Clamp round bar in a drill vice
Updated: 2026-10-21
You need a hole through rod, pipe, dowel or a short shaft, and flat jaws have already let the bar roll. This page is how to clamp round bar in a drill vice: buy a jaw that says V or prism, still stop the vice from spinning, and do not treat a small groove as a pipe vice. The twelve listings, with prices, sit on the [machine vice comparison](/hub/workshop/machine-vice). Products Compared used those listings, Cromwell's prism note and HSG129, not a lab, on 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You need a hole through rod, pipe, dowel or a short shaft, and flat jaws have already let the bar roll.
You need a hole through rod, pipe, dowel or a short shaft, and flat jaws have already let the bar roll. This page is how to clamp round bar in a drill vice: buy a jaw that says V or prism, still stop the vice from spinning, and do not treat a small groove as a pipe vice. The twelve listings, with prices, sit on the machine vice comparison. Products Compared used those listings, Cromwell's prism note and HSG129, 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 | Round stock | Opening | Weight | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Faithfull Faithfull FAIVDP75 | Prisms, fixed jaw only | 70 mm | 3.58 kg | 8.1 | about £46.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Wolfcraft Wolfcraft Simplex 60 | Horizontal and vertical V | Up to 65 mm | 490 g | 6.6 | about £12.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Wolfcraft Wolfcraft 80 mm quick-adjust vice | Horizontal V-grooves | 80 mm | 1.89 kg | 7.5 | about £24.65 | View offer |
On this page
Flat jaws and a spinning bar
A round bar on two flat faces has one contact line on each jaw. As soon as the bit bites, the bar wants to rotate. The hole walks, and the handle can slap the column. HSG129's spinning-work warning still applies if the body is not constrained. A textured flat jaw, such as Irwin's, adds bite on flats. It does not print a V.
Look for the groove in the listing, not in the stars. A 4.6 line does not create a prism. Silverline's hardened jaws, the KATSU plates, Greensen's title and Proxxon's Amazon page do not state a V. If the bullet does not say groove, prism or V, assume the jaws are flat. A 12 mm rod still needs a gap that can take it. A 70 mm Faithfull opening will take a short bar and refuse a thick collar. A V is a locator, not a reason to hold the bar in one hand while the drill runs.
One prism or a V on both jaws
Cromwell's standard drill-press vices describe one grooved jaw and one plain jaw, plus prisms, for square, hexagon, strip and disc. One grooved jaw is a limit on diameter, not automatically a fault. The grooved face centres the bar. The plain face closes on it. A large diameter sits nearer the top of the V and can climb out.
Faithfull FAIVDP75 prints prisms on the fixed jaw only: three longitudinal and one transversal. A review says the V is on one jaw, and another says it would not hold pipe for cutting. You can locate a short bar for a cross hole. Those prisms are not a chain pipe vice.
Wolfcraft 3423000 states horizontal V-grooves on an 80 mm cast body at about £24.65, and the bullets name pipes, rods and dowels. The same listing describes jaw lift, so check a dowel on scrap before a steel rod. Wolfcraft Simplex 60 states horizontal and vertical V-grooves on a 68 mm, 490 g aluminium vice at about £12.99. Vertical grooves matter when you stand a short pin on end. The body weight is the limit. Do not add a loose homemade V-block without also mounting the vice.
What this set actually states
Hozzwhoo mentions round objects on a 200 g mini clamp with a 0–55 mm opening. Treat it as a craft hold for a pencil-sized pin on a mini drill, not as a bar vice for a household pillar drill.
KATSU 65 mm, 100 mm and 150 mm are n/a on round stock. Silverline does not put a V in the bullets. Greensen is n/a. Irwin has textured jaws and no V. The Proxxon Amazon page is n/a. The tilting 75 mm page does not print a V; one review mentions Vs, which is not a specification. Do not fill those blanks from a photo of a different vice.
Outside this set, as scale, UK Tools Supplies lists claimed vertical and horizontal V-grooves from about £79.99, and Cutwel's Bison 6543 talks about V-grooves from about £120. Those are not amazon.co.uk prices for these twelve ASINs. If your listing is in the n/a group, pick one of the three that print a V, or add a proper V-block and still constrain the vice.
Pipe, length and a light vice
A small V covers a small range of diameters. Pipe is thin-wall stock: the groove can dent it, and the pipe can oval. A drill vice is for a hole, not for a hacksaw cut across a tube. A chain pipe vice is the other tool when the job is plumbing.
A long bar needs a second support. The far end is a lever. A roller stand, a packed block or a shorter offcut stops the nod. HSG129 still wants the vice constrained, because a long bar that grabs is a bigger spinner. How the body is bolted or stopped is on how to mount a drill press vice.
A 490 g aluminium Simplex will locate a dowel and still be a light body under steel rod. The 200 kg claim is not a measured figure in the file. Use it on a light stand for wood dowel and small aluminium rod. Use Faithfull or Wolfcraft 3423000 when the bar is steel on a household pillar drill. Before you start, the listing has to say V or prism, the diameter has to fit, a long bar has to be supported, and the vice must not be able to spin.
Common questions
Do I need a V-groove to drill round bar?
You need a locator. Flat jaws give a line contact and the bar rolls when the bit bites. A printed V or prism is the usual locator on a drill vice. A separate V-block can do the same job if the vice is still mounted. Do not rely on texture alone.
Is a prism on one jaw enough?
It can be. Cromwell describes one grooved jaw as a normal pattern. Faithfull puts prisms on the fixed jaw only. The limit is diameter and shape, not an automatic defect. A large pipe will sit high in a single V and can climb.
Can I hold pipe in a drill vice?
Only as a short piece for a hole, and only if the groove matches. Faithfull reviews say it would not hold pipe for cutting. This is not a chain pipe vice. Thin-wall tube can oval. Cut pipe in a tool made for pipe.
Which vices in this set actually state a V?
Faithfull prints prisms on the fixed jaw. Wolfcraft 3423000 prints horizontal V-grooves. Wolfcraft Simplex 60 prints horizontal and vertical V-grooves. Hozzwhoo mentions round holders on a 200 g mini. The rest of this set are n/a or flat texture.
Will flat textured jaws, such as the Irwin, hold bar?
They may grip a flat. They do not print a V, so treat Irwin as a flat-jaw vice for this job. If the part is round, choose a stated groove or add a V-block rather than tightening until the texture marks the bar.
Should a long bar be supported at the far end?
Yes. The V only holds the short length in the jaws. A long bar is a lever, and a grab at the chuck will spin more mass. Support the far end with a stand or a block, and still constrain the vice.
Is the aluminium Simplex strong enough for steel rod?
It is 490 g with a stated V, useful for dowel and light rod on a light stand. It is a weak choice as the only hold on steel rod under a full-size pillar drill. Use a cast body with a stated groove for that job.
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)