# Pen Vise vs. Pen Vise



## Rockytime (May 9, 2015)

Today I received the pen vise I ordered from Classic Nib. It is a beautiful piece of equipment. Very well made. I halve looked at pen vises ever since I started turning pens. There are several sold by various vendors. I have heard about this vise and am convinced it is the best one available. I gave it the first try on a Corian 1/2" blank which was not square. The vise held it securely and I was able to drill a perfectly straight hole. All holes are straight of course, but not always parallel with the sides of the blank. I could do that with my old system but this is easier. Besides it looks great on the drill press.

 Here is the old and the new.


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## wyone (May 9, 2015)

I have looked at that one myself..  but I have not had it in my budget so far.  I could spend my budget every day very easily.     Congrats... I have admired the quality of that vice


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## Edward Cypher (May 10, 2015)

Paul does some awesome work.  Enjoy.


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## Dale Lynch (May 10, 2015)

I've lusted at one of those before,beautifull vise.That's a luxury item though so it's not likely to find itself on my drill press.


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## Notscottish (May 10, 2015)

What is the advantage of using a drill press for your blanks over a lathe?  I have always liked the control that I have with the lathe and was curious as to the advantages of the drill press?


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## SteveG (May 10, 2015)

I have one of those excellent pen vises, and stand in unison singing the praises. That being said, I do most of my pen drilling on the lathe. But I do a substantial amount of drilling using that vise and the DP. 

Why both?

As good as the vise is, the lathe drilling offers more control. The DP offers more speed. So I drill everything I can on the DP, due to the quickness of the process, and everything else is on the lathe.

Because of the extra degree of control, when using even modestly more expensive materials like Cebloplast, which I try to buy in slabs, I can get more yield by cutting slimmer blanks. I can cut Bakelite down the center and drill the resultant half-width blanks on the lathe to double the yield from the original blank. Those are some of my reasons for using both types of drilling processes.


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## jfoh (May 10, 2015)

I have half a dozen different pen vises from home made, store bought and the best one of all the big red monster. When I use a pen vise it is the only one I use anymore. Should have bought it first but you live and learn. It has held hundreds of blanks without a single problem. If an error occurs it is operator not equipment with that vise. For the time and money wasted on others the big red monster is the only one I should have ever bought.  Guys it may seem expensive but quality cost more and is always worth the investment.


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## shastastan (May 11, 2015)

Congratulations, Rocky.  Glad you found one that works as it should.  I stuggled with a cheaper one for a couple of years I never could get it set up right and I also have had continual problems with my Delta floor drill press with run out--even after I changed out the belts for links and the chuck for a bearings chuck.  I got a PSI pen chuck and had better results.  I now have the pen jaws for my Vicmarc chuck and they secure the blank very well for me to get centered and parallel holes.   In summary, maybe I should have got a high quality vise in the first place.


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## Old Codger (May 12, 2015)

I've tried a couple very nice pen vises to drill my blanks, but have found like several others that my lathe IS the tool that works the best!  Someone said that a drill press has better speed control, well...not if you have a VS or multi-speed lathe...  I'm convinced that drilling on the lathe is the way to go but I'm sure others will disagree...what I am saying...try drilling your blanks on the lathe and you WON'T go back to a drill press, plus you'll save big $$ on a drill press blank vise!!!  Safe turning to you all!


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## Rockytime (May 12, 2015)

Old Codger said:


> I've tried a couple very nice pen vises to drill my blanks, but have found like several others that my lathe IS the tool that works the best!  Someone said that a drill press has better speed control, well...not if you have a VS or multi-speed lathe...  I'm convinced that drilling on the lathe is the way to go but I'm sure others will disagree...what I am saying...try drilling your blanks on the lathe and you WON'T go back to a drill press, plus you'll save big $$ on a drill press blank vise!!!  Safe turning to you all!



I can't save on a drill press since I already  have 3 of them.


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## Paul in OKC (May 12, 2015)

Thanks for the comments, folks, and enjoy Rocky!


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## Larry Hansen (May 13, 2015)

*Paul Huffman Pen Vise*

I waited a long time to buy my first vise.  I wanted the very best made so I bought Paul's from the Classic Nib.  Not only is this vise a work of art it is quality machining at its best.  Form follows function and this vise is a dream to use.  I have used my lathe as well but I prefer this vise for all my pen blank drilling.  I waited over 68 years to buy my first Browning Shotgun and it was worth it as well.  Browning's motto:  "The Best There Is" could well be applied to Paul's Vise.  I smile every time I drill a pen blank.


