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+-- Thread: Cross vise question (/showthread.php?tid=7078857)
Cross vise question - jihhwood - 08-20-2015
A friend moved away and gave me a cross vise. I am embarrassed to say that I don't know how to use it. I have used a floor mounted drill press for several years, but always made do with simple drillpress clamps. I realize the cross vise allows for very precise work.....but is that it's only advantage? Are there specific uses that a person new to a cross vise might not be aware of? Thanks in advance.
Re: Cross vise question - daddo - 08-20-2015
Do you mean a milling vise?
A good milling vise is used on a mill to hold stock secure and precisely for milling. On a drill press, it may just be in the way.
I do have a two slide (Harbor freight) cheap vise in the drill press I like.
I keep the good vise in the milling machine.
Re: Cross vise question - bennybmn - 08-20-2015
It's nice if you want to drill a few holes in a very straight line or very specific square/rectangular pattern. Basically use it like an etch-a-sketch.
Re: Cross vise question - mike4244 - 08-20-2015
A cross vise can move in two directions making centering a work piece easy. Centering is only one advantage, I use a cross slide vise on a DP almost every day. For instance, this morning I needed to bore 12 holes in a piece of steel,and tap them for 8/32.After installing the steel piece I moved the cross vise to the first hole. Locked both X and Y axis and bored ,then tapped each hole. I did not need to reposition the workpiece or the vice.Without a cross slide vise I would have to reposition the work for each hole.
Many other uses, such as travel for overhead router,etc. Router bit in a drill chuck is usually a no no,okay for light duty cuts that do not require the best finish,like a dado.
mike
Re: Cross vise question - jihhwood - 08-23-2015
Thank you, especially for the examples you provided. With my better understanding, I can now make sensible use of the tool.