Vise Pads

[Donn]

What does everyone use for vise pads, and how do you mount them? I got my cheapo Pony woodworker's vise, and it's got the front face of the jaw drilled with four 1/4" holes, countersunk on the outside. The back face has two of the same holes, countersunk on the inside (for screwing to the bench top) and two 1/4x20 tapped machine screw holes.

I like Cleek's idea of using plastic cutting board material, but it's only 1/2" thick, and I can't figure out how to fasten it with screws.

I've considered gluing the plastic to wood and screwing it on. I've considered gluing sheet magnet to the plastic. I've considered just using 5200 to glue the plastic to the jaw faces.

Suggestions?

[Donn]

What does everyone use for vise pads, and how do you mount them? I got my cheapo Pony woodworker's vise, and it's got the front face of the jaw drilled with four 1/4" holes, countersunk on the outside. The back face has two of the same holes, countersunk on the inside (for screwing to the bench top) and two 1/4x20 tapped machine screw holes.

I like Cleek's idea of using plastic cutting board material, but it's only 1/2" thick, and I can't figure out how to fasten it with screws.

I've considered gluing the plastic to wood and screwing it on. I've considered gluing sheet magnet to the plastic. I've considered just using 5200 to glue the plastic to the jaw faces.

Suggestions?

[Donn]

What does everyone use for vise pads, and how do you mount them? I got my cheapo Pony woodworker's vise, and it's got the front face of the jaw drilled with four 1/4" holes, countersunk on the outside. The back face has two of the same holes, countersunk on the inside (for screwing to the bench top) and two 1/4x20 tapped machine screw holes.

I like Cleek's idea of using plastic cutting board material, but it's only 1/2" thick, and I can't figure out how to fasten it with screws.

I've considered gluing the plastic to wood and screwing it on. I've considered gluing sheet magnet to the plastic. I've considered just using 5200 to glue the plastic to the jaw faces.

Suggestions?

[Donn]

I saw those, Barry, but I don't like the idea of the felt (it's an outdoor vise), and the price is outrageous. Without shipping, they're over half the price of the vise! This thing is going to have metal objects like lawnmower blades and garden tools clamped in it as often as wood.

[Donn]

I saw those, Barry, but I don't like the idea of the felt (it's an outdoor vise), and the price is outrageous. Without shipping, they're over half the price of the vise! This thing is going to have metal objects like lawnmower blades and garden tools clamped in it as often as wood.

[Donn]

I saw those, Barry, but I don't like the idea of the felt (it's an outdoor vise), and the price is outrageous. Without shipping, they're over half the price of the vise! This thing is going to have metal objects like lawnmower blades and garden tools clamped in it as often as wood.

[Cecil Nickerson]

I use 9mm mahogany-type ply cut to size and attached to a quick-acting vice (Paramo) with double-sided carpet tape. When they're worn or dinged thery're easy and quick to replace. Cheap too.

Cecil

[Cecil Nickerson]

I use 9mm mahogany-type ply cut to size and attached to a quick-acting vice (Paramo) with double-sided carpet tape. When they're worn or dinged thery're easy and quick to replace. Cheap too.

Cecil

[Cecil Nickerson]

I use 9mm mahogany-type ply cut to size and attached to a quick-acting vice (Paramo) with double-sided carpet tape. When they're worn or dinged thery're easy and quick to replace. Cheap too.

Cecil

[Dave Fleming]

O&O East, you can cut and drill the UMHW or whatever the hell its called with woodworking tools. If magnets ring your chimes, then drill the backside of a hunk and let the magnets hold it to the CI of the vice.
United Plastics will sell you almost any quantity you wish. They probably will tell you what glues work with the stuff too.
I got a 1/2 full x 30x36 piece for a cutting board delivered for about $13 USD.

[Dave Fleming]

O&O East, you can cut and drill the UMHW or whatever the hell its called with woodworking tools. If magnets ring your chimes, then drill the backside of a hunk and let the magnets hold it to the CI of the vice.
United Plastics will sell you almost any quantity you wish. They probably will tell you what glues work with the stuff too.
I got a 1/2 full x 30x36 piece for a cutting board delivered for about $13 USD.

