Aluminium soft jaws for the four-jaw chuck

[thehomeengineer]

Hi All
I made some soft jaws today out of some aluminium sheet. The photos below show the method I used. What I hate about setting a four-jaw chuck is the damage the hard jaws can do to the component. Also when using packing between the job and jaws this tends to fall out when adjusting the job to run concentric.
These soft jaws only took ten minutes to make (please no comments like “it looks like it” lol) It took me longer to find the material than to make them and to write this post.
As you can see these are retained around the jaws so no more frustrating time looking for packing in the bottom of the swarf tray.

Setting the four-jaw chuck up to use as a press tool the piece of stock is there purely to flatten the bottom of the soft jaw

Gang cutting all four pieces of aluminium, the slit will form the locking tabs

Setting the aluminium central to the jaw to ensure they bend evenly

Pressing the sheet with the chuck jaw down tightly on to the stock



Knocking the sheet to fit tightly to the Jaws.

Bending the locking tabs down



Finished soft jaws.


Hope this will make your life easier when you don’t want horrible jaw marks all over your work piece
The Home Engineer