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Hi,

I'd like your advise. I was thinking about getting a cross-sliding vise. I found several on Amazon, like the Woodstock D4082 4-Inch for $70. I also saw a Grizzly G1064 4" on their site for $50 (plus shipping).

While looking around I also discovered xy tables, like the Proxxon 27100 Micro Compound KT 70 ($100 at Amazon).

To a novice the cross-sliding vise and xy table do essentially the same thing. But they are obviously different designs, optimized for different uses. So what is each one traditionally used for? In our hobby, when would you use one versus the other?

On a 1 to 10 machinist scale I'm a maybe a 2. The metal work I've done is pretty trivial. Things like adding brass tubing as an axle carrier on an old Strombecker chassis, or making a guide flag sleeve (soldered to an old brass chassis or press-fit into a modern plastic chassis). I do everything pretty much with hand tools and my Dremel (the Model No. 2 kit I got in the '60s!).

To give you more insight into my skill level, I've never removed a chuck from a drill. I've read that there are a few ways a chuck is secured (a tapered or threaded spindle or a tapered shank arbor) and that with one of the ways (the tapered spindle) it's not safe to do milling. Talk at that level is mostly Greek to me.

You can also search for posts from oz10k, there are only a handfull. That would give you a good idea of my skill level.

Whatever I buy I'll use with my 8" Craftsman drill press. I primarily want it to simplify drilling, i.e. to make it easier to get the piece I'm drilling in the exact location I want. I don't think I'll try any milling, and if I do it would only be on plastic (modern chassis).

For the low-end vises, everything I've read recommends disassembling the vise and cleaning it up. For non-critical tolerance work, is this really necessary? How difficult is it? My fear is that I'd make things worse (not knowing what I should/shouldn't do) or not even be able to put it back together.

If you do recommend the cross-sliding vise, is 4" sufficient for slot car work?

Thanks, I really do appreciate your help!

Ron

The Grizzly would be good enough, minimal moving parts they can't hardely screw that up in production....Use it on a drill press- lathe- milling machine etc...

From 30 + years of wood exp. The Delta-Rockwell Griz knockoffs Table saws are a joke don't buy Grizz unless you keep it simple...

I had the Proxxon and it was very precise. I wish I had not given it away when I got my mill. You have to get the proper clamps to hold down the work.

This one has one set of clamps with it. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Proxxon-Micro-C ... 4897.l4275

IMHO, you will be fine with a cross-slide vise. I do some woodworking and tolerances aren't as critical with wood so cross-slide is fine there too.
Generally the x-y table will have finer adjustment for more precise work than a cross-slide vise will have, at least on the low end vises.

But the advice on the quality is correct......if you some day want to do precision work, you will want the x-y table instead.
With a Craftsman drill press (unless it's a really old one) the vise will be fine.

I bought a 4" cross-slide but it was way too big for my drill stand. It wasn't the base size that was the problem but the height. I onsold it and have yet to buy a replacement.

It might not be a good idea to use a drill press as a milling machine, the bearing is not designed to take any sidewise force. You probably would be OK if you were milling a soft material or the endmill was a smaller size.

Thanks guys!

I've got a bit over 11" of working height with my drill press and the vise is a bit over 5" (taller than I thought). That should leave enough space for almost everything I do. So I think I'll start with the vise.

Ron

Actually, using a drill press for milling is not a good idea. The spindle bearings are not designed for it.
Both styles of vise are used for drilling multiple holes on accurate centers. The X-Y type cross slide
systems let you work in two planes and ensure that hole patterns are at exactly 90 degrees.

I was thinking about the problem of making a cheap mill for cutting plastic. I have a mill so this is just a mental exercise but may be worth it for others.

I have a Harbor Freight clone of the Fordham carving tool. http://www.harborfreight.com/flexible-s ... 40432.html It is made to take lateral stresses that would kill the bearings on a drill press. Could it be hooked up to one of those stands that make Dremel into a drill press? Add an X-Y table or vise and you have a cheap mill.

if all your going to do is mill thin plastic with a 1\8-3\16 end mill I dont see you doing damage to a drill press

True, but people have hubris and get carried away and say it won't hurt. At least, I get carried away.

ddyke's post got me thinking. Couldn't you put together a fairly low cost mill with following from Amazon (free shipping):

Dremel 220-01 Rotary Tool Work Station - $45
Dremel 200-1/15 Two-Speed Rotary Tool Kit - $45
4" Cross Slide Drill Press Vise Metal Milling Machine - $47

But I'm not sure how well the vise would fit, it looks like the work station isn't very big. And is two speeds (15,000 or 35,000) good enough (to mill plastic and maybe light brass)?

Ron

OZ10K

add $50 and have the x Y table.