Which Palm Vise?

[collectionneurfan]

Good day, everyone;
I am really enjoying the forum. I just started in the world of engraving. I am stuck on what palm vise to buy. I know I want one that will work well with a microscope when I decide to buy one. I am looking at GRS and Steve Lindsey site. Will the 12lb Low jaw version be a good buy for someone that wants to engrave knives and small stuff for now. Or should I buy bigger in anticipation of doing other things later? I would like to stay under the $1000.00 mark for now. Thank you.

 

[ShawnR]

Classifieds: Buy, sell, trade

The place to buy, sell, or trade hand engraving equipment.

engraverscafe.com

You may find what you are looking for at the link above good luck!

 

[DaveatWeirs]

If I could change one thing about the way I started it would be to invest in a larger vice and a turntable right off the bat. Even without the turntable Id still recommend a larger vice.

Personally I really like the GRS low profile vice (24lbs) with the 520 attachment set add on thingy (I got the 1/4 inch super pins too, I only use them on watches mostly but I imagine they'd be very handy for knives).
In terms of initial layout it's pricey as all hell but I use it 5 days a week with everything from tiny ID bracelets to soldiers' ceremonial swords and love it. (You will need to de-grease it, clean it, file and sand the surfaces of the jaws and screw bolt to a good finish, clean it again, and re-oil/re-grease it. Though you should do this with new tools anyway).

I specifically suggest the low profile one as the bottom of the ball is the same diameter as the large ones; when using a regular ball vice and you roll it to the side to see the side of a piece the height that the piece is at changes dramatically and it also moves very far off to the side which means you constantly have to adjust your scope height and vice position where as, with the low profile one, the part where the piece sits is much closer to the center of rotation of the ball so its much less of an adjustment (you think it wont matter but it really does, the setter in work even replaced his large ball vice with a low profile one after trying mine)

Later down the line I'd recommend getting the turntable with adjustable height stand (even making a rough one from a lazy Suzan and a drill press stand would help because of the weight of the vice would balance out any bearing discrepancies). Having the bit you're working on rotate out of the field of view of your scope verses having the center of rotation always in the middle of where your scope is looking makes a huuuuge difference, especially on small stuff, and would have helped me improve much quicker when I was first learning.

(NB: the lindsay vices might be better but the GRS ones were all I was able to get a hold of in Europe. If you get a chance, try them both out and make up your own mind. I've tried both the GRS and Lindsay handpieces and sharpening systems and Lindsay's stuff wins hands down on those fronts so I wouldn't be surprised if his vices and such are better)

 

[collectionneurfan]

If I could change one thing about the way I started it would be to invest in a larger vice and a turntable right off the bat. Even without the turntable Id still recommend a larger vice.

Personally I really like the GRS low profile vice (24lbs) with the 520 attachment set add on thingy (I got the 1/4 inch super pins too, I only use them on watches mostly but I imagine they'd be very handy for knives).
In terms of initial layout it's pricey as all hell but I use it 5 days a week with everything from tiny ID bracelets to soldiers' ceremonial swords and love it. (You will need to de-grease it, clean it, file and sand the surfaces of the jaws and screw bolt to a good finish, clean it again, and re-oil/re-grease it. Though you should do this with new tools anyway).

I specifically suggest the low profile one as the bottom of the ball is the same diameter as the large ones; when using a regular ball vice and you roll it to the side to see the side of a piece the height that the piece is at changes dramatically and it also moves very far off to the side which means you constantly have to adjust your scope height and vice position where as, with the low profile one, the part where the piece sits is much closer to the center of rotation of the ball so its much less of an adjustment (you think it wont matter but it really does, the setter in work even replaced his large ball vice with a low profile one after trying mine)

Later down the line I'd recommend getting the turntable with adjustable height stand (even making a rough one from a lazy Suzan and a drill press stand would help because of the weight of the vice would balance out any bearing discrepancies). Having the bit you're working on rotate out of the field of view of your scope verses having the center of rotation always in the middle of where your scope is looking makes a huuuuge difference, especially on small stuff, and would have helped me improve much quicker when I was first learning.

(NB: the lindsay vices might be better but the GRS ones were all I was able to get a hold of in Europe. If you get a chance, try them both out and make up your own mind. I've tried both the GRS and Lindsay handpieces and sharpening systems and Lindsay's stuff wins hands down on those fronts so I wouldn't be surprised if his vices and such are better)

Thank you. I really apprecaite you taking the time to anwser this. Yes, I am looking at GRS and Steve Lindsey. GRS may be the way to go, only because of Stock availability. Anyway, again thank you.

 

[monk]

some time ago i tried to contact the lindsay company. got no response back. the lindsay stuff is good------- if you can even get it.

 

[collectionneurfan]

some time ago i tried to contact the lindsay company. got no response back. the lindsay stuff is good------- if you can even get it.

Steve Lindsey answered me pretty quickly on the forum. But unfortunately he only had one type of ball vise in stock at this time. Not something I want to put money out for until I know I will stick with it.

 

[EngraverHand]

I don´t have too much experience with GRS so I can´t really compare but I have both the TrueCenter CamLock vise (based on the goliath) and a TrueCenter CamLock PalmControl vise and man, they are so good!

For me it depends on what I´m working on.. knives and bigger objects I like the bigger 30+ lbs vise. Even for watches, but for smaller things like rings and some times parts of watches to I prefer the 12 lbs PalmControl vise, because it´s so much easier to tilt and move around, and it also feels more heavy and stable than the actual weight of 12 lbs.

