Thanks for an odd service to me. I am not a huge fan of drilling and tapping cast metals. Just a lifetime of bad experiences. It always helps to see somebody perform the function successfully just to let me know its possible and not attributable to luck only. Many Thanks.....
A while back I bought three of these. Took all the best parts from each, machined and massaged everything and even put proper bushes in. Worked as smooth as silk. Reassembled the other two and set them aside to return. Fast forward about 6 months. I got it out recently and I MUST HAVE RETURNED THE ONE I MODIFIED !!!!! Somebody got a hell of a good cross slide vise. I have to start again. Kind of funny now but it still raises my blood pressure thinking about it. Good video.
2 yrs later and I hope you get a chuckle more than high BP, lol.. I used your idea but decided to hold onto the extras. I'm always pushing the limits and breaking something just to see how much it will take. I say I'm using that as a learning experience but I think it's because breaking things is fun. Until it gets expensive, haha.. Thanks for the idea and the solution.
Awesome. I got a 10 inch for Christmas and this milling vice. Now thank goodness I found you here to show me how to set that up. I would have taken the vise back! And always wondered why they built it so it wouldn't fit a drill press! I was looking in reviews and found someone mentioning a hack. So I headed to youtube and typed in harbor freight 10 drill press with vice press. Awesome. Cannot say enough about smart people. They are just smart.
I just purchased the same type vice and lucky for me I came across your video. I made the same modifications and it is very apparent the advantages you had stated.
Another good modification to these XY vices is to drill/tap 2 more holes for gib screws between the 3 it already has in each slide. The 2 extra bolts make the pressure on the gib strip a lot more even along it's length and also helps prevent the slides feeling a bit sloppy at the ends of their travel. If you've already got the right drill and taps, It's a simple mod that makes the whole unit feel a lot less "cheep and tacky" than it is.
Great concept! I'll be doing this to my cheap HF vise that came with a decent Craigslist floor drill press. Just a few more mods I've come up with: The folding handle will be modified to be removable for even more clearance once the work is mounted using a PIT pin in the hinge. I'm going to add a support bushing on the end of the screw shaft to take out the slop. I've added flat needle bearings under the hand cranks already to take out some play. No grease for the reasons you mentioned, but light oil is best as it both lubes and washes out the swarf when you re-oil. The "lock plate" at 3:53 is a gib and is adjusted by the gib screws on the cross slide.
Had a Gander at your "XY Vice show", well done that man, I had a chuckle at a couple of your problems, I have also done mine and used your Video as a Quick reference, which helped me along my way! In my opinion, these vices are worth their weight in gold at the experience we can learn as we correct the "Chinesium Tradesmen Errors", and I also have made a few myself in my past life, and left a few smiles on my "Apprentices" faces! I enjoyed your Company, and your Video, Well done!
Right out of the box without modification they are fine if you place the back side towards the back. That is the side that has no handles. Worked fine for me.
Looking at the vice handle, the arm could be removed and replaced with an adaptor for a 3/8 socket of some sort, or a round stock cut with an insert for a removable handle- just a little less chance of finger banging???
I just mounted mine at an angle, with the vise work clamp handle positioned to the left rear, X handle to the left front, and the Y handle to the right front. I have machined many small parts this way, especially with wood and plastics. Metals are doable, but takes way to long if a lot of material needs to be removed. I have finished 80% Lower receivers for firearms this way. I have even done light turning with it by holding a tool bit in the vise, workpiece in the chuck. Use the Y axis to bring the workpiece on center with the tool, the X axis adjusts the cutting diameter (actually radius, moving .025" will change the diameter by .050. The quill is your feeding direction.
I was going to ask if anyone had done this, or heard of it, done for 80% lowers. I think the milling out part will be easy as my lowers are the Liberator hybrid carbon fiber/polymer lowers from Tennessee Arms. Love them and durable as all get out..
On the vice screw handle, put a bit of pipe that slips over the handle/ screw to keep it out of the way when it hangs down above the other handle below..
FWIW, I simply but an old drill press vice in the jaws of a cheap XY vice and now have XY control and the jaws are oriented parallel to the operator. Works fine on a drill press so far. Too much slop for milling though.
Great idea. I struggled with mine this morning trying to mill down some ears on a Polymer 80 Glock lower. Pissed me off to no end. Grease or no grease?? Mine barely moves without grease. I used never-sleaze as I have a lot of it.
Thanks for posting this video. How did you flatten the end of the vise? On a mill? There are surface protectants like Boeshield T9 that leaves a dry coating of paraffin wax to prevent corrosion and lubricate slow moving surfaces.
