Easy Soft Jaws

The Soft Jaws off my vice have finally worn out, it was probably the hot metal melting the plastic that finally did them in and it's time to replace them.

• Plastic Sheet
• Saw
• Vice
• Ruler

There are three primary measurements that you need, the width of the vice jaws, the width of the vice shaft and finally the distance from the vice shaft to the top of the jaws.

Start by cutting out two rectangles that are slightly longer than the jaw width and about three times longer than the distance from the top of the jaws to the shaft.

Now cut out a slot that is slightly wider than the shaft width so it can fit over it and just under two times the distance of the shaft to the top of the jaws. You want the soft jaws to be slightly above the top of the vice jaws.

Use a saw to cut down the plastic and then use a chisel to cut out the last section.

Now just install the jaws into the vice and you can protect whatever you are working on. This is probably the fourth set of jaws I've made, the first two sets were made of plywood and the last set was plastic from a big blue plastic barrel.