Mill vise recommendations

[FireMedic]

I just took delivery of a new 9x50 acra Bridgeport clone. I’m looking for some recommendations on a which vise to buy. I won’t be using the mill for anything other then general gunsmithing, cleaning up bedding and making occasional tooling.

Thanks

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Kurt

 

[Doug Beach]

Kurt dx6

 

[LVLAaron]

Kurt dx6

 

[Walt Krafft]

Look for a used one. I suggest getting a swivel base for it if you can. If buying new, Kurt.

 

[paperpuncher]

Definitely get a Kurt if you can swing it. It absolutely is worth the extra $$ IMO. Swivel is nice too

 

[akajun]

Kurt
But also look at glacern and orange

 

[LVLAaron]

Kurt
But also look at glacern and orange

Glacern makes nice tools. Their vices are about the same price you can snag a kurt though.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Kurt is the standard but the Shars is a good copy and much less expensive.

 

[GenePoole]

Kurt is the standard but the Shars is a good copy and much less expensive.

I have both, and for what I do in the mill, the Shars is indistinguishable from the Kurt (except for that big "KURT" on the side)

 

[LVLAaron]

I just took delivery of a new 9x50 acra Bridgeport clone. I’m looking for some recommendations on a which vise to buy. I won’t be using the mill for anything other then general gunsmithing, cleaning up bedding and making occasional tooling.

Thanks

I got one of the precision Matthews 6 inch vices on a swivel base. For the price, it's a great vice. When it's on the swivel base, it's pretty dead nuts... Take the vice off the base and it's got a wobble... Depending on what you need it for, it could be fine and half the price of a Kurt.

Shars stuff probably comes from the same factory.

 

[akajun]

Glacern makes nice tools. Their vices are about the same price you can snag a kurt though.

Wow your right, they used to be way cheaper
Kurt still has a blemish section too so you can get a little off
Plus Kurt will always be able to get parts/ rebuild kits for
Just have a grind shop dress it down flat again and put new parts on it

 

[FireMedic]

I got one of the precision Matthews 6 inch vices on a swivel base. For the price, it's a great vice. When it's on the swivel base, it's pretty dead nuts... Take the vice off the base and it's got a wobble... Depending on what you need it for, it could be fine and half the price of a Kurt.

Shars stuff probably comes from the same factory.

I had a pm vise on my last pm949….it seemed like harbor freight quality. I wasnt overly impressed with the PM machines I had either. I know they do have a big fan base, and their support is good.

 

[ridgeway]

I put a 6" TMX vise on my mill a couple years ago. It's a fantastic quality Kurt clone. Sure, Kurt's the way to go, but home shop use, the clone is more than enough. I got the vise and swivel base cheaper than a Kurt.

TMX-Toolmex 6" Milling Machine Vise, 9" Jaw Opening 3-220-0068

 

[Ledd Slinger]

The High Precision vise from Precision Matthews is an excellent choice. Mine will tram out on the mill as good as any vise at any price point. It also has the swivel base. Below is a video I took of my PM vise running on a Mitutoyo .001” indicator after tramming it on the table. Inside jaw surfaces have no detectable runout.

 

[Larry Koch]

PM has two flavors, China and Taiwan. If you buy the Taiwan flavor you will be satisfied for hobby use.

 

[FireMedic]

I dropped the coin for a Kurt dx6 today

 

[Ray123]

Kurt, absolutely... the only vise on my home Bridgeport and 2 or 3 kurt vises on CNC mills, and holding fixtures. CNC 20 HP BMC 40 Roughing Stainless Steel with a 3" cutter 1/4" deep 1200 sfpm, no coolent, so as to not fracture the carbide, as the carbide wears down and friction wears needed clearance as the cutters dull. heavy chips turn orange...noisy, very hot, semi dangerous, hands on the e-stop and interrupt cut button. Kurt vise holding on to 1/8" parallel sides....vise handle hammered tight with a dead blow hammer...probably past the 80,000 psi. They take the abuse of production machinist with heavy CNC mills, competing with the world for contracts I wore out 2 CNC new mills in 5 years, but I Never wore out or broke a Kurt vise in 35 years as a professional machinist. My supervisor ran his into the hard jaws on rapid traverse a few times...amazing how much harden steel can be plunged into in a fraction of a second before the mill shuts down...he just replaced the hard jaws...and the carbide cutter. For me Kurt is the only choice, and the only brand in the shop...run em in pairs...and make some aluminum soft jaws.

 

[LVLAaron]

I would call Ajax - They can help you find what's in stock... and can wheel and deal a little bit in the process as well. I got a hell of a deal on a Buck 6 jaw from them.