[Dave Fleming]

O&O East, you can cut and drill the UMHW or whatever the hell its called with woodworking tools. If magnets ring your chimes, then drill the backside of a hunk and let the magnets hold it to the CI of the vice.
United Plastics will sell you almost any quantity you wish. They probably will tell you what glues work with the stuff too.
I got a 1/2 full x 30x36 piece for a cutting board delivered for about $13 USD.

[Donn]

Guess I need to put this in the bilge, and give it a political or "free speech" twist in order to get any responses. Gimme a freakin' break. Thanks for all the help. :mad:

[Donn]

Guess I need to put this in the bilge, and give it a political or "free speech" twist in order to get any responses. Gimme a freakin' break. Thanks for all the help. :mad:

[Donn]

Guess I need to put this in the bilge, and give it a political or "free speech" twist in order to get any responses. Gimme a freakin' break. Thanks for all the help. :mad:

[Mike DeHart]

A friend of mine who builds furniture uses plywood pads on his woodworking vise. He started with plywood rectangles that were wider than the vise jaws. Then he cut strips with a bevel on one edge and glued them to the plywood to form a kind of dovetailed pad that slips on to the vise jaws. Of course his vise jaws are beveled on the edges to accept this kind of pad and I’m not familiar with a pony vise, but if this does not work you might build from this idea.

Top view of dovetail wood pads:
__ __
|_/________\_|
|___________|

If I read your description correctly, you could make both pads from the 1/2" plastic material. For the back jaw pad drill two 1/4" holes to match the tapped holes. Countersink the plastic so flat head 1/4-20 machine screws rest just below the surface. Cut the machine screws to length if needed so that they don’t bottom out in the tapped holes when you screw the back pad on.

For the front jaw pad drill two 1/4" holes to match the 1/4" through holes. Countersink them the same. Use 1/4-20 machine screws from the inside of the jaws and hold them with washers and nuts on the outside of the jaw.

My best guess.

Edited to try to fix that top line in my poor artwork. It won't behave. Should be one short line on top at each end, not two on the left.

[ 05-22-2003, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: Mike DeHart ]

[Mike DeHart]

A friend of mine who builds furniture uses plywood pads on his woodworking vise. He started with plywood rectangles that were wider than the vise jaws. Then he cut strips with a bevel on one edge and glued them to the plywood to form a kind of dovetailed pad that slips on to the vise jaws. Of course his vise jaws are beveled on the edges to accept this kind of pad and I’m not familiar with a pony vise, but if this does not work you might build from this idea.

Top view of dovetail wood pads:
__ __
|_/________\_|
|___________|

If I read your description correctly, you could make both pads from the 1/2" plastic material. For the back jaw pad drill two 1/4" holes to match the tapped holes. Countersink the plastic so flat head 1/4-20 machine screws rest just below the surface. Cut the machine screws to length if needed so that they don’t bottom out in the tapped holes when you screw the back pad on.

For the front jaw pad drill two 1/4" holes to match the 1/4" through holes. Countersink them the same. Use 1/4-20 machine screws from the inside of the jaws and hold them with washers and nuts on the outside of the jaw.

My best guess.

Edited to try to fix that top line in my poor artwork. It won't behave. Should be one short line on top at each end, not two on the left.

[ 05-22-2003, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: Mike DeHart ]

[Mike DeHart]

A friend of mine who builds furniture uses plywood pads on his woodworking vise. He started with plywood rectangles that were wider than the vise jaws. Then he cut strips with a bevel on one edge and glued them to the plywood to form a kind of dovetailed pad that slips on to the vise jaws. Of course his vise jaws are beveled on the edges to accept this kind of pad and I’m not familiar with a pony vise, but if this does not work you might build from this idea.

Top view of dovetail wood pads:
__ __
|_/________\_|
|___________|

If I read your description correctly, you could make both pads from the 1/2" plastic material. For the back jaw pad drill two 1/4" holes to match the tapped holes. Countersink the plastic so flat head 1/4-20 machine screws rest just below the surface. Cut the machine screws to length if needed so that they don’t bottom out in the tapped holes when you screw the back pad on.

