Soft jaws for precision machinists vice

[hosinsky]

Hello,
I have just bought a vice of the type with a screw that pulls down the movable jaw. I would like to make a pair of soft jaws from some 15 mm aluminium for it. The movable jaw I can dismount and add in a couple of screw holes but the fixed jaw is integral with the structure and I do not see, how I can fix the aluminium jaw to it as I cannot reach the front side with a drill and a tap. To thick to tap through from the back.

Any advice?
Goran, Canary Islands

 

[Ray C]

Does this vise have removable jaws originally? Any chance you can drill the holes from the front side?

Send a picture if you can. Helps visualize the problem.

Ray

Hello,
I have just bought a vice of the type with a screw that pulls down the movable jaw. I would like to make a pair of soft jaws from some 15 mm aluminium for it. The movable jaw I can dismount and add in a couple of screw holes but the fixed jaw is integral with the structure and I do not see, how I can fix the aluminium jaw to it as I cannot reach the front side with a drill and a tap. To thick to tap through from the back.

Any advice?
Goran, Canary Is

 

[mikey]

Why not make some aluminum jaws with some neodynium magnets imbedded into the back and stick them to the existing vise jaws? Is there a need to make them a permanent part of the vise?

 

[Tony Wells]

If this is a typical precision machinist vise, it likely is hardened and ground all over, and there will be no drilling and tapping. Soft jaws can be held on with embedded magnets, as mentioned, but if you really need secure soft jaws, get a vise with removable jaws.

 

[hosinsky]

If this is a typical precision machinist vise, it likely is hardened and ground all over, and there will be no drilling and tapping. Soft jaws can be held on with embedded magnets, as mentioned, but if you really need secure soft jaws, get a vise with removable jaws.

Well, I should have read the catalog better, your are right, it is hardened. I wanted soft jaws so that I could make fine adjustments by skimming the jaws. I think that the embedded magnets would not have sufficient hold for this.

Thanks for your comments everybody!
Goran

 

[McRuff]

When the description says machinist vise the term should be grinding vise as this is what these vises are primarily designed for. The holding of parts that are ground. While they can be used on a milling machine there holding power will not be sufficient for serious milling.