Home built Float Lock Vice with Quick Set Fixed Jaw

[Mark Presling]

A Float Lock Vice is a type of clamping mechanism for a drill press that is quick and easy to locate but which also holds parts down firmly. The problem with conventional drill vices is that you really need to bolt them down to the drill press table to prevent them from spinning or lifting if the drill bit snags the material during the drilling operation. Typically, this will happen when the drill bit is breaking through the bottom surface of the stock. At worst, it can cause significant hand and finger injuries or a the other end of the scale it can result in bent or broken drill bits or damage to the part being drilled.
The float lock vice allows the part to be quickly located under the drill spindle axis and then locked with a single screw clamp. It can also hold round, square, rectangular or sheet stock securely. It can also be presented in both horizontal and vertical positions quickly and easily.
My home build version uses three aluminium castings and all the remaining parts can be made on a modest size metal lathe and a turret style milling machine. The castings are not necessary and the cast parts could be machined from billet steel or aluminium.
Check out the YouTube series for the full build. The drawings can be downloaded for free and the link is in the last video in the series.
Regards,
Mark Presling