For the front jaw pad drill two 1/4" holes to match the 1/4" through holes. Countersink them the same. Use 1/4-20 machine screws from the inside of the jaws and hold them with washers and nuts on the outside of the jaw.

My best guess.

Edited to try to fix that top line in my poor artwork. It won't behave. Should be one short line on top at each end, not two on the left.

[ 05-22-2003, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: Mike DeHart ]

[Bruce Hooke]

Any plastics shop should be able to sell you thicker UHMW (the stuff they use for cutting boards), if you want thicker pads. You can tap UHMW so a nice clean way to attach pads would be to tap the outside piece to accept 1/4-20 machine screws. On the inside pad you can drill and countersink for 1/4-20 flat-head machine screws to go into the 1/4-20 holes in the vise.

By the way, as to the speed of responses - remember that responding to questions up here actually requires some knowledge :D

[Bruce Hooke]

Any plastics shop should be able to sell you thicker UHMW (the stuff they use for cutting boards), if you want thicker pads. You can tap UHMW so a nice clean way to attach pads would be to tap the outside piece to accept 1/4-20 machine screws. On the inside pad you can drill and countersink for 1/4-20 flat-head machine screws to go into the 1/4-20 holes in the vise.

By the way, as to the speed of responses - remember that responding to questions up here actually requires some knowledge :D

[Bruce Hooke]

Any plastics shop should be able to sell you thicker UHMW (the stuff they use for cutting boards), if you want thicker pads. You can tap UHMW so a nice clean way to attach pads would be to tap the outside piece to accept 1/4-20 machine screws. On the inside pad you can drill and countersink for 1/4-20 flat-head machine screws to go into the 1/4-20 holes in the vise.

By the way, as to the speed of responses - remember that responding to questions up here actually requires some knowledge :D

[Donn]

By the way, as to the speed of responses - remember that responding to questions up here actually requires some knowledge Good point! 5 responses in 17 hours, from a crew that probably has thousands of vises installed and in use.

Anywho...thanks for the 5. IS this plastic cutting board stuff the same as King Starboard, that's advertised in all the boating catalogs?

[Donn]

By the way, as to the speed of responses - remember that responding to questions up here actually requires some knowledge Good point! 5 responses in 17 hours, from a crew that probably has thousands of vises installed and in use.

Anywho...thanks for the 5. IS this plastic cutting board stuff the same as King Starboard, that's advertised in all the boating catalogs?

[Donn]

By the way, as to the speed of responses - remember that responding to questions up here actually requires some knowledge Good point! 5 responses in 17 hours, from a crew that probably has thousands of vises installed and in use.

Anywho...thanks for the 5. IS this plastic cutting board stuff the same as King Starboard, that's advertised in all the boating catalogs?

[Tom Lathrop]

Awright, Donn,

I got a response for you but since I am in disagreement with most about the use of plastic for vise faces, I didn't offer an opinion yet. UHMW plastic will lold up well but does not grip the work well. This will cause you to crank in more pressure to get a sufficient grip to hold the work and this may damage the part. I hate it when the part slips in the vice and I have to keep cranking down on it.

I prefer dense close grained hardwood for the permanent faces and add other stuff like the temporary plywood pices already mentioned to avoid scaring delicate parts. Favorite woods are dogwood and locust because they grip and wear well.

[Tom Lathrop]

Awright, Donn,

I got a response for you but since I am in disagreement with most about the use of plastic for vise faces, I didn't offer an opinion yet. UHMW plastic will lold up well but does not grip the work well. This will cause you to crank in more pressure to get a sufficient grip to hold the work and this may damage the part. I hate it when the part slips in the vice and I have to keep cranking down on it.

I prefer dense close grained hardwood for the permanent faces and add other stuff like the temporary plywood pices already mentioned to avoid scaring delicate parts. Favorite woods are dogwood and locust because they grip and wear well.

[Tom Lathrop]

Awright, Donn,

I got a response for you but since I am in disagreement with most about the use of plastic for vise faces, I didn't offer an opinion yet. UHMW plastic will lold up well but does not grip the work well. This will cause you to crank in more pressure to get a sufficient grip to hold the work and this may damage the part. I hate it when the part slips in the vice and I have to keep cranking down on it.

