Using a drill press on a mill.

[Chris123Participant @chris123]

I have to face some aluminium flats that are too wide for my milling vice.

I'm wondering if I can use a drill press vice.

What is the flatness of these like? If I put something in the drill vice on the milling table is it going to be reasonably level? Or will the drill vice need facing on the mill to be level enough to use?

 

Thanks,

Edited By Chris123 on 18/08/2013 17:35:30

[Chris123Participant @chris123]

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

A lot depends on the quality of the drill vice a cheapie is likely to have a lot of lift in the movable jaw so you will need to tap it down well onto parallels but even then if the base of the vice is not true your work won't be either. If its longer than the vice width then think about putting the parallels on the mill table either side and just use the vice to hold the work a bit like this

Can you not clamp straight to the mill table?

Edited By JasonB on 18/08/2013 18:04:00

[Chris123Participant @chris123]

Hi, it's the width of the pice that's too wide, my milling vice won't open enough to hold the work, although that idea would work with a drill vice I guess!

it can't easily be clamped as the entire top need to be faced, I think I'd have to move the clamps halfway through.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

One of Harold Hall's low profile clamps might do the trick. here and another style here.

Neil

[Chris123Participant @chris123]

Yes, they would probably work thanks!

The flats are going to be 6mm high when finished, so if I use some 6mm steel for those clamps and use M4 grubscrews, then taper the edge of the clamp nearest the work it should be ok!

Both links are the same BTW, what should the other one be?

[Harold Hall 1Participant @haroldhall1]

I think perhaps your second link Neil was intende to be this **LINK**

Harold

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Can you remove the vice jaws to give you a bit more width

[Chris123Participant @chris123]

Yes!

That might just be enough!

Thanks.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Can you not clamp the aluminium down to the table, that's how I do most of my work. Ian S C

[Chris123Participant @chris123]

I made some clamps as per the link in the end and they work very well, even on a lathe at 2000rpm

As I use aluminium the grub screws dig into the alumium a bit to hold stop it coming off the lathe. As I origionaly made it for the mill the holes are in the wrong place for the lathe faceplate. I will make some more better suited to the lathe and use all four to ensure the work doesn't fly off the lathe!

I got the sides of this aluminium plate with 0.02 of being parralel with these clamps, they work very well!

Edited By Chris123 on 26/08/2013 19:24:27

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