Tricks for keeping parallels, Parallel

[mklotz]

...will never find again...

I'm with you there bro. I did find one of the bags of rubber bands I bought, a few weeks ago. Stretch them and they disintegrate. Not much use like that!

Keep your rubber bands in an airtight container; they'll last longer although they remain a less-than-perfect choice for parallel retention.

I find that, in many applications, light bell wire is a better choice than a rubber band. Immune to oxygen or ultraviolet deterioration, adjust tension by twisting the connection a little tighter.

I'll offer one of the oldtimer's solutions that works well for me. A tiny dab of grease will 'glue' a parallel to the vise jaw. Easy to wipe off when no longer needed. A drop of oil will work as well in most cases.