I prefer dense close grained hardwood for the permanent faces and add other stuff like the temporary plywood pices already mentioned to avoid scaring delicate parts. Favorite woods are dogwood and locust because they grip and wear well.

[Donn]

Thanks, Tom...I hadn't considered the fact that the plastic is slicker than wood. I have a bunch of Locust, so maybe I'll try that.

[Donn]

Thanks, Tom...I hadn't considered the fact that the plastic is slicker than wood. I have a bunch of Locust, so maybe I'll try that.

[Donn]

Thanks, Tom...I hadn't considered the fact that the plastic is slicker than wood. I have a bunch of Locust, so maybe I'll try that.

[Alan D. Hyde]

I agree with Tom, and suggest you use two-sided foam tape to attach your locust...

Alan

[ 05-22-2003, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: Alan D. Hyde ]

[Alan D. Hyde]

I agree with Tom, and suggest you use two-sided foam tape to attach your locust...

Alan

[ 05-22-2003, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: Alan D. Hyde ]

[Alan D. Hyde]

I agree with Tom, and suggest you use two-sided foam tape to attach your locust...

Alan

[ 05-22-2003, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: Alan D. Hyde ]

[Sailing-Randy]

I have made a couple of different vice jaw pads. One is just use scrape wood cut to the right size. Unless the woods in poor structural quality it should work fine in a lot of situations - except maybe holding lawnmower blades and the like. But hey, you take them off then don't ya?

I have found that if I take bit of that steel strapping they use on industrial shipping, I can fasten it to the top of the wood and bend it so that it sits right held by the straps reaching over the back of the jaw. The strap has enough spring to grip and release quickly. Sorry, no pics.

Pieces of angle iron work great when you want to grip long stuff. I have that need so seldom I just lay them over the top edges when I need them.

I am sure there are other ways, some maybe even easier/simpler that others know of.

Also, I fashioned a pipe clamp wood working vice. I am impressed how well it works. I may need to rebuild now that I know where it needs a bit of strengthening. I like the fact that its 28" long and can accommodate a variety of shapes.

[Sailing-Randy]

I have made a couple of different vice jaw pads. One is just use scrape wood cut to the right size. Unless the woods in poor structural quality it should work fine in a lot of situations - except maybe holding lawnmower blades and the like. But hey, you take them off then don't ya?

I have found that if I take bit of that steel strapping they use on industrial shipping, I can fasten it to the top of the wood and bend it so that it sits right held by the straps reaching over the back of the jaw. The strap has enough spring to grip and release quickly. Sorry, no pics.

Pieces of angle iron work great when you want to grip long stuff. I have that need so seldom I just lay them over the top edges when I need them.

I am sure there are other ways, some maybe even easier/simpler that others know of.

Also, I fashioned a pipe clamp wood working vice. I am impressed how well it works. I may need to rebuild now that I know where it needs a bit of strengthening. I like the fact that its 28" long and can accommodate a variety of shapes.

[Sailing-Randy]

I have made a couple of different vice jaw pads. One is just use scrape wood cut to the right size. Unless the woods in poor structural quality it should work fine in a lot of situations - except maybe holding lawnmower blades and the like. But hey, you take them off then don't ya?

I have found that if I take bit of that steel strapping they use on industrial shipping, I can fasten it to the top of the wood and bend it so that it sits right held by the straps reaching over the back of the jaw. The strap has enough spring to grip and release quickly. Sorry, no pics.

Pieces of angle iron work great when you want to grip long stuff. I have that need so seldom I just lay them over the top edges when I need them.

I am sure there are other ways, some maybe even easier/simpler that others know of.

Also, I fashioned a pipe clamp wood working vice. I am impressed how well it works. I may need to rebuild now that I know where it needs a bit of strengthening. I like the fact that its 28" long and can accommodate a variety of shapes.

