought a 3" vice. It doesn't fit!

I foolishly assumed that a 3" vice was a 3" vice, however it seems that some are made to fit drill tables with fixing slots 100mm apart (to the centres) and some for 110mm centres. My drill is the later, but the vice I have bought (now that I've unpacked it) is 100mm so I will have to return it.

Have I got all this right? Is there no standard? Or are there 2 standards at

100mm and 110mm?! I'm quite new to this and it just seems ridiculous to have such differences, especially when the retailers of the vices never advertise the fixing centre dimensions and often haven't a clue when you ask them. Very confusing and frustrating.

On to my question then - I would prefer to install a cross-vice on this drill and have found a number of 3" examples. I wonder if anyone has experience of any of these cross-vices and can tell me what the fixing centre dimensions are before I order one please?

They are;

- Axminster 3" Cross Vice SCV3

- 3" Cross Vice (Reference #CG204) from Chronos

- SIP 3" Cross Vice

Any help or advice would be most gratefully!

Happy New Year...Mark

Reply to
MG
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Couldn't you just turn it through 90 degrees, so you fix along one slot rather than across two ? Not sure if that is possible, not having seen your table. As an alternative, slightly more drastic solution, could you grind out the holes in your vice to make slots. Then you might be able to get it to fit. Most of the vices I've seen seem to have slots rather than holes for fixing it to a table anyway.

Dont know if that helps or not. Cheers Mark

Reply to
Mark

I presume you bought a drill with two parallel slots instead of eight radial ones.....so drill some holes....that's what pillar drills are for:)

Ken.

Reply to
Ken Parkes

Yes, unfortunately I did. Shame really, the drill's great (and it was one of the few that fitted in my meagre budget) but the table is a proper pain in the ar$e! I don't really understand the thinking behind the 2 parallel slot design. Not very flexible at all.

I was hoping not to tinker around like that with it too much (is drilling the table likely to affect the warranty?) but I think you're right, it's the only answer and will allow me to mount a bigger cross-vice than the 3". A 4" vice would be more appropriate for the size of the drill anyway.

Thanks.

Reply to
MG

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