Thanks mate i struggled for years with the original configuration just milled a slot and tapped 2 m6 threads tspped 2 m10s in the base brilliant now to get the vice handle out of the way
I just bought one of these vises and I'll probably be doing this mod. The biggest problem is when you and I put a vise intended for a floor model drill press on a smaller benchtop unit. I may also do a video on the unboxing/install/mods, although I haven't done a video in 3-4 years and may not release it on TH-cam. I stopped making videos during the first apocalypse where everyone was demonetized and I realized making a little extra money via filming what I was already doing was going tp take far too much time to 0 reward.
How did you accomplish the "quick, basic flatten across the top" where you flipped the mounting bracket to the other side? Seems a bit much to just file down--did you sand it? Mill it?
Interesting thanks. I mounted one of these to a home made angle bracket on a small lathe last night. The gib strips are fairly awful but I could replace these with brass. Not sure if it's worth the bother. At the end of the day the ways are not even truly parallel. Two runs on a big milling machine with a 60 degree cutter would sort this but where do you stop with this thing? Maybe it should just be considers a kit of parts or castings? Still good value for the money though.thanks again
I get the concept but the instructions are kind of as you may. This is my exact vice and am having the same issue. Who designed these things by the way?
I think it was designed to have the clamp control on the left, x on the right, and y in front. It is also supposed to mount to the base of the press, not there table. This is like trying to reinvent the wheel.
looks great and works, but I am probably wrong because I cannot see it up close, but could you have just rotated 90 degree's. Wondering because I am thinking about that exact one. Thanks for showing how you fixed the issue
Good job , but I think unnecessary. If you had mounted the original vice at 90 degrees you would have achieved the same functionailty and would not have had interference from the two handles.
I have a 20" drill press so no problem. Since watching your video I tried to do what I described and it worked fine with the exception that my HF cross vice has way too much slack in it. I will strip it down and reassemble to see if I can improve it and probably incorporate your suggestion.. Meanwhile I have made 8 carbide tools and made the cut outs with a 4.5' grinder cutting horizontally. Much easier and cheaper.
Cool, but what's wrong with the vise jaws being at 90 degrees from where you now have it? I've been using mine in stock form and have had no problems at all. I'm even pulling off some light milling with mine.
Personally I often clamp work in the vise that would run into my drill press column if I had it like that, in addition having the jaws facing that way is much more intuitive for most people. There's lots of other workarounds like putting it at an angle but in the end this makes the most sense for a long term and ergonomic perspective.
Is there a serious risk that the press chuck assembly will come apart due to new horizontal pressure? I've read that the press is designed to handle vertical pressure for the most part?
That's the bearings, not the chuck. I always thought this was odd because everyone says the bearings aren't made for horizontal load only vertical load, but the bearings in all the drill presses I've taken apart have conventional ball bearings which would be able to handle that side load better than end loading, which seems somewhat contrary to me.
@@mattcc6603 ah, my bad. Thank you for clarifying. Personally I haven't had that issue but I get where you're coming from. Could always drill/tap the top of the taper if theresy a way to install some threaded rod through the spindle shaft I guess.
@@mattcc6603 I love it when smart people who know what they are doing and what they're talking about and can pass on more knowledge.. Thank you, my friend, I was thinking the same thing before reading this.
Literally found a way to use the initial setup of the vise, then spends a half hour of video 'improving' the design by placing the vise and x axis cranks side by side. Amazing
And just saw your part 2, where you then have to further mutilate the vise crank to make it work (when you could just retain the handle out of the way with a rubber band.) You are a genius!
You are the kind of person 99% of us try our hardest to avoid on a day to day basis. Entitlement is not a good look on anybody. Thank you for your time.
The crazy thing is that they make thousands of these and they cannot make improvements. That are such sloppy tolerance issues post casting. It would be a hoot to see the conditions and the people making these. What is worse is people buy them and expect them to be adequate
I can hear the guy that designed it wondering why you aren’t using a proper drill press that you don’t have to re-engineer properly engineered cross-draw drill press vises. His vise is larger than his drill press! WTF?
![[Live สด] การออกรางวัลสลากกินแบ่งรัฐบาล งวดวันที่ 16 ธันวาคม 2567](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dNTiBBthKgQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for an odd service to me. I am not a huge fan of drilling and tapping cast metals. Just a lifetime of bad experiences. It always helps to see somebody perform the function successfully just to let me know its possible and not attributable to luck only. Many Thanks.....