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## Rockytime (May 13, 2015)

Larry Hansen said:


> I waited a long time to buy my first vise.  I wanted the very best made so I bought Paul's from the Classic Nib.  Not only is this vise a work of art it is quality machining at its best.  Form follows function and this vise is a dream to use.  I have used my lathe as well but I prefer this vise for all my pen blank drilling.  I waited over 68 years to buy my first Browning Shotgun and it was worth it as well.  Browning's motto:  "The Best There Is" could well be applied to Paul's Vise.  I smile every time I drill a pen blank.



Next best thing would be a powered lift for the drill table.


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## Fish30114 (May 14, 2015)

I bought one of these last week and it is certainly everything it is cracked up to  be. I guess I need to send Paul a PM to see if there is a handle with a free spinning handhold on it--perhaps a center balanced crank style. That's the one thing I like more about my old vise--you can't argue with the quality of the Red Beast though!


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## Paul in OKC (May 14, 2015)

Fish30114 said:


> I bought one of these last week and it is certainly everything it is cracked up to  be. I guess I need to send Paul a PM to see if there is a handle with a free spinning handhold on it--perhaps a center balanced crank style. That's the one thing I like more about my old vise--you can't argue with the quality of the Red Beast though!



Response sent. And yes, I would love to have a center balance handle. I have looked at those ever since I started making these. They are cost prohibitive. Average best price I have found is around $20, my cost. Just can't justify adding that to the cost of the vise.
Thanks again for the good words all.


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## SteveG (May 14, 2015)

I wanted to improve on the provided handle. and simply turned a replacement handle that slides and pins onto the handle shaft. It is about 4" long, 1.3" diameter. Easy to use, plenty of torque leverage, and since it is Koa Wood... looks real nice as part of a red vise. (That last part of the sentence has a nice ring to it AND rhymes!):biggrin::biggrin:


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## Paul in OKC (May 14, 2015)

SteveG said:


> I wanted to improve on the provided handle. and simply turned a replacement handle that slides and pins onto the handle shaft. It is about 4" long, 1.3" diameter. Easy to use, plenty of torque leverage, and since it is Koa Wood... looks real nice as part of a red vise. (That last part of the sentence has a nice ring to it AND rhymes!):biggrin::biggrin:



Pic?


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## SteveG (May 14, 2015)

I tell you what, Paul. I have struggled for years with a physical condition that causes me to suffer chronic fatigue. The effect is that many things I want to do, I do not get to do. The "energy" meter pegs out down at zero very quickly. So all my activities are regulated by a priority system, and only some things get done. I have thus been on this picture intensive forum for more than six years and never posted a pic! Tried a couple times, but failed and even though it be something simple, I did not have the energy to pursue the "fix". 

So now, (someone please play the music score/theme from "Rocky"), I am going to attack that issue until the is actually a suitable pic posted to this thread!!:wink::biggrin:

There...I feel stronger already!

This handle DID happen...PICS TO FOLLOW!!


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## Paul in OKC (May 14, 2015)

Mostly want to see because it sounds like a cool looking handle! So, no hurry.


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## SteveG (May 14, 2015)

*Failed post of vise pics*

I have been working at this for about 4 hours, and continue to get rejected for "invalid url", attempting to use both photobucket and dropbox. Tried resizing, and all the other stuff found in the library. 

FAIL

Will have to give up for now...frustration level way high, energy gone.
Tomorrow will be a better day. Sorry on no pics.


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## SteveG (May 14, 2015)

If this new (to me) procedure works, we will be seeing the handle I have turned and now use on my vise. If it fails, you will just have to use your imagination.:biggrin:

Preliminary indications are that it worked. These were uploaded from my computer. I was unable to get the "url" method to work.  This is progress!


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## ChiTown56 (May 15, 2015)

SteveG said:


> If this new (to me) procedure works, we will be seeing the handle I have turned and now use on my vise. If it fails, you will just have to use your imagination.:biggrin:
> 
> Preliminary indications are that it worked. These were uploaded from my computer. I was unable to get the "url" method to work.  This is progress!
> 
> ...





Hey there ya go Steve! I maybe a Newbe, But I do know progress


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## SteveG (May 16, 2015)

I am curious if anyone else has modified the PH Vise in a way similar to my approach shown here, post 21. While I absolutely will not take anything away from the excellent design and manufacture of the vise, I have found this simple mod to be a welcome change. The grip this handle provides allows for sufficient torque to grab even round, smooth blanks so they do not spin in the vise, and the operation is quick and easy.


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