Wasn´t any problem to get it shipped to Europe, but it costed.. but would have done ot over again if needed. The problem is that the company is small and everything is hand made in house, so I guess it´s difficult to keep everything in stock at all times, but quality and service is absolutely 200%

Also make sure you get or make a very stable stand for your vise/turntable. That will help a lot. Try to avoid any vibrations!

 

[DaveatWeirs]

I don´t have too much experience with GRS so I can´t really compare but I have both the TrueCenter CamLock vise (based on the goliath) and a TrueCenter CamLock PalmControl vise and man, they are so good!

oh that's a very good point, if you're going to skip the satellite/turn table bit for now then definitely go for a vice that has one of the adjustable positioning thingys instead of the low profile vice. Both Lindsay and grs make one. A regular vice works best with a turntable in my opinion.

GRS make a 'Universal Positioning Pin Vise' thingy that is a sort of halfway point but don't bother with it. It's fine and all for starting or doing coins and the like, I still use it to hold unusually shaped things cus it has a million and one places for pins but, god damn, working on larger pieces with it gets very grating very quickly. Every adjustment means you have to stop, put down your graver, find the hex key, loosen the jaws, adjust the position, tighten the jaws, put down the hex key, pick up your graver, find where you were working and start again. After engraving with it for a while I was ready to throw the thing out the window.

EDIT: also, if you do go for the satellite turntable from grs, don't pay the 100 quid for the catch pan, just go to a homewear shop and get a baking tray, 16"x12" works great and leaves you room either side to put down your graver and what not. You'll have to drill the holes in the bottom and cut a small hole for where the turntable break thingy goes but it's no big deal. also also, get one with a dark finish, I made the mistake of getting a really shiny steel finish one cuz I thought it would look nice and slick, but it kept reflecting all the lights back up at me.

 

[EngraverHand]

I´d really like to have a turntable vise and a turntable one day too, but first some other tool priorities I have tested a good turntable but not the baking trays, but I would be very careful not to get anything wobbly or things that makes the vise unstable with vibrations. I´d rather pay once, cry once and be sure I have tools for life.. if not it often ends up beeing even more expensive.

 

[jldj]

Lindsay turntable vises are available now. They are beauties.

 

[oniemarc]

Lindsay turntable vises are available now. They are beauties.

Only shipping in the US though

 

[jldj]

Only shipping in the US though

Button for air shipping outside USA is activated.

 

[oniemarc]

Button for air shipping outside USA is activated.

On airgraverdotcom it still says USA only....maybe I am looking on the wrong site, hahaha

 

[jldj]

On airgraverdotcom it still says USA only....maybe I am looking on the wrong site, hahaha

Engraving Forum - Tools - vises - turntable vise. click on photos. Looked just now. Button for air delivery outside the USA is activated.

 

[jldj]

I'm a jeweler. Trying to learn to hand engrave. I have a 12lb. Palm control with the cam-lock top on it. Best vise I've ever had. I just snagged a Lindsay turntable vise and it's fantastic. I want to learn on both the turntable vise and the True-center camlock positioning vise. I've been blessed to be able to purchase the equipment I want. In jewelry work, I use the GRS micro-block with a discontinued swing arm. The swing arm (discontinued for some reason), makes this vise the best jeweler's vise I've ever used. But if your just starting out, alot of good older vises are available on sites like ebay; Muelmatts, Victors, and others. Often they sell very reasonably + shipping. They may not be as pretty as a brand new Lindsay or GRS, but they more than get the job done. JD

 

[oniemarc]

Engraving Forum - Tools - vises - turntable vise. click on photos. Looked just now. Button for air delivery outside the USA is activated.

I thought the vise stand somehow...not the turntable vise. My bad...hahaha

 

[collectionneurfan]

I'm a jeweler. Trying to learn to hand engrave. I have a 12lb. Palm control with the cam-lock top on it. Best vise I've ever had. I just snagged a Lindsay turntable vise and it's fantastic. I want to learn on both the turntable vise and the True-center camlock positioning vise. I've been blessed to be able to purchase the equipment I want. In jewelry work, I use the GRS micro-block with a discontinued swing arm. The swing arm (discontinued for some reason), makes this vise the best jeweler's vise I've ever used. But if your just starting out, alot of good older vises are available on sites like ebay; Muelmatts, Victors, and others. Often they sell very reasonably + shipping. They may not be as pretty as a brand new Lindsay or GRS, but they more than get the job done. JD

Thank you for the sites you listed.

 

[mtlctr]

When I started out there wasn’t the mass of info now. No social media, cell phones (gasp).
there was books. I learned myself from Neil Hartliep NRA book he had a potters wheel vise .and Lynton McKenzie cd,s.
I made one from a used Southbend 4 jaw lathe Chuck. It will hold just about anything And is rock solid. I paid $50 for it. You can see it in this pic along with a bunch of other stuff.

 

[JJ Roberts]

mtictr, Nice engraving set up I spent a weekend with Neil Hartliep and Howard Dove at a NRA convention in Philly Neil was a great person had a great weekend with Neil and Howard. J.J.

 

[John B.]

Neil Hartliep and his son Glen Hartliep were very good and kind engraving instructors.
And Neil's wife was a wonderful assistant and supporter of their efforts.
Together, their family were the first engraving instructors teaching within the National Rifle Association School program.
Neil and his wife first taught during the 1979 NRA Summer program at Trinidad State College, Trinidad, Colorado.