A Better Handscrew Drill Press Vise

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Many woodworkers know that you can pull a wooden handscrew into service as a drill press vise. However, I’ve found that it can be difficult to set up the workpiece and hold the clamp in place, especially when drilling large holes–an operation that can wrest the setup from your grip. I’ve found that a much better solution is to screw one jaw of the handscrew to a plywood panel from below. This fixes everything in place for easier setup and allows you to clamp the panel to the machine table for rock-solid security when drilling.

-Bill Wells, Olympia, Washington