A while back I bought three of these. Took all the best parts from each, machined and massaged everything and even put proper bushes in. Worked as smooth as silk. Reassembled the other two and set them aside to return. Fast forward about 6 months. I got it out recently and I MUST HAVE RETURNED THE ONE I MODIFIED !!!!! Somebody got a hell of a good cross slide vise. I have to start again. Kind of funny now but it still raises my blood pressure thinking about it. Good video.
2 yrs later and I hope you get a chuckle more than high BP, lol.. I used your idea but decided to hold onto the extras. I'm always pushing the limits and breaking something just to see how much it will take. I say I'm using that as a learning experience but I think it's because breaking things is fun. Until it gets expensive, haha.. Thanks for the idea and the solution.
😂
So that’s what happened! Thanks for modding mine before I bought it 🤣🤣🤣
Awesome. I got a 10 inch for Christmas and this milling vice. Now thank goodness I found you here to show me how to set that up. I would have taken the vise back! And always wondered why they built it so it wouldn't fit a drill press! I was looking in reviews and found someone mentioning a hack. So I headed to youtube and typed in harbor freight 10 drill press with vice press. Awesome. Cannot say enough about smart people. They are just smart.
Less than 10 minutes and the efficiency is improved 100%. Awesome advice and the metal is soft enough to drill and thread without any hiccups.
4 years later and still very useful. Thanks for the helpful tip!
I just purchased the same type vice and lucky for me I came across your video. I made the same modifications and it is very apparent the advantages you had stated.
Did this last night to my Harbor Freight cross-slide! SO MUCH BETTER! Thanks for the step-by-step, worked like a charm!
Another good modification to these XY vices is to drill/tap 2 more holes for gib screws between the 3 it already has in each slide. The 2 extra bolts make the pressure on the gib strip a lot more even along it's length and also helps prevent the slides feeling a bit sloppy at the ends of their travel.
If you've already got the right drill and taps, It's a simple mod that makes the whole unit feel a lot less "cheep and tacky" than it is.
Great concept! I'll be doing this to my cheap HF vise that came with a decent Craigslist floor drill press. Just a few more mods I've come up with: The folding handle will be modified to be removable for even more clearance once the work is mounted using a PIT pin in the hinge. I'm going to add a support bushing on the end of the screw shaft to take out the slop. I've added flat needle bearings under the hand cranks already to take out some play. No grease for the reasons you mentioned, but light oil is best as it both lubes and washes out the swarf when you re-oil. The "lock plate" at 3:53 is a gib and is adjusted by the gib screws on the cross slide.
I watched this last week and did it later that day. A great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?
Had a Gander at your "XY Vice show", well done that man, I had a chuckle at a couple of your problems, I have also done mine and used your Video as a Quick reference, which helped me
along my way!
In my opinion, these vices are worth their weight in gold at the experience we can learn as
we correct the "Chinesium Tradesmen Errors", and I also have made a few myself in my past
life, and left a few smiles on my "Apprentices" faces!
I enjoyed your Company, and your Video, Well done!
Been trying to fix this problem for 3 years….thank you
Up date
I did your clever engineering job.
I now have a cross vice that works correctly.
Thanks again👍💯
Thank you for the video. Found your video after I placed an order for this vise. Will do the necessary modification once it arrive. Great help 😃
Right out of the box without modification they are fine if you place the back side towards the back. That is the side that has no handles. Worked fine for me.
I think the purpose of this mod is to clamp in longer bits of stock by going sideways.
FANTASTIC!!!!!! Thanks I’ll be doing this project today. Thanks for specifying the tap size, it helps.
You mightbe able to put a piece of heat shrink tube over the vice handle (the one for the clamp)To keep it straight yet still bend it when needed.
Looking at the vice handle, the arm could be removed and replaced with an adaptor for a 3/8 socket of some sort, or a round stock cut with an insert for a removable handle- just a little less chance of finger banging???
I removed the handle and rigged up a socket on it and pinned a nut on the threaded part similar to the way an expensive machinist vise is.
A plastic tube that slides over the handle then slide forward over the joint.
I can hear the guy that designed that vise banging his head on the wall because he didn't think of that! :) Great hack my good man!
thanks,
G.
I just mounted mine at an angle, with the vise work clamp handle positioned to the left rear, X handle to the left front, and the Y handle to the right front. I have machined many small parts this way, especially with wood and plastics. Metals are doable, but takes way to long if a lot of material needs to be removed. I have finished 80% Lower receivers for firearms this way. I have even done light turning with it by holding a tool bit in the vise, workpiece in the chuck. Use the Y axis to bring the workpiece on center with the tool, the X axis adjusts the cutting diameter (actually radius, moving .025" will change the diameter by .050. The quill is your feeding direction.
