On Sep 4, 7:58*pm, whit3rd wrote:
My best vise has loose jaws, which are too hard for some work, and let heavy items slip.

I'm thinking of making
(1) soft jaws (aluminum, maybe copper)
(2) step jaws (so I can hold something and hammer down on it)
(3) curved-face jaws (to hold pipe)
(4) milled jaws (to hold).
(5) V-block jaws (a V that stays put on the fixed jaw, but leave the
*moving jaw flat)

So, are there any tricks? *The jaws are held by 1/4-20 cheesehead Phillips screws;
I'm likely to go with flathead socket screws for the refit, 'cuz an allen wrench fits
better than a shorty Phillips screwdriver, and a flathead counterbore can force
the *jaws down into their seat.

If there's too much clearance, can I bend an ell in shim stock and put that
between the body and the jaws (seems like that SHOULD work)?

Is there an aftermarket for vise jaw inserts I can shop in?

You don't HAVE to replace the inserts. I've made sheet copper covers
from scrap flashing for more-or-less non-marring holding. I have also
bought urethane covers with magnets. A whole lot faster than getting
hex keys out and swapping jaws. If you need the full opening of the
vise, though, they'd be handy. One old-timey shop tip book I've got
somewhere suggests using masonite slabs with leather glued on for
delicate holding, the bottoms are "U"ed out to clear the vise screw.
Lead sheet works for a jaw cover as well, more scrap. But if you need
a project, have at it. One thing I'll probably do one of these days
is to make a set of sheetmetal bender jaws, they stand proud about an
inch or so and have 45 degree bevels on the edges. For doing small
sheetmetal projects where the big bender is too big.

Scan the specialty hobby tool places for the magnetic vise jaws, I
think Brownell's has some stuff like that as well.

Stan