Miniature drill press vise

[mklotz]

My dollhouse scale antique drill press model cried out for a vise on the table so I built this one...

The vise is 5/8" long and 1/4" wide. The screw is 0-80. The vise is fully functional and is secured to the table T-slots with real T-nuts.

[Christophe Mineau]

Marv, wonderful as usual !
(In fact, I 'm wondering if you are presenting a liliputhian vise and drill or a giant match ???)

[mklotz]

Marv, wonderful as usual !
(In fact, I 'm wondering if you are presenting a liliputhian vise and drill or a giant match ???)

Thanks for the kind words but, no, it's not a Brobdingnagian match and I don't own a two foot diameter penny either. :-)

Here's a picture of the drill press with some background for scale...

and a closeup of the drive and feed mechanism. The downfeed lever works but can be disengaged so the fine feed handwheel can be used to lower the drill with finer control.

The drill press, true to the prototype, has no chuck. Rather, Morse taper drills are fitted into a matching taper machined into the spindle. The model echos this detail. Tiny drills are fitted to taper pins shaped to mimic the Morse taper end tab. The spindle on the model has a slot to which this tab is aligned when the drill is inserted. To remove the drill, the drift shown below the drill is inserted into the slot and tapped to dislodge the taper lock. I tried making the drift true to size but it was simply too difficult to operate with human fingers so I compromised and made a scale drift with a human-size handle.

[Paul Jones]

I enjoy seeing your working models of tools and the extreme detail you put into each project.

[Christophe Mineau]

Waooo, many thanks, that's simply incredible. Where did you get it ? You said it is quite an old tool, was it made for jewelers ?

[mklotz]

Waooo, many thanks, that's simply incredible. Where did you get it ? You said it is quite an old tool, was it made for jewelers ?

I'm sorry, Christophe, but perhaps I didn't make myself clear. The lathe and drill press are model tools made from casting sets supplied by a US company, PMResearch. The tool post, 4jaw chuck, drill press vise, and miniature drills are details that I added to the basic models.

I know that you're a woodworker so you might appreciate the wood lathe...

and the tablesaw...

[the.hogman]

PM Research has some wonderful kits and castings! Really enjoy looking at your work to finish them up.
Home | PM Research Inc - Model Engine KitsPM Research | Model Engines and Accessories for Hobbyist and Machinist

[DIYer]

Thanks mklotz! We've added your Miniature Drill Press Vise to our Vises category, as well as to your builder page: mklotz's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Miniature Drill Press Vise by mklotz

tags: vise, drill press

[Raven Sirius]

My dollhouse scale antique drill press model cried out for a vise on the table so I built this one...

The vise is 5/8" long and 1/4" wide. The screw is 0-80. The vise is fully functional and is secured to the table T-slots with real T-nuts.

This is the first time I've commented on something on the site. This is utterly fantastic! I'm stuck with awe at your craftsmanship, even if it is only a 1/8 size awe! (That little pun was my segue

Did you need to use the lathe to turn the t-nuts on the table, and how in the hell did you hold them in place to drill them before you built the vice to hold them with?

[mklotz]

This is the first time I've commented on something on the site. This is utterly fantastic! I'm stuck with awe at your craftsmanship, even if it is only a 1/8 size awe! (That little pun was my segue

Did you need to use the lathe to turn the t-nuts on the table, and how in the hell did you hold them in place to drill them before you built the vice to hold them with?

Thanks for the kind words, Raven.

The T-slots on the table were made with a 1/8" endmill ground down to form a T-slot cutter of that (max) width. Take some 1/8" square brass, clamp in miniature machine vise, clamp mini-vise in mill vise on standard-size mill-drill, and machine top and sides of brass to form T-nut form. While still a single piece drill and tap 0-80 for hold-down screws. Slice nuts from brass stick and file sawed end slightly to smooth.

The process is almost identical to the way one would make full-size T-nuts, just a lot smaller.

The miniature machine vise is called a "precision toolmaker insert vise" in the Enco catalogue. You can see a picture here...

Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Measuring Tools, Cutting Tools and Shop Supplies

(Third picture down on the page, item number = 328-0104.)