Youth Explore Trades Skills

Metal Work – Machining 

Build a Drill Press Vise

Introduction
This activity plan will develop the student’s machining and metalworking skills as they fabricate a
multi-piece steel vise. The project will encompass basic lathe operations, layout procedures, drill
press operations, slot milling and face milling, and oil or chemical blackening finish painting or
powder-coat finishing process. The student will also perform GMAW welding.

Lesson Objectives
The student will be able to:
• Use a machine lathe to face off, centre drill, cut threads, knurl, turn to diameter, and file
in a scrolling 3-jaw chuck, and do facing, boring, and reaming in an independent 4- jaw
chuck
• Lay out hole locations for drilling
• Use a drill press with a drill press vise to pilot drill, bore, and ream to a given nominal size
• Cut stock steel using a band saw
• Use a milling machine to face mill, slot mill, and perform combined use of indexing head
and end milling
• Complete oil or chemical blackening, painting, or powder coating finish processes
• V-groove, tack weld, and fillet weld the frame components using the GMAW process

Assumptions
The student will already know:
• Hand tool safety
• Measurement
• Basic layout techniques
• Names and usages of layout and hand tools
• Basic GMAW technique

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

Terminology
End mill: a type of cutting tool different from a drill bit in that it can generally cut in all directions.
An end mill creates a flat surface on the sides along the same axis as the spindle.
Face off: a process performed on a lathe in which irregularities on the face of an object are
removed so that the face is at a 90-degree angle (right angle) to the object’s sides.
Face mill: a cutting tool with blades along the bottom or sides, used to shape the face of an
object.
Knurl: a process where a pattern of straight, crossed, or angled lines is cut or rolled into a metal
surface, resulting in a series of small ridges or beads that aid in gripping
Live centre: a part of a lathe that holds and revolves with the work piece. Usually refers to the
headstock centre.
Reamer: a rotary cutting tool used to enlarge a previously cut hole to a high precision.
Swarf: metal debris left as a result of a machining operation.
Tailstock: the movable part of a lathe that supports the dead centre.
V-groove: a type of butt joint in which the edges of two pieces of metal are both cut at an angle
and form a V-shaped groove when they are placed together.

Estimated Time
25 hours

Recommended Number of Students

20, based on the BC Technology Educators’ Best Practices Guide

Facilities
Metal shop as per the BC Technology Educators’ Best Practices Guide

Tools and Equipment

• Drill bits: bell end centre drills with 5⁄16" body, ⅛" tip
• HSS twist drills: 3⁄16", 15⁄32", 7⁄32 ", 21⁄32 ", 39⁄64 "
• ¼" transfer punch
• Taps: ¼-28NF plug tap, ¾"-6 Acme tandem tap or ¾"-10NC plug tap
• Layout tools, including height gauge, centre punch, scribe, dividers, layout dye, layout
hammer
• Hacksaw, bench vise, flat file, mill file, de-burring tool, cold chisel
• Drill press

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Metal Work – Machining Build a Drill Press Vise

• Chucking reamers: ½", 1"

• Machine lathe, knurling head, LH tool holder/bit, 3- and 4-jaw chucks, ⅜" square tool bit
• Acme threading gauge
• Belt machine with 60 g and 120 g belts
• Vertical milling machine with tooling: 2"+facing mill, ¾"+ end mill, indexing head
• T-slot clamping kit for milling machine
• Bench grinder, wire wheel
• Chemical blackening kit or oxy-fuel torch and used motor oil
• Paint or powder-coating equipment

Materials
Note: All parts can be pre-cut except the bronze bushing and jaw spacer plate.

Frame
• 2 – 1.5 × 1.5 × ¼ × 9" angle iron (rails)
• 3 – 1.5 × 1.5 × ¼ × 4.5" angle iron
• 1 – 1 × 1 × 2" solid (jaw block)
• 1 – 1.25 × 1.25 × 2" solid (nut block)
• 1 – 1.5 × ¼ × 2.5" flat bar (jaw retainer)
• 1 – 1.5 × ¼ × 1.6" approx. (jaw spacer)
• Spindle: 1 – ¾ × 13" round
• Bronze nut: 1 – 1¼ × 2" cast silicon bronze
• Jaws: 2 – 1½ × ⅜ × 4⅝" flat bar – MS or aluminum
Fasteners
• 1 – 3⁄16 × ¾" RH plain rivet
• ⁄ × 1" split roll pin
3 16

• 2 – ¼"-28 × 1" socket head bolts with ¼" lock washers

• 4 – ¼"-28 × ⅝" button head sockets

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

Teacher-led Activity
Demonstrate the following steps to fabricate a multi-piece steel vise. Students will then each
make their own vise.

