Vise soft jaws

[tjb]

I cobbled together some 6" vise jaw liners from a pair of 2" copper pipe couplings (found on close-out at a Home Depot in early 2016). Photos show the fabrication steps. The toughest part was unrolling and flattening the couplings. Unfortunately. I'd forgotten that you can anneal copper to a nice, soft state with a butane torch. I did mine "the hard way." Live and learn! After making the folds, I beat the curves into shape on the vise with a hammer. They're easily removed if I ever want hard jaws. These are still going strong. Don't know what the current price for such couplings is, but I'd replace them in a heartbeat, now that I know how.
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Now that's a great idea! If I'm understanding you correctly, you took 2" copper couplings, which would be slightly larger than 2" in diameter and look to be about 3" long? Splitting the coupling along its side and flattening it gave you a little under 6.75" of length - resulting in a flat piece that's about 6.75" x 3". That's just large enough to shape it into a cover for the jaw and make the tabs for a 6" vise. Is that right?

Nice work! What kind of vise do you have? Looks just like my Wiltons.

Regards

 

[hman]

@tjb - you're firing on all cylinders! All your dimensions are spot on. And yes, it's a Wilton. Has a small number 60 cast into both sides of the movable jaw. Bought if from a Craigslist ad a couple years ago. IIRC, I paid either $125 or $150 for it.

 

[mikey]

I use hardened smooth jaws from Wilton but when I need soft jaws, I use the HHIP 3900-2145 magnetic aluminum vise jaws from Amazon. Mine are the 4" ones and they work well, stick on pretty okay and seem to handle the crushing forces I use pretty well.