How to mount a drill press vice
Updated: 2026-10-21
You have the vice and the pillar drill, and the first hole is about to spin the work if the body can turn. This is how to mount a drill press vice so that either the bolts hold it, or a stop prevents a full spin. A hand on the handle is not a mount once the bit can grab. Which listing to buy stays on the [machine vice comparison](/hub/workshop/machine-vice). Products Compared used HSE's HSG129, Pauli Mot's fastening notes and UK forum practice, not a lab, on 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have the vice and the pillar drill, and the first hole is about to spin the work if the body can turn. This is how to mount a drill press vice so that either the bolts hold it, or a stop prevents a full spin.
You have the vice and the pillar drill, and the first hole is about to spin the work if the body can turn. This is how to mount a drill press vice so that either the bolts hold it, or a stop prevents a full spin. A hand on the handle is not a mount once the bit can grab. Which listing to buy stays on the machine vice comparison. Products Compared used HSE's HSG129, Pauli Mot's fastening notes and UK forum practice, not a lab, on 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Mounting | Weight | Opening | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Faithfull Faithfull FAIVDP75 | Elongated slots, centres unlisted | 3.58 kg | 70 mm | 8.1 | about £46.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Wolfcraft Wolfcraft 80 mm quick-adjust vice | Slotted base | 1.89 kg | 80 mm | 7.5 | about £24.65 | View offer |
| Best value |  KATSU Tools KATSU 100 mm drill press vice | 13 mm slots, bolts not listed | 2.09 kg | 110 mm | 7.4 | about £15.99 | View offer |
On this page
Why the vice has to be constrained
HSG129 tells users of a small bench drill to guard the spindle and clamp the vice to the table. The hazard is a workpiece spinning from a poor clamp, plus gloves and hair at an open chuck. Mounting the vice does not replace the guard.
Pauli Mot, practice rather than UK law, says you can position a small drill by hand up to about 8 mm, and you should fix the vice from about 10 mm. That is a rule of thumb, not a legal threshold. Model Engineer threads describe a small drill throwing a loose vice across the table.
You have two honest setups. Bolt the vice down so it cannot walk. Or leave the bolts in the slots, slightly loose, so you can float onto a centre pop, with a stop the body cannot spin past. A G-clamp on one corner is only a temporary test. A free vice with a hand on the handle is not a mount.
Bolted down
Two fixing points through the base slots are the solid setup. T-nuts go into the table slots, washers sit on the vice, you snug the nuts, align under the chuck, then tighten. A T-nut proud of a thin groove lifts the vice. If the nut rocks, it is not seated.
Listings in this set rarely include T-nuts. A Wolfcraft Simplex 60 review, on a Wolf drill stand, says there are no bolts. Buy thread, length and a nut that fits the groove you measured.
Silverline and Irwin reviews fail when the slot spacing misses the table. That is a buying problem, not a longer bolt. A vice on three corners will rock. A paper shim under the low corner is a workshop habit, not a factory method. Once the bolts are tight, keep your hands off the chuck.
Floating onto a centre pop
When you still have to slide a pop mark under the bit, Model Engineer practice is to leave the bolts in the slots and only just loose. The vice can move a few millimetres and cannot jump out. Bring the bit to the punch mark, tighten, then drill.
A float without a stop is a spin waiting for a grab. Put the handle against the column, or stand a bolt in a spare slot as a post the body cannot pass. Those are workshop methods, not a test of these listings. Tighten before the hole, especially past the small-bit rule of thumb. Breakthrough is when a drill grabs. Hands stay clear, gloves stay off, and hair stays tied. If the vice still turns, the slots are the wrong size or the nut has lifted.
When it will not fit
Measure first: table slot width, table slot centres, vice slot width, vice slot centres. KATSU's 100 mm listing prints 13 mm slots. Most other pages in this set do not. Silverline buyers reported a miss on a Scheppach DP60. One Irwin UK review said the holes were too wide. A brochure that omits centres is normal. The table in front of you is the source.
If the slots cannot overlap, stop shopping for a longer bolt. A thick sub-plate, slotted to your table and drilled to the vice, is one workshop answer. A different vice is the other. Opening and slot pitch are buying criteria on the drill press vice size page, not mounting tricks.
A cracked casting, a stripped T-nut, or a table already drilled from a previous miss is the point to stop. If employees or students use the drill, PUWER 1998 binds the employer who provides the machine. No listing here is PUWER approved. Call a competent person when the stand is damaged or the work is a drawing tolerance rather than a clearance hole. Before the motor starts, the vice cannot spin a full turn, two fixings or a planned stop are in place, the chuck guard is where HSG129 expects it, gloves are off, and the handle is clear of the quill.
Common questions
Do I have to bolt the vice down?
You have to constrain it. HSG129 says clamp the vice to the table on a small bench drill. A solid bolt-down is the usual way. A float with the bolts still in the slots, plus a stop the body cannot pass, is the other honest setup. A hand on the handle is not enough once the bit can grab.
What if the slots miss the table?
Stop and measure both pitches before you buy another bolt. Silverline reviews include a Scheppach DP60 miss, and a longer bolt will not create overlap. Use a sub-plate or buy a different vice. The buying guide is the size and slot page.
Can I leave the bolts loose to find a centre pop?
Yes, if the bolts stay in the slots and a stop prevents a spin. Model Engineer threads describe that float. Tighten before you commit to the hole, especially as the bit breaks through. Do not drill a large hole with the vice free on the table.
Are T-nuts in the box?
Rarely. The Simplex review says there are no bolts with the stand, and most listings in this set do not include T-nuts. Match the nut height to the groove you measured. A tall nut lifts the vice off the table.
Is a G-clamp on the base enough?
It is a temporary hold while you test whether the slots meet. It can twist and mark a thin aluminium table. Two fixings through the slots, or a planned float with a stop, is the setup for a real hole.
Where should my hands be if the vice still moves?
Off the work and off the chuck. Stop the drill. Add a stop or tighten the bolts. If it still moves, the slots or the nuts are wrong. Do not lean harder on the handle. Do not put gloves back on to get a better grip.
Does mounting the vice replace the drill guard?
No. HSG129 still wants the spindle guarded, and it still warns about gloves and hair at an open chuck. A bolted vice is workholding. It is not the guard, and it is not a PUWER badge for the drill.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated October 2026.
- HSE: HSG129 Health and safety in engineering workshops (retrieved October 2026)
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 12717:2001+A1:2009 Safety of machine tools, drilling machines (retrieved October 2026)
- Protool: How to choose machine vices (retrieved October 2026)
- Pauli Mot: Types of machine vice (retrieved October 2026)
- Cromwell: Senator 100 mm workshop drill press vice (retrieved October 2026)
- Proxxon: Micromot machine vice MS 4 (retrieved October 2026)
- Bromley Council: Consumer rights for goods (retrieved October 2026)