Bronze ¾-6 Acme nut

1. Face off end. Turn bronze to 1.000 × 1.5 long, leave 3⁄16" × 1.2" diameter shoulder at top end,
part off.

2. Reverse nut in lathe chuck, centre drill, pilot drill at ¼", bore through at 39⁄64".

3. Set lathe feed to 6 TPI, remove tool post, set rpm to about 50, align tandem Acme ¾-6 tap
with live centre in tailstock, turn 3 revolutions by hand, keeping tap in contact with live centre
while running through. Posi-drive with tap bar or wrench.

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Completed bronze nut with chamfered edges

Spindle
1. 0.750 HRMS × 13"

Faced and centre drilled both ends

2. One end turned to 0.500 D × ¾ long

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

3. Turn spindle to 0.740+/–0.002 diameter × 6.5¾ long. Beginning from the shoulder, cut relief
groove 0.070" deep × 0.150" wide.

4. Cutting Acme ¾-6 × 6.5" long

Set lathe to about 150 rpm, gear box to 6 TPI, compound slide at 14.5 degrees.

First cut at 0.025” deep on compound engage threading dial at appropriate increment for a 6
TPI thread as per lathe make and model. Use Sulflo or equivalent heavy duty cutting fluid.

5. Subsequent cuts are made at these depths:

• 2nd: 0.012"
• 3rd–5th: 0.008"
• 6th–11th: 0.005"
• 12th and subsequent cuts: 0.002", until 0.095" is registered on the compound slide dial.

Test fit bronze nut only after filing, then cleaning spindle of all burrs and swarf. Final cut: Do
not advance compound but rather recut, file, clean, and check fit with bronze nut. Do not
remove from chuck until a final fit is established.

6. File threads to de-burr flats and edges. Fit Acme nut to threads.

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7. Mill ¾ × 0.245 deep in two stages 3⁄16" from end of threaded section. Use indexing head with
tailstock for 180-degree rotation. Band-saw off handle section at handle end of flats.

8. Coarse knurl 3" of handle end, groove at termination of knurl, chamfer end.

9. Set handle on mill bed T-slot using a clamp. Insert and tighten a ¼" carbide end mill into the
collet chuck. Mark edge ⅜" from end with rotating ¼" EM to form a shallow “football” mark.
Zero the cross slide (y-axis dial) and raise and centre bit (0.500" y-axis motion), lock y-axis
in place.

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

10. Make ¾" long × ⅛" depth cuts: set auto stop, and feed at 3–4 IPM. Flood-cool the end mill.

Make successive ⅛" passes until end mill is through the diameter of the handle.

11. Centre-punch the spindle handle on the “football” mark. Align in vise V-jaw ensuring that
tongue is level, then slid handle over spindle and clamp tightly.

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Metal Work – Machining Build a Drill Press Vise

12. Drill through 3⁄16", counter-bore ⅜" diameter × ⅛" depth on one side and counter sink on
other.

13. Round off ends of spindle and handle to semi-circular. Test fit with a 3⁄16" × ¾" round head
rivet so that 90-degree motion right and left is possible.

14. Fasten together with 3⁄16 × ¾" plain rivet: Slide through counter-bore side first, peen into
countersunk area, then blend to radius using a mill file.

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

Vise Frame
1. Use band saw to cut 1.5 × 1.5 × 0.0250 angle iron to 2@9", 3@4.5" lengths.

2. V-groove the corners for welding and belt-sand sliding surfaces.

V-grind two jaws on bench grinder; belt one jaw smooth on one outer face.

3. V-groove ends of side rails for welding; belt on top surface only.

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4. Clamp rails to mill bed using a clamp kit. Mill all longitudinal edges of rails at 650 rpm using
3" carbide facing mill, –1.5 mm cut. Power feed at about 8–10 IPM or 200 mm/min.

5. Spindle blocks: cut one of each piece on the band saw: 1 × 1 × 2", 1¼ × 1¼ × 2".

6. Face off on 4-jaw chucks.

7. Mark centre lines around each block using digital height gauge (measure height and divide
by two).

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

8. Grind off one edge of both blocks to allow blocks to sit tightly against the angle iron. Chamfer
ends of blocks using a flat file.

9. Clamp and weld blocks to 4.5" angle iron, centred with:

• 1¼" square to V-ground piece (spindle nut boss)
• 1" square to sanded smooth piece (sliding jaw)

10. Set the welding unit for ⅜" thick stock corresponding to wire diameter and constitution of the
shielding gas. Fillet weld ends of blocks only to angle iron.

11. Mark height line 0.750" from bottom of angle iron on face of both blocks (V-groove side down
for spindle boss and sanded side down for sliding jaw).

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12. Centre-punch along centre line at intersections and at 0.270 offset from centre line for the
sliding jaw retaining pin.

