Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?
--
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"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
...
Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Just clamp the angles in your vise, mark off where to cut them so you'll
have some little adjustable "ears" that you can bend over with a hammer, cut
on those marks with a hacksaw, re-clamp, and bend the ears over so the jaws
don't fall off. When you have to remove them, a screwdriver will pry them
off.

--
Ed Huntress

Ed Huntress wrote:
"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
...

Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?


I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Just clamp the angles in your vise, mark off where to cut them so you'll
have some little adjustable "ears" that you can bend over with a hammer, cut
on those marks with a hacksaw, re-clamp, and bend the ears over so the jaws
don't fall off. When you have to remove them, a screwdriver will pry them
off.

--
Ed Huntress




I'll back Ed up, I use aluminium, aluminum is more expensive in the UK,
angle or L section but don't even bother with the tags to hold them on.
Annoying sometimes when you knock them off. Cheap and easily replaced.

"David Billington" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
...

Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?


I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Just clamp the angles in your vise, mark off where to cut them so you'll
have some little adjustable "ears" that you can bend over with a hammer,
cut on those marks with a hacksaw, re-clamp, and bend the ears over so
the jaws don't fall off. When you have to remove them, a screwdriver will
pry them off.

--
Ed Huntress




I'll back Ed up, I use aluminium, aluminum is more expensive in the UK,
angle or L section but don't even bother with the tags to hold them on.
Annoying sometimes when you knock them off. Cheap and easily replaced.

The tabs are good when you find you would otherwise need three hands. g

--
Ed Huntress

Ed Huntress wrote:
"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
...


Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Ditto. But only for 20 years.... ;-)

If you use thicker stock, you can mill a couple of pockets for a couple
of super magnets in each one to hold them in place.

Pete


--
Pete Snell
Department of Physics
Royal Military College
Kingston, Ontario,
Canada
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered;
the point is to discover them.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

"Pete Snell" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
...


Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Ditto. But only for 20 years.... ;-)

If you use thicker stock, you can mill a couple of pockets for a couple of
super magnets in each one to hold them in place.

Pete

Aha! Good trick.

--
Ed Huntress

On May 7, 1:55*pm, Ignoramus18547 ignoramus18...@NOSPAM.
18547.invalid wrote:
Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?
--
* *Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
* * * to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
* * * *from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
* * * * *more readers you will need to find a different means of
* * * * * * * * * * * *posting on Usenet.
* * * * * * * * * *http://improve-usenet.org/

Aluminum will distort if you clamp narrow work like a bolt but
otherwise it's fine. You can make jaw covers out of scrap sheetmetal
and hammer the ends or the top to clamp around the back of the jaw.
The thicker ones with magnets are convenient but reduce capacity.

Some vises have reversible jaws with one side smooth, or you can make
them out of aluminum or steel bar stock. I have a couple of sets of
aluminum and copper jaw covers and snap on whichever set is
appropriate, the good ones for filing nice work or the most beat-up
ones to grab bolt threads.

Jim Wilkins

Ignoramus18547 wrote:

Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

Either works. A nice piece of hardwood can work too. Depends on what you
are trying to hold.

The most important thing is to make sure crap isn't embedded in your soft
jaws.

Wes

I would recommend the aluminum jaws over the brass. The brass will
chip off easier than the aluminum. Meaning if you hit it with a hammer
pieces of the brass can come off. The aluminum can bend but can be
bent back into shape also.
If you are holding a specific object the brass will be a bit softer
and not mark your work as much as the aluminum. If you can get some
rubber or soft plastic and hot glue it to some metal or aluminum jaws
that could help you if you have pieces that you don't want to mark up.

On Wed, 7 May 2008 14:09:38 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
m...
Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Just clamp the angles in your vise, mark off where to cut them so you'll
have some little adjustable "ears" that you can bend over with a hammer, cut
on those marks with a hacksaw, re-clamp, and bend the ears over so the jaws
don't fall off. When you have to remove them, a screwdriver will pry them
off.


One comment. Aluminum being softer is a bit more likely to have chips
embed themselves into the jaws so they probably need to be changed, or
inspected, more frequently.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

"Bruce in Bangkok" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 7 May 2008 14:09:38 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
om...
Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Just clamp the angles in your vise, mark off where to cut them so you'll
have some little adjustable "ears" that you can bend over with a hammer,
cut
on those marks with a hacksaw, re-clamp, and bend the ears over so the
jaws
don't fall off. When you have to remove them, a screwdriver will pry them
off.


One comment. Aluminum being softer is a bit more likely to have chips
embed themselves into the jaws so they probably need to be changed, or
inspected, more frequently.

Being very cheap, I often clean them with a big double-cut file.

--
Ed Huntress

In article ,
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

"Pete Snell" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Ignoramus18547" wrote in message
...


Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

I've used removable jaws made of aluminum angle for 40 years. They work
fine.

Ditto. But only for 20 years.... ;-)

If you use thicker stock, you can mill a couple of pockets for a couple of
super magnets in each one to hold them in place.

Pete

Aha! Good trick.

--
Ed Huntress

A quick thought about soft jaw magnets... they will slightly magnetize
your vise jaws. Some people don't seem to mind, but I for one hate
magnetized tools. That is, the ones that aren't supposed to be
magnetized.

Many years ago I somehow ended up with an old TV degaussing coil (just a
big AC coil with a switch). It works wonderfully to de-magnetize the
vise, and other tools of most every description.

Be sure to turn it on well away from the object being de-magnetized,
move in and wave it around the object, then back out well away before
releasing the switch. If you don't, you can magnetize whatever it is
your trying to degauss even worse, depending on the exact instant of
power termination.

I keep my watch and cell phone away from it too...

Erik

Hey Iggy,

85 bucks!!! WOW!!! Sounds like they would be solid jaws!!

I use two home-made kinds, and they are both just sheet formed over
the steel jaws. Sheet aluminum, and sheet rubber.

To make the 1/8" thick aluminum, clamp one sheet at a time in the jaws
and hammer over to suit, one each anvil. Then clamp them both in
place and tidy up. The won't last forever no matter what, so don't
get all fancy.

The rubber is "formed" in place by cutting to fold, and then gluing
edges.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


On Wed, 07 May 2008 12:55:54 -0500, Ignoramus18547
wrote:

Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?

In article ,
Ignoramus18547 wrote:

Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

I have a set of thick cast copper jaw caps made by Wilton for their
machinist vice, and the copper cap works well.

Joe Gwinn

I use aluminum angle with a strip of refrigerator magnet glued to
the top flange that rests on the top of the factory jaws. Made a
rack on the end of the bench that they live in when not on the
vise.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Ignoramus18547" wrote in
message ...
Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of
Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman
1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass
jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something
from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?
--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their
inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles
originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen
by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

On May 8, 10:01*am, Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have a set of thick cast copper jaw caps made by Wilton for their
machinist vice, and the copper cap works well. *

Joe Gwinn

I have some copper ones too. They work well on bars but round stock
dents them.

On Wed, 07 May 2008 12:55:54 -0500, Ignoramus18547
wrote:

Are there any serious disadvantages of "soft jaws" made of Aluminum?

The reason for my question is that I have a Wilton tradesman 1765
vise (6.5" jaw width), and I have aluminum angle already. Brass jaws
cost $85 and I thought that I coudl just fabricate something from the
angle.

Any experiences with aluminum jaws?


Throw away the original jaws and replace them with smooth hardened jaws. If
the jaws are already smooth as they should be on a fitter's vice, then get
them reground if they are marking the work due to damage.


Mark Rand (doesn't use soft jaws in his Record #24 fitter's vice)
RTFM