Aluminum vs brass bench vise jaws

[Rich Carlstedt]

Forgot to mention one set made from steel angle iron, but be sure to mill out the inside corner of the angle
so it sits flat on your jaws. then clamp a piece of paper between the jaws , and drill and tap for a thread that you need
Really handles working on threaded parts great, as you clamp on the threads. The paper is only to space the jaws apart during tapping.
so when the paper is tossed, the bolt or whatever gets clamped real good with no thread damage !

 

[RJSakowski]

I made some soft jaws by clamping two pieces of .063" aluminum and working the excess to fit the vise whith a hammer, I could have mig welded th overlaps but they they work well enough as is. I mad a pair out of angle pine for my leg vise and they work as well.

 

[randyjaco]

I came up with these several years ago. I just didn't like the idea of screwing on and off soft jaws. I wanted something quick. I looked in my scrap box and found 1.5" aluminum angle. The inner angle was 90 degrees, so there was no internal radius to deal with. I had some magnets available, so I pressed them into the aluminum. The jaws stay in place without fasteners. Now I can use my steel and soft jaws interchangeably and instantly.

 

[Batmanacw]

I came up with these several years ago. I just didn't like the idea of screwing on and off soft jaws. I wanted something quick. I looked in my scrap box and found 1.5" aluminum angle. The inner angle was 90 degrees, so there was no internal radius to deal with. I had some magnets available, so I pressed them into the aluminum. The jaws stay in place without fasteners. Now I can use my steel and soft jaws interchangeably and instantly.

I really don't need the steel jaws on this vise at all. I have a unmolested vise in the garage 30 ft away. This is what led me away from fiddly caps or covers.

I made a version of your caps out of UHMW a couple years ago. They did okay. I might like the replacement jaws better.

 

[Fasturn]

Aluminum is cheaper.....have you priced brass lately. Love working with Brass, just hate the cost.

 

[RandyM]

Here is my solution to the problem. Interchangeable jaws in seconds.

Interchangeable Vise Jaws

For a long time I wanted interchangeable vise jaws. I started with those angled magnetic ones with thin rubber glued to them. I then made a pair of aluminum jaws that always needed a screwdriver to make the exchange. None of this wasn't working. So here is what I came up with. I made threaded...

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