13. Drilling the sliding jaw:

1. Pilot drill all holes 3⁄16" @ 1500 rpm, through.

2. Drill jaw offset hole first 0.270" from C-line (sanded side down). Drill centre spindle hole at
15⁄32" @ 800 rpm, ream to ½" @ 400 rpm. Note: Jaw must be level in the drill press vise to

ensure the hole is perpendicular to the jaw’s smooth-ground side.

14. Lay out and centre-punch holes for jaw plates 0.625" from bottom and ends of the fixed and
sliding jaws.

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

15. Drill both jaws ¼" through for jaw plates.

16. Drill retaining pin hole in spindle nut holder. Offset by about 0.540" from centre line and drill
through using a 3⁄16" bit. This hole is from opposite the V-grooved side of the piece.

17. Align large block in a 4-jaw chuck at centre-punch mark using live centre. Centre drill, pilot
drill through at 5⁄16", drill out at 31⁄32 " at about 300 rpm, ream to 1" at about 150 rpm. Note the
position of ground V-grooves.

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18. Spindle nut holder completed

Note that the weld V-grooved edge is down!

19. Frame assembly:

Ensure nut boss and fixed jaw are square and flush to the rails, then firmly hold in place
with locking pliers. Tack weld at three locations of lap joint to one rail only.

20. Construct sliding jaw spacer and retainer from ¼" × 1.5 stock. Spacer to have parallel
ground edges, about 1.6" long. Use spacer to position second rail, then clamp and tack weld
rail in place.

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

21. Grind spacer V-groove, position sliding jaw using spindle and nut, then tack weld spacer in
position.

22. Remove sliding jaw from frame. Fill weld the V-groove and grind weld flush with edges.

23. Retainer to be about 2.5" long. Temporarily tack weld to spacer. Cover spindle when
welding.

24. Drill retaining pin holes (3⁄16") through the entire assembly from top of sliding jaw while having
the spindle tightly in place. Drill two holes 7⁄32" × 1.5 deep for retaining plate bolts. These are
located ⅜" from the front edge of the sliding jaw and 3⁄16" toward the centre from the inner
edges of the sliding frame rails.

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Metal Work – Machining Build a Drill Press Vise

25. Remove retaining plate using a cold chisel and hammer. Drill out all holes in plate to ¼", tap
two 7⁄32" holes only, ¼-28NF × ¾" deep in the sliding jaw.

26. Remove spindle assembly and turn retaining groove at 0.500" end with forming tool only
removing entire felt-penned drill mark.

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

27. Jaw plates: ⅜" × ⅛" longer than vise width, two pieces. Place ⅛ × ¾ × 4" spacer under
plates, position, and then tighten in place. Use a ¼" transfer punch to mark hole placement.

28. Drill plates 7⁄32" and tap ¼-28 NF through.

29. Option: V-groove fixed jaw plate on milling machine: ¾" end mill at 45 degrees, 4.0 mm
deep.

30. Pulse weld frame; MIG set at 21.5 V and 425 wire feed or manufacturer’s specification for ⅜"
material. Alternate side to side filling in the V-grooves and fillets.

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31. Drill 25⁄64" holes ⅝" in from edge and end, four corners. Countersink to de-burr holes top and
bottom.

32. Face mill sides, ends, and top of jaw plates to square off frame.

33. Mill the ends or grind and file flat.

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

Finishing
1. Cut off corners of frame at nut boss end using a hacksaw. De-burr and chamfer all edges
using a file.

2. Bead blast all frame components clean.

3. Mask off contact areas on the sliding jaw and rails.

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Metal Work – Machining Build a Drill Press Vise

4. Paint or powder coat frame. If powder-coating, remember to remove tape while hot!

5. Handle may be painted or powder-coated rather than blackened. Do not paint or powder-coat
past the handle.

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Build a Drill Press Vise Metal Work – Machining

Assembly
1. Secure jaw plates to both fixed and sliding jaws using ¼NF × ⅝" round socket head bolts.

2. Secure sliding jaw to frame with retaining plate using ¼NF × 1" socket head bolts with lock
washers.

3. Thread spindle through nut and into sliding jaw. Insert 3⁄16" roll pin using a drift punch and
hammer. Split side of roll pin should face away from the rotating end of the spindle.

4. Insert 3⁄16" roll pin through bushing block using a drift punch and hammer.

5. Apply a small amount of light lubricant on all moving parts.

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Assessment
Consider co-creating the assessment criteria with your students at the beginning of the activity/
project. You may want to include the following:

Spindle and nut: threads fit and finish

end fit and motion

Handle: knurl and chamfer

joint articulation, finish, fit

Frame: squareness, finish preparation, applied finish

Sliding jaw: fit, finish preparation, applied finish

Jaw plates: alignment, finish preparation

Assembly: vise smoothly functioning as a unit

Finish: even, smooth

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