Drill Press vice handle retainer

[GailinNM]

I slide the vice to the edge of the drill press table, load part and then start to slide the vice to center of table to drill.  What happens? If the handle on the vice is anywhere near vertical it drops down and catches on the end of the table.  No big deal if I am just doing one part.  Just slide the handle up and finish moving the vice.  But this gets old quickly when doing several identical parts.

A couple or o-rings or small rubber bands will provide enough friction to keep the handle in position while you are moving the vice around.  If using o-rings, use Viton or neoprene if you have them.  Buna-N is the most common but will crack in about 6 months of exposure to the ozone in the air.  Here is a 1-1/2 inch vice with 2ea 3/8 X 1/2 o-rings.
Gail in NM

[kev]

good one, the handle on my lathe chuck key drives me mad so now I have a solution.

[Walsheng]

Nice idea! Although I don't have a drill press because what I have learned over the last 40+ years working in shops is...they are EVIL.  Their only purpose on this earth is to fling things off the table at high rates of speed in an effort to kill you! But if they can't kill you they make sure to fling them into places that are undetectable. I actually have a couple of drill presses but I figured out a way to throw a monkey wrench into their diabolical plans, I deny them access to a power plug.  They have not figured this out yet but I am sure I hear them plotting at times. Either that or it's the voices in my head...again.
It is a nice idea for a vice though.  I have a vice very much like the one in your picture I use on the bench and the handle is always getting caught on the edge of the bench.

John