I was going to ask if anyone had done this, or heard of it, done for 80% lowers. I think the milling out part will be easy as my lowers are the Liberator hybrid carbon fiber/polymer lowers from Tennessee Arms. Love them and durable as all get out..
I have the same problem with my vice.
Looking forward to modifie using your wonderful video. Can't wait to make chips on the modified vice.
Cheers 👍🏆
Dude thank you so much I have the same setup and it pisses me off I’m doing this to mine tomorrow great video bro
It took me a while to re-jig the same unit as you've got to fit on my drill plate also, but it's quite a good cheap vice. 👍🏻🇦🇺😁
On the vice screw handle, put a bit of pipe that slips over the handle/ screw to keep it out of the way when it hangs down above the other handle below..
That vice is on my list to get,now I know what it needs when I do. 😎😎👍
Just did this modification today, thanks for the video!
FWIW, I simply but an old drill press vice in the jaws of a cheap XY vice and now have XY control and the jaws are oriented parallel to the operator. Works fine on a drill press so far. Too much slop for milling though.
Great idea. I struggled with mine this morning trying to mill down some ears on a Polymer 80 Glock lower. Pissed me off to no end. Grease or no grease?? Mine barely moves without grease. I used never-sleaze as I have a lot of it.
i just bought a 4 inch one from trade tools. im going to have a go at changing it over too!
Thanks for posting this video. How did you flatten the end of the vise? On a mill?
There are surface protectants like Boeshield T9 that leaves a dry coating of paraffin wax to prevent corrosion and lubricate slow moving surfaces.
You sir, are a genius! Thank you so so so much. I never would have thought of that
Great video. Worked perfectly. Thanks for posting👍
Thanks mate i struggled for years with the original configuration just milled a slot and tapped 2 m6 threads tspped 2 m10s in the base brilliant now to get the vice handle out of the way
Copied your setup and it works well. Thanks for the idea.
Thanks for this! This is the exact same model of vise I have, and it has the same problem
i was certain that you were going to find the slide knob ran into the clamp rod.
lol... i'm glade i was wrong for your sake. nice job.
I just bought one of these vises and I'll probably be doing this mod. The biggest problem is when you and I put a vise intended for a floor model drill press on a smaller benchtop unit. I may also do a video on the unboxing/install/mods, although I haven't done a video in 3-4 years and may not release it on TH-cam. I stopped making videos during the first apocalypse where everyone was demonetized and I realized making a little extra money via filming what I was already doing was going tp take far too much time to 0 reward.
Try a couple coats of a good hard wax. CI takes wax very well and it will move very smoothly and not collect swarf.
How did you accomplish the "quick, basic flatten across the top" where you flipped the mounting bracket to the other side? Seems a bit much to just file down--did you sand it? Mill it?
Hey! Would anyone please explain the proper use of the gib adjustment screws? When I wind the vise it always pushes the gib out.
Interesting thanks. I mounted one of these to a home made angle bracket on a small lathe last night. The gib strips are fairly awful but I could replace these with brass. Not sure if it's worth the bother. At the end of the day the ways are not even truly parallel. Two runs on a big milling machine with a 60 degree cutter would sort this but where do you stop with this thing? Maybe it should just be considers a kit of parts or castings? Still good value for the money though.thanks again
I get the concept but the instructions are kind of as you may. This is my exact vice and am having the same issue. Who designed these things by the way?
I think it was designed to have the clamp control on the left, x on the right, and y in front. It is also supposed to mount to the base of the press, not there table. This is like trying to reinvent the wheel.
That's how it seemed to me too.
looks great and works, but I am probably wrong because I cannot see it up close, but could you have just rotated 90 degree's.
Wondering because I am thinking about that exact one. Thanks for showing how you fixed the issue
Thanks for sharing, Great Tip!!!
Bought one at HFT, open box, $38.00 and you are correct, needs mod to work on the drill press...
What size do you tap the holes too?
Can i ask what is the specs of the lock plate ?
What did u use to notch the bottom to make clearance?
Good idea thanks, may try this myself. What about a dry lube? Teflon spray etc?
I've heard of people using chainsaw or motorcycle chain oil, sticks to the metal well and designed to work in dirty environments.
Good job , but I think unnecessary. If you had mounted the original vice at 90 degrees you would have achieved the same functionailty and would not have had interference from the two handles.
