Aluminium soft jaws for the four-jaw chuck

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
Attachment 21832
Gang cutting all four pieces of aluminium, the slit will form the locking tabs
Attachment 21836
Setting the aluminium central to the jaw to ensure they bend evenly
Attachment 21833
Pressing the sheet with the chuck jaw down tightly on to the stock
Attachment 21834

Attachment 21835
Knocking the sheet to fit tightly to the Jaws.
Attachment 21837
Bending the locking tabs down
Attachment 21838

Attachment 21839
Finished soft jaws.
Attachment 21840Attachment 21841

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

Thank you for the posting thehomeengineer,

I like your series of photos. easy to understand to method.

I agree that using any "soft" jaw coverings made from aluminum, copper or yet another soft metal material in three, four or six jaw is a great way to protect your work and very important for secondary and beyond operations when preserving surface finish is a important.

Your method of bending-over the "upper tabs" to hold the jaw covers in place makes using these covers so much easier than just using just flattened copper tubing for jaw covering protections.

Regards,

Paul

Excellent idea. Thanks for sharing. It's on my 'to do list' now.

Best regards
LMMasterMariner

Oh I really like that one. Great photo layout. I have been needing to make some for a while
and will get to it soon. Great method.

Cheers, JR

I like I like must have some... :O)

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Thanks thehomeengineer! We've added your Chuck Soft Jaws to our Workholding category,
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<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-chuck-soft-jaws-8"> <img src="/uploads/209904/homemade-chuck-soft-jaws-8.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-chuck-soft-jaws-8">Chuck Soft Jaws</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/thehomeengineer">thehomeengineer</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/chuck'>chuck</a>, <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/soft-jaws'>soft jaws</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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Wow, so simple but so good, gotahavesome.

Thanks for posting.

Ralph

What type of aluminum did you use. It seems every time I try something like this I get stress cracks. I can never remember which type is malleable.

Fully annealed aluminium. If the aluminium is hard run hand soap over the material and heat until the soap goes black and this will be the temperature for annealing aluminium and allow to cool naturally. The hard aluminium will be soft and workable. This is the method I use and it works but I am sure there are other methods for annealing aluminium.
hope this helps
the home engineer

Thanks for the quick reply. :thumbsup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by melbakid

What type of aluminum did you use. It seems every time I try something like this I get stress cracks. I can never remember which type is malleable.

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I just used a little chumk of some mystery aluminum. Probably 6061 but it was not marked and I buy a lot of end cuts at my metal store.

Cheers, JR

Thank you for showing the multitude, a simple way to do this the photos and explanation is just perfect. Regards Beagles.