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Where is the best place to get a small vise for the mini-mill cheap?

eBay, in the Home > All Categories > Business & Industrial > Metalworking Equipment category. At least, that's where I usually see em. Good Luck!

Dave
 
You may want to rethink buying a "cheap" vise. I'm sure that you have heard the expression-you get what you pay for. My rule of thumb is that if a tool is something that I will use often or must be accurate, I buy the best that I can afford. If the tool only gets used once in a while, I may settle for something less expensive.
A vise for a milling machine needs to be accurate. Any small deviations in your setup will translate directly to the piece you are working on. Small deviations multiply quickly until you find that you are making more scrap than finnished parts.
 
Like Ed said, buy the BEST VISE you can afford..............

most of those vises in the catalogs..... frankly arent worth having!

sorry, but thats the truth.

Of course this is dependent upon what you are doing, but most of the cheaper vises have no provision for the deflection (up down back and forth) of the movable jaw.
 
What Tom said. MSC has a good selection of the type of vise that provides 1/2 ft pound of torque down, for every pound closing. But, for Gods sake, don't get the 6"model. It will be bigger and weigh more than the table. ;) :eek:
 
Within reason, get the best machine vise you can find that will fit your mill well as a general purpose vise. Also look for a smaller, more precise vise, and a larger vise for those almost too large work pieces.

I have five vises ranging in size from almost too small too almost too large for the mill I use them on. The general purpose vise is used about 90 percent with about 10 percent spread across the other four.

Good machine vises are expensive because it requires design and close machining in there manufacure to ensure the clamped work piece be and remain parallel during clamping and chatter.

Roger
 
hehe $90 is about all I can afford right now:( this one does have the gizmo to keep the jaws down and aligned. I was going to get a small 2" or 3" vise but one of the projects I'm working on right now calls for more so I opted for the 4" as thats about the bigest I'm gonna fit on this machine. I'll get a smaller one later. Now I just need to find a rotary table and tilt table at a good price.
 
the big brown truck just came and dropped off my vise. HOLY CRAP This thing is huge :eek: !! My 4" drill press vise isn't half this big! It is the same size as the table! Maybe a little bigger! It should fit though. I think:) I guess in some cases bigger isn't better. Nah:D I'll make it work:D
 
ok I stuck it on there and yes it is bigger than the table but it fits. Barely:D looks funny though, I couldn't stop laughing when I was trying it out:)
 
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