[edsr]

Donn, I also have some of the orange Pony Pipe clamps and after some experimentation wound up gluing pads of leather to the clamping surfaces. That was some years ago and they haven't been replaced yet. If a wider or more rigid pad is needed you simply add them to the clamp pad and leave the leather ones in place. In the case of extended outdoor use some non-porus material sounds like the better way to go. The leather pads don't seem to be as slippery as other materials which make the clamps easier to place.
I cut the pads from a belt kit that came from a craft supply shop. Ply-o-bond works well for the glue.

edsr

[edsr]

Donn, I also have some of the orange Pony Pipe clamps and after some experimentation wound up gluing pads of leather to the clamping surfaces. That was some years ago and they haven't been replaced yet. If a wider or more rigid pad is needed you simply add them to the clamp pad and leave the leather ones in place. In the case of extended outdoor use some non-porus material sounds like the better way to go. The leather pads don't seem to be as slippery as other materials which make the clamps easier to place.
I cut the pads from a belt kit that came from a craft supply shop. Ply-o-bond works well for the glue.

edsr

[edsr]

Donn, I also have some of the orange Pony Pipe clamps and after some experimentation wound up gluing pads of leather to the clamping surfaces. That was some years ago and they haven't been replaced yet. If a wider or more rigid pad is needed you simply add them to the clamp pad and leave the leather ones in place. In the case of extended outdoor use some non-porus material sounds like the better way to go. The leather pads don't seem to be as slippery as other materials which make the clamps easier to place.
I cut the pads from a belt kit that came from a craft supply shop. Ply-o-bond works well for the glue.

edsr

[Dave Fleming]

Not jumping on the 'me to' bandwagon but, I must have misunderstood you. I was under the impression that you wished to use something to 'take the weather' so to speak and that is why I chimed in on the high density plastic stuff.
But, if it were me, I would go with Toms excellent wood suggestion. If weather is a factor might soak the pads in some warm mineral oil and let cool in the stuff. Sorta like the expand and contraction thing.
Am I now making sense here???

[Dave Fleming]

Not jumping on the 'me to' bandwagon but, I must have misunderstood you. I was under the impression that you wished to use something to 'take the weather' so to speak and that is why I chimed in on the high density plastic stuff.
But, if it were me, I would go with Toms excellent wood suggestion. If weather is a factor might soak the pads in some warm mineral oil and let cool in the stuff. Sorta like the expand and contraction thing.
Am I now making sense here???

[Dave Fleming]

Not jumping on the 'me to' bandwagon but, I must have misunderstood you. I was under the impression that you wished to use something to 'take the weather' so to speak and that is why I chimed in on the high density plastic stuff.
But, if it were me, I would go with Toms excellent wood suggestion. If weather is a factor might soak the pads in some warm mineral oil and let cool in the stuff. Sorta like the expand and contraction thing.
Am I now making sense here???

[Nicholas Carey]

Hmmm...

Thinking about plastic and the need to take exposure to weather and the note that plastic tends to be slippery...it makes me think that...

Some of the modern composite decking material (Trex?, etc.) might be just the ticket. These materials are a composite manufactured from sawdust and some sort of plastic resin. Supposed to be warranted for many years w/o maintenance and fully exposed to the weather. Not supposed to be slippery (I've got my doubts, but that's just me).

Might be worth checking out. Your local lumber yard ought to have the stuff.

[Nicholas Carey]

Hmmm...

Thinking about plastic and the need to take exposure to weather and the note that plastic tends to be slippery...it makes me think that...

Some of the modern composite decking material (Trex?, etc.) might be just the ticket. These materials are a composite manufactured from sawdust and some sort of plastic resin. Supposed to be warranted for many years w/o maintenance and fully exposed to the weather. Not supposed to be slippery (I've got my doubts, but that's just me).

Might be worth checking out. Your local lumber yard ought to have the stuff.

[Nicholas Carey]

Hmmm...

Thinking about plastic and the need to take exposure to weather and the note that plastic tends to be slippery...it makes me think that...

Some of the modern composite decking material (Trex?, etc.) might be just the ticket. These materials are a composite manufactured from sawdust and some sort of plastic resin. Supposed to be warranted for many years w/o maintenance and fully exposed to the weather. Not supposed to be slippery (I've got my doubts, but that's just me).

Might be worth checking out. Your local lumber yard ought to have the stuff.

[Tom Dugan]

Maybe along the lines of TomL's suggestion, but I use softwood (AKA "one-by"). It gives a bit more than hardwood, and maybe requires a bit less pressure, although I couldn't prove it. Just bear in mind that it's sacrificial.

