Author Topic: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws  (Read 4122 times)

Offline geoff5269

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A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« on: March 17, 2015, 08:32:01 PM »
We all need to hold small parts in the vice for filing sawing & finishing and to not leave any damage in the process, so after years of putting up with bits of ali angle to cover the hard jaws I thought why not make the jaws out of ali and save the work, then I decided to make a small rebate in the top to hold thin pieces and while I was at it machine over the jaws to make sure they were parallel, and I  found it works really well and can be skimmed over again when they are worn.
Geoff

Offline bizibilder

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2015, 06:15:00 PM »
Next time you make some replacement jaws make them about 1" too long so that they stick out 1/2" each side - makes a huge difference!!  You can hold long things vertical more easily (they will easily pass the side of the main casting)and small parts can be just "nipped" in the extreme end to allow access almost all round for filing etc.

Offline mklotz

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2015, 07:04:50 PM »
Yes, and add two horizontal and two vertical V-grooves in one of the jaws.  I find that 1/4" and 1/8" are good sizes for the smaller work I do.  YMMV.
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Offline Meldonmech

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2015, 04:38:33 PM »
 
  Geof ,bizi, and Marv,

                                   Thanks for your tips. This is a pair I must make next time I am casting.

                                                                         Cheers David

Offline Roger B

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2015, 06:02:45 PM »
My newly won Gressel vice has the jaws offset and some vertical grooves as standard.
Best regards

Roger

Offline mklotz

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2015, 09:09:27 PM »
Another less-used addition to vise soft jaws is two 1/4" holes in the top of each jaw.  Drop some 1/4" pins into them and one can clamp odd shapes like round/square sheet metal plates.

Unless you want to drill an array of hole spacings it's probably best to drill them as required. [Remember, soft jaws are regarded as expendable.]

The pins are also handy for clamping certain shapes from the inside, using the vise as a spreader.
Regards, Marv
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Offline Will_D

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2015, 10:42:55 PM »
My newly won Gressel vice has the jaws offset and some vertical grooves as standard.
Great picture of the vice and the jaws (OnTopic) nut what are the things to the left of the vice and the Red and Yellow handles? (OffTopic)

Will

Offline Roger B

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2015, 07:37:18 AM »
The round things in the racks are a set of taper mandrels. These have a centre in both ends and are ground with a fine taper, the nominal size being in the middle. They are used for turning things like wheels and gears.

The other things are some new file handles and files. My employer was moving/updating the apprentice workshop and was selling off the surplus items.

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php?topic=4274.0
Best regards

Roger

Offline peatoluser

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2015, 07:52:33 PM »
I like the tip about drilling the top for pins.
The first thing I did with my bench vice was to replace the hardened jaws, but I used mild steel bar (no alloy) instead.
As I tend to use the vice a lot, I'm quite happy to make specific jaws for specific jobs as here



note I've also re-drilled the vice so that the jaws are threaded and the bolts that hold them screw in from the outside.
makes changing them a breeze
If you do decide to do this , a top tip is to make a specific spotting punch to fit through the clearance holes (in my case it's 5.3mm dia. for 5mm bolts). makes it very easy to mark new jaws for drilling and tapping.

peter

Offline mike mott

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2015, 05:10:09 PM »
Some great ideas that I will use in the near future.

Mike
If you can imagine it you can build it

Offline bizibilder

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Re: A more accurate bench vice with soft jaws
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2015, 05:23:02 PM »
Another tip that I forgot in my first reply is to drill and thread (1/4" or 6mm will do) a couple of holes in each of the "free" ends of one jaw (movable one is easiest) then use a bolt (or make your own posh one!) and use it as a jack to keep the jaws parallel when holding a part in the opposite end of the Jaws.

 

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