That's for small objects, but whats the longest distance you could drill from the edge of work piece before it hits your drill press column?
I have a 20" drill press so no problem. Since watching your video I tried to do what I described and it worked fine with the exception that my HF cross vice has way too much slack in it. I will strip it down and reassemble to see if I can improve it and probably incorporate your suggestion.. Meanwhile I have made 8 carbide tools and made the cut outs with a 4.5' grinder cutting horizontally. Much easier and cheaper.
i mount mine on the diagonal to the column (making a 'x' on my table).
the bit (mill) is round so any direction is 'in line' with it.
Has anyone seen a HF type table drill press modified to work with dyes on leather or card stock for a hobbyist?
I don't suppose you did a video of the machining/finishing of the vice required prior to reassembly?? Great info regardless, thanks man
I purchased this vice: WEN 414 CV 4.25 inches from Amazon USA; $64.99
how many inches is this cross slide vise? 5" or 6" ?
Would it not have been easier and better to reverse the bottom slide bolt???????
Cool, but what's wrong with the vise jaws being at 90 degrees from where you now have it? I've been using mine in stock form and have had no problems at all. I'm even pulling off some light milling with mine.
Personally I often clamp work in the vise that would run into my drill press column if I had it like that, in addition having the jaws facing that way is much more intuitive for most people. There's lots of other workarounds like putting it at an angle but in the end this makes the most sense for a long term and ergonomic perspective.
Ill give one a shot but I wouldn't trust it with my life on a mill good hack will do the same when I get mine
Thanks, will be doing this!
Nice idea. Well done.
Can you put the link for purchase this please? Thanks.
Is there a serious risk that the press chuck assembly will come apart due to new horizontal pressure? I've read that the press is designed to handle vertical pressure for the most part?
That's the bearings, not the chuck. I always thought this was odd because everyone says the bearings aren't made for horizontal load only vertical load, but the bearings in all the drill presses I've taken apart have conventional ball bearings which would be able to handle that side load better than end loading, which seems somewhat contrary to me.
@@lazyh-online4839 I think he may have read about the Morse taper not having a drawbar and letting go under lateral pressure when milling.
@@mattcc6603 ah, my bad. Thank you for clarifying. Personally I haven't had that issue but I get where you're coming from. Could always drill/tap the top of the taper if theresy a way to install some threaded rod through the spindle shaft I guess.
@@lazyh-online4839 Here's a man who's done just that;
th-cam.com/video/WTddfNtgnWE/w-d-xo.html
Best wishes to you.
@@mattcc6603 I love it when smart people who know what they are doing and what they're talking about and can pass on more knowledge.. Thank you, my friend, I was thinking the same thing before reading this.
what ebayer did you get this from?
did you look at the aluminium ones?
크로스 바이스를 잘못 올려 놓았네요! 현재 위치에서 오른편 방향으로 방향을 바꾸시면 될텐데, 착각하셨습니다!
Why can’t you mill in the other direction so you didn’t have to change? Just got one so here I am.
Literally found a way to use the initial setup of the vise, then spends a half hour of video 'improving' the design by placing the vise and x axis cranks side by side.
Amazing
And just saw your part 2, where you then have to further mutilate the vise crank to make it work (when you could just retain the handle out of the way with a rubber band.)
You are a genius!
You are the kind of person 99% of us try our hardest to avoid on a day to day basis. Entitlement is not a good look on anybody. Thank you for your time.
Great was about to get one of these. And now am completely annoyed. Not doing all that to make if fit. Not unless they want lower the price 50%
Great work!
Great Job, Thanks
When you taped it did you use Standard or metric?
Could not quite make out what you said in the video
Would it matter?
Hack complete! Thx, good one.
People are missing the true point you don't need the upper carriage the other way the unit was not intended to have long pieces going left to right
Thank you
great job
Good idea!
Thanks god bless
Take off the handle and weld a Nut ..
Great mod.
🍻🍻👍👍
not worth it...even as a beginner there are better machinery options
Please list those options, including manufacturer, model # and URLs where they can be found.
The crazy thing is that they make thousands of these and they cannot make improvements. That are such sloppy tolerance issues post casting. It would be a hoot to see the conditions and the people making these. What is worse is people buy them and expect them to be adequate
I can hear the guy that designed it wondering why you aren’t using a proper drill press that you don’t have to re-engineer properly engineered cross-draw drill press vises.
His vise is larger than his drill press! WTF?
This is ridiculous how terrible the manufacturing is on these. Even the Wilton's are junk for $800.