Mine are attached with countersunk screws.

-T

[Tom Dugan]

Maybe along the lines of TomL's suggestion, but I use softwood (AKA "one-by"). It gives a bit more than hardwood, and maybe requires a bit less pressure, although I couldn't prove it. Just bear in mind that it's sacrificial.

Mine are attached with countersunk screws.

-T

[Tom Dugan]

Maybe along the lines of TomL's suggestion, but I use softwood (AKA "one-by"). It gives a bit more than hardwood, and maybe requires a bit less pressure, although I couldn't prove it. Just bear in mind that it's sacrificial.

Mine are attached with countersunk screws.

-T

[Donn]

OK...we've got hardwood, softwood, leather and UHMwhatever. Fasten with wood screws, machine screws, double stick carpet tape, double stick foam tape, and a fit-over dovetail design.

What about painting the faces with something like tool-dip, or liquid truckbed liner? :D

[Donn]

OK...we've got hardwood, softwood, leather and UHMwhatever. Fasten with wood screws, machine screws, double stick carpet tape, double stick foam tape, and a fit-over dovetail design.

What about painting the faces with something like tool-dip, or liquid truckbed liner? :D

[Donn]

OK...we've got hardwood, softwood, leather and UHMwhatever. Fasten with wood screws, machine screws, double stick carpet tape, double stick foam tape, and a fit-over dovetail design.

What about painting the faces with something like tool-dip, or liquid truckbed liner? :D

[RalphS]

Go for the Locust. Will outlast you. Use wood screws for the outside face and countersink holes in the inside face for quarter inch machine screws and washers.

Ralph

[RalphS]

Go for the Locust. Will outlast you. Use wood screws for the outside face and countersink holes in the inside face for quarter inch machine screws and washers.

Ralph

[RalphS]

Go for the Locust. Will outlast you. Use wood screws for the outside face and countersink holes in the inside face for quarter inch machine screws and washers.

Ralph

[Mrleft8]

I use pine, with 1/8" cork liners. You can crank the hell out of the vise, and still not mar most other wood. Ya just screw the cork faced pine to the jaws with 3/4" S/R screws. When they get beat up... Replace 'em. You attach the cork to the pine with some of that 3M spray adhesive crap...

[Mrleft8]

I use pine, with 1/8" cork liners. You can crank the hell out of the vise, and still not mar most other wood. Ya just screw the cork faced pine to the jaws with 3/4" S/R screws. When they get beat up... Replace 'em. You attach the cork to the pine with some of that 3M spray adhesive crap...

[Mrleft8]

I use pine, with 1/8" cork liners. You can crank the hell out of the vise, and still not mar most other wood. Ya just screw the cork faced pine to the jaws with 3/4" S/R screws. When they get beat up... Replace 'em. You attach the cork to the pine with some of that 3M spray adhesive crap...

[Mrleft8]

For a metalworking vise, I use sheet copper jaw pads that my grandfather made a kazillion years ago. I call them the "vise bra", they just slip over the top of the vise, and are shaped to curve around the rounded top area of the vise. very sexy!

[Mrleft8]

For a metalworking vise, I use sheet copper jaw pads that my grandfather made a kazillion years ago. I call them the "vise bra", they just slip over the top of the vise, and are shaped to curve around the rounded top area of the vise. very sexy!

[Mrleft8]

For a metalworking vise, I use sheet copper jaw pads that my grandfather made a kazillion years ago. I call them the "vise bra", they just slip over the top of the vise, and are shaped to curve around the rounded top area of the vise. very sexy!

[Sailing-Randy]

Let's see, bras, car bras and now vice bras made out of brass. What am I missing here?

How about copper as I don't know where I would find sheet brass.

[Sailing-Randy]

Let's see, bras, car bras and now vice bras made out of brass. What am I missing here?

How about copper as I don't know where I would find sheet brass.

[Sailing-Randy]

Let's see, bras, car bras and now vice bras made out of brass. What am I missing here?

How about copper as I don't know where I would find sheet brass.

[Mrleft8]

Copper. I said copper.....

[Mrleft8]

Copper. I said copper.....

[Mrleft8]

Copper. I said copper.....