knock knock
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2024
- Messages
- 76
Soft vise jaws
- Thread starter knock knock
- Start date
Beerhippie
Well-known member
I roll my own jaw covers from flattened-out pieces of 2" Type L copper pipe drops:
They work for me, and keep welding splatter from sticking to the jaws.
whateg01
Well-known member
Depends on what you want to grip. I've used aluminum. I've made slip on covers from copper like hippie shows. I've made them from wood. I have 3d printed jaws to hold odd shapes. I've made them from steel when I needed soft but not too soft.
Firebrick43
Well-known member
I have a pair, they work well for stuff you dont need to grip super tight. The main problem is they are magnetic so and steel filings and dust from sawing, filing, and grinding sticks to them, which is what the majority of my work with a bench vise entails. Copper jaws work better for anything of mild steel as a result.
RoninB4
Well-known member
-The example by @Beerhippie is what's very often found in machine shops. Instead of swapping jaws, which takes time, a pair of soft jaw covers is quickly applied. The covers used to be available commercially, don't know now, and were either pre-formed or in a flat pattern you wrapped around the jaws themselves. If done correctly, the covers will stay put on the jaws without falling off. The long tabs on the example above are key to staying on the jaws. They were often made of brass, but sometimes were aluminum, copper (shop made), or plastic (not as durable as metal). Jaw replacements can be wood, plastic, or a phenolic compound.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Being able to easily take the soft jaws covers off and use the serrated steel was one of the considerations when I made these. Maybe I'll do that someday. It's only been a little over a year since I started making and using them and I don't recall taking them off once. I have them on all four bench vises in the shop.
The protection offered to the vise by the fairly cheap and easy to make covers has made itself more obvious as I use them--hence, the covers have grown considerably since the first ones I made:
paulsomlo
Well-known member
I have 4 wiltons and ive replaced the jaws on each with aluminum bar stock. I use blind hole spotters to locate the holes.
Made a few sets of super simple soft jaws with some aluminum angle that just sit on as you tighten up, if you want to be fancy buy it thick enough you can drill a small recess and glue some magnets in so it sticks on.
Also if your vise lets you take the jaws off and want soft jaws on all the time buy some aluminum flat bar same thickness as the removed jaws, drill and countersink it and bolt it directly to the vise.
Also if your vise lets you take the jaws off and want soft jaws on all the time buy some aluminum flat bar same thickness as the removed jaws, drill and countersink it and bolt it directly to the vise.
Attachments
I use solid copper jaws exclusively at this point. I expected to be swapping back to steel ones frequently, but it hasn't happened. The copper ones are soft enough to not mar parts but hard enough to not deform too much. Once a year or so I throw them back on the mill and clean up the surfaces.
I have two vises, so keep a set of copper jaws on one vise in very clean condition for clamping aluminum parts or flat harder parts, and a set of copper jaws in the other vise that I use for rough work, knowing they'll get chewed up more quickly.
I have two vises, so keep a set of copper jaws on one vise in very clean condition for clamping aluminum parts or flat harder parts, and a set of copper jaws in the other vise that I use for rough work, knowing they'll get chewed up more quickly.
merkyworks
Well-known member
Have a general use Wilton 6" Tradesman vise with aluminum soft jaws and prefer them to steel serrated jaws. Wasn't hard to make from square stock (McMaster-Carr) with just a hand drill and countersink.
Copper or brass jaws would be nicer but the cost for square stock is crazy, I'm just a home gamer.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-green-snap-on-tools-****.97311/post-9865450
Copper or brass jaws would be nicer but the cost for square stock is crazy, I'm just a home gamer.
By dumb luck I have a 3" Wilton that used a roll pin in addition to screws to hold the jaws on. When I made some brass jaws I just used the roll pin to hold them in place and in over 4 years it has proven to be a good choice. I admit that I do not use this vise for heavy work but all the filing, drilling, and hacksaw work it works great. Need a jaw change, just tap the jaw off and put another on. Flat face on the jaw, no screw holes. I have other vises that are used for heavy hammer work and other abuses.
lg
no neat sig line
lg
no neat sig line