Soft jaws for vise

[Toneloc]

What’s your favorite soft jaws for gripping stock during build?

Getting ready for Kibler build.

I’ve got a set of plastic ones, but they are pretty beat up from years of mechanics type work….worried they would mark up a stock. Was thinking to make a fresh set with some plywood….curious what you guys prefer.

Thanks.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I've just used a leather wrap on things like a rifle stock.

 

[billraby]

I got the pattern maker vise from Woodcraft. It has rubber lined jaws that will hold a rifle at some pretty strange angles.

 

[RobertE]

When I built my Kibler last year, I just epoxied some thin plywood covered with heavy leather to some cheap plastic vise jaws. Worked OK, just don’t crank down hard.
I’m waiting for a sale on the pattern makers vise though, and will purchase one.
Bob

 

[EC121]

I also use the leather on plywood jaw liners. I just cut a notch in the plywood that will fit over the vise shaft(terminology?). The wood just sits on that. It is easily removable.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Easy on easy off, very stable and won't shift.

 

[Toneloc]

RobertE....those are the exact plastic jaws I have. I was thinking something similar, but probably just made a set from plywood rather than attaching to the plastic. Figured the plastic might be useful for holding different metal pieces.

I'm also thinking I am going to temporarily cantilever my vise out from the edge of my bench towards the middle to get it out from over the bench and give me a little more access.

Eric...like those. thanks. I think I'll go with that design...simple.

 

[ppb]

I like this piece of rubber I found at a garage sale...

 

[OhioHawkeye]

as a leather crafter, I use pieces of 1/4" sole leather with a thin garment split leather (2oz?) cover. I just glue the thin leather to the thick with barge cement.

 

[Jim Evans]

What’s your favorite soft jaws for gripping stock during build?

Getting ready for Kibler build.

I’ve got a set of plastic ones, but they are pretty beat up from years of mechanics type work….worried they would mark up a stock. Was thinking to make a fresh set with some plywood….curious what you guys prefer.

Thanks.

For my Kibler, I used 2 cheap carpenter vise with wood attached to the jaws and then used some old computer mouse pad in the jaw and a T with carpet on it

 

[Vaino]

I also use inverted 3/4" thick "U" shaped plywood w/ 2 plies of soft leather....the gripping is excellent and they're removable. They rest on the horizontal vise screw cover and don't fall out because of the "U" shape. The vise is a Starrett and was my only vise until a few yrs ago....wasted my money on a cheap swivel type vise which was only good for very light work.

My only regret was that I didn't make a free standing walk around bench. but my permanently attached to the wall bench helped me build quite a few LRs so wasn't that unhandy and was very stable.....Fred

 

[Sidney Smith]

I just cut a couple pieces of scrap pine or whatever wood I have lying
around. I then drill the mounting holes and attach the wood. Once it gets beat up I just cut new wood and replace it.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

A pair of aluminum angles (90-degree) cut to vice width will hang on the jaws just fine. Cover one leg with 10-12 ounce leather and you will have simple serviceable protectors.

 

[oldwood]

Have been using Sranley Workmate wood working vises for 50+years. You can sit and work. Holds many different gun stocks an most working positions. tiny 2" , medium 3', 4' , and metal working vises can be clamped on to the workmate top. Extremely versatile and inexpensive. It doesn't replace a heavy mechanic's bench vice ,but neither does a heavy mechanic's vice do what the Workmate can do. In all the years building m/l's , I wore one Workmate out and am on my 2nd one. I bought a pattern makers vise ,studied it , and gave it to a friend. It just didn't fit into , how I do things now.............. oldwood

 

[Tazman1602]

Thick leather or Latigo works great

Art

 

[stewart.leach]

What’s your favorite soft jaws for gripping stock during build?

Getting ready for Kibler build.

I’ve got a set of plastic ones, but they are pretty beat up from years of mechanics type work….worried they would mark up a stock. Was thinking to make a fresh set with some plywood….curious what you guys prefer.

Thanks.

Leather is great, glued to long U-shaped pieces of 3/4 inch plywood. Don't make mistake of having tops of your jaw liners go much above the tops of the actual metal vice jaws.

About a year ago I was given a piece of used conveyor belt. Made a new set of jaw liners using that, and they are really grippy.

SAL

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

I've used carpet tape to line my jaws with leather. Cut leather to fit the jaws of your vise. The carpet tape will hold it in place and if you want to remove it you can.

I have a pattern makers vise with rubber jaws now but still use leather in my other vise for working metal pieces, bbl work, trigger guards etc

 

[ZUG]

I use aluminum jaws that I made for this vise