6 Attachment(s)
Magnetic Soft Jaws for Bench Vise
These plans include:
- A 13-page PDF manual.
- 3 technical drawings.
- 9 color photographs.
Most workers find that they need different jaws on their bench vise. The factory jaws are not ideal for many jobs as they can easily harm the finish on many materials. I have always found myself making at least a set of aluminum jaws for every bench vise I have used.
But those hastily made jaws, usually just a piece of aluminum angle, have never been ideal. They do not stay put. They can easily drop off the vise and you are picking them up from the floor over and over. The factory solution is jaws that are held with screws but almost no one ever uses them because they take too much time to change.
Jaws that attach with magnets are the best solution that I have seen. So when I got a new bench vise, I set out to make a nice set of jaws that used the popular neo magnets to hold them in place. I was so happy with the first set, with smooth aluminum jaws, that I promptly made more sets with other materials like wood and felt. Now I almost never use just the factory jaws. These magnetic jaws instantly go over the original steel jaws so the originals do not ever need to be removed. The magnetic jaws can be changed in an instant for different materials. Now almost everything that I put in my bench vise is held with one or another set of these magnetic jaws and the nice finish on my parts is never harmed.
Features:
· Soft jaws to prevent harm to finished parts
· Magnetic attachment so change-out is fast and easy
· Sealed magnets so chips can not collect in recesses
· Easy to make with hand tools: saw, file, drill, tap, glue
These plans are a complete article with photos, drawings, and complete instructions for making these soft, magnetic vise jaws. They take you step-by-step through the entire process of making them. The materials you will need include aluminum angle and rectangular stock, the neo magnets, epoxy, common screws, and other materials for the actual jaws. Only simple tools are required: metal saw, file, drill, and a 6-32 or similar size tap. I did use a drill press, but they could easily be made with a hand drill. They are sized for a 5" wide vise, but can be easily scaled for almost any other size bench vise.
Once you make these, you will never use your bench vise without them again. Well, almost never.
Feel free to post any questions you may have in this discussion, either before you purchase, during, or after construction. Or, post pictures of your finished magnetic soft vise jaws.
My other plans ..............................
