A drill press vise is very useful but they can be expensive and the cheap ones suck. I broke the cheap drill press vise I had mounted on my 10" 12 speed drill press so I built a better one. In this Instructable, we will make our own for $10!

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools:

Pipe cutter or hacksaw with metal cutting blade

Strong bench vise (I used my 5" Wilton machinist vise)

Drill press

Drill bits

Eye protection

Hammer

Center punch

Materials:

3/8" bolt (3" long)

3/8" fender washer

3/8" wing nut

1/2" steel pipe

Pipe clamps (IT MUST BE THIS ONE)

Step 2: Cutting and Drilling

Clamp your pipe in the vise. Using a pipe cutter, cut off a 10" section of the pipe. About 1" from one end of the steel pipe, make an indentation with your center punch, then drill a 3/8" hole. Make sure to use plenty of lubricant as the steel pipe is pretty strong.

Step 3: Assembely

Mount the end of the pipe clamp with the screw to the end of the pipe with a hole in it. There will be a hole in the pipe section between the movable clamp jaw and the stationary end that mounts on the pipe. This hole is for the bolt. Mount the other end of the pipe clamp to the other side of the pipe.

Step 4: Mounting

Mount the drill press vise using the 3/8" hole in the steel pipe. Use the 3/8" bolt. On the bottom, use the fender washer and nut. You may be able to use a regular washer if you have a smaller drill press (my industrial drill press had 5/8" slots). Brace the other end of the pipe against the column of the drill press to prevent it from rotating.