Making Vice Jaws

[simon Hewitt 1Participant @simonhewitt1]

I have an old and very rugged 6" Record vice, and the jaws are getting a bit ragged. Any advice on how to replace them? What steel? Heat treatment? Surface, smooth, patterned?

[simon Hewitt 1Participant @simonhewitt1]

How to make Vice jaws

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

I replaced my vice jaws with aluminium bar about the same size as the originals. Left smooth as extruded and I re-surface them every now and then in the mill. can hold anything and being soft(ish) dont tend to mark the workpiece.

John

[Mick HenshallParticipant @mickhenshall99321]

Try doubleboost sunday night nightcap on you tube

Mick h

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I had mild steel jaws for many years and just tidied them up with a file now and again, I now have a new vice with the hard grip teeth which I rarely need and use a variety of soft jaws which are a nuisance, must remember to get some brass or aluminium next shopping trip, it will only take a few minutes to fit the grip jaws if they are ever needed. With hard patterned jaws you will want to protect the work from the jaws makes more often than you need the grips but it does depend on whether this is your main vice or just an occasional heavy duty one.

Mike

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

It does depend on what work you are doing. Model engineering rarely needs the as-supplied hardened serrated jaws. I have never got around to making new jaws for my big and use pieces of softwood with a thin saw cut vertically on the working face. They are held on by rubber bands that hide in the cut for protection. They are 100% disposable so I can saw and file into them with impunity. They grip well by distorting around the work, or can be drilled to hold round work.

My small vice does have aluminium jaws that again can be sawed into. My medium vice is portable for use outside on car work but when needed I have two pieces of hardboard sheet with a bite taken out of the bottom that slips over the central bar of the vice to stay in position.

I'd like to make a set I have seen on the web that have a pattern of dowel holes in the top face. Adjustable height dowels can be inserted to grip plate and odd shapes. See the post by Rob

Aren't his photos good and I think he is British.

Edited By Bazyle on 17/12/2016 13:54:19

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

I use something similar to the OP; a 5" Record that was well-used when Dad bought it 50 years ago. Considering that my favourite tool for some years for vice work was an angle-grinder, the vice is getting to the stage where the lightly checkered jaws could do with some attention. Once I get the screws undone I'll tune the existing jaws on the belt sander, and if I feel extravagant will make some aluminium soft jaws. I don't have any use for hardened patterned jaws for any sort of home shop jobs.

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

Like Simon, I had a Record with serrated jaws. One evening in the workshop I got fed up with retrieving soft jaw covers from the floor for the umpteenth time, so took the serrated laws out and chucked them in the fire overnight. ​​I milled the serrations off next day, re-hardened and tempered them – and they're just about worn out now, after 40 years of service. Why vices are supplied with serrated jaws, I just can't fathom…

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