Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Best way to pad vise jaws?

What's the best way to pad vise jaws to hold a rifle for cleaning, bedding work, etc.? Do you pieces of wood? Leather? Some kind of commercial product? I always worry about crushing or denting stocks. I've been using pieces of wood padded with leather, but, it's an awkward setup.

Stretching an old inner tube over the jaws will work, and card board does also.

I'd build a gun cradle, with a vise it's too easy to apply too much pressure and you really need two points of contact for a rifle to keep it from moving around.

I used rubber padded inserts from Brownell's. I drilled and tapped the aluminum inserts, screwing them to the vice, a Wheeler, IIRC, which is a Chinese knockoff of the $300+ version Brownells sells.

I've used this set up for years and it's hard to beat. I use it for cleaning rifles, clamping the barrel in the vice.

DF

And the answer is ?? All of the above and anything else you can think of.

I have used about everything you can imagine to shim here and there to get perfect alignment for the mill. I also use a lot if jacks underneath when milling or drilling and can't get everything supported with the vice.

The most important thing is to be sure everything is spotless - nothing like clamping a jaw down and having a small chip in your soft jaws imprint on that brand new stock.

If I had to pick my favorite method, it is soft wood blocks with a thin rubber pad that goes from one jaw, down into the vice and up the other jaw. That helps protect from underneath as well. I shim with cardboard a lot for aligning.

Just my thoughts - your mileage may vary.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. You've given me some new ideas and tricks to try!

It's kind on pricey, but this material is indestructible and grips like you would not believe. Easily cut to size on a band saw. I have been using mine for at least 15 years and it is still good.

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/09208554

RAN

This:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...e-jaws/magnetic-soft-jaws-prod22513.aspx

Or this:

http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-21111-2-Inch-Multi-Grip-Vise/dp/B00004XPVT

Just a couple examples of what's out there..

I've used two pair of pads similar to these for years. Finally wore one set out and got another.. They're the cat's azz..

When I worked in Browning's gunsmithing shop I used oak jaws to which I glued 1/2" cork. The oak portion was notched to fit over the screw housing, a folded shop towel covered the vise screw housing and another was folded so as to cover the cork jaws. This arrangement provided a firm grip and I never dented a stock, just remember to change the shop towel frequently so the little bits of debris that tend to accmnulate do not become embedded in the stock.

For holding for cleaning etc. where not a lot of force is involved I like to use scraps of foam rubber backed carpeting like they used to (still do?) install in kitchens. Contact glue in place and you can peel off and replace when they start to get gritty so you won't be scratching wood finish. In the mean time what grit shows up disappears into the pile rather than hang on the surface.

For this type of work where I basically just want stuff to hold still I built a gun cradle out of scrap oak, stealing the ideas I like from various commercial models.

For any work on rifles I but the barrel in a standard woodworking vise with pieces soft pine in the jaws as a woodworkers vise is designed for. When the rifle is in the vise tight you can clean the gun, install scopes, bed it, etc. If the jaws where out I grab some more pine scrap and screw it into the vise.

Do not used this method for shotguns.

Because I use my vice for so many non- gun uses I have a system.

I have brass jaws I made from brass angle stock (has no tapered web) and a small block of oak that I set in the middle of the set and a piece of saddle leather folded over that I place down on top of the oak block. When I need more holding power, I just lift the leather and block out.

That cork idea is pretty good for stock work.... Like that. Bought a small sheet of 1/4" rubber and glued to some angle stock. Have enough for ten vises. Top wears a magnet that holds all the little [bleep] my fingers cant and keeps the jaws on the vise. It's ugly but works...

Cheers

W

I go to the local lumber yard and buy 2" L shaped wood moulding. I need 2 five inch pieces to cover the jaws of my shop vise, but that's no problem since it's only 89 cents a foot.

I'm suing two u shaped pieces of plywood with leather stretched accross the inside and stapled to the back. They're cut so they line up flush with the top of the vice. Made these in a hurry once while trying to get my commercial pads back from my brother. He still has the commercial pads, though he denies ever having them, and I'm using my temporary solution a decade later.

Carpeting
The next time you carpet your house save the scraps..

Thanks to all for the ideas! I've looked in the local hardware stores for this type of thing and never found any. But, you've all given some great suggestions on what to order, or, better yet make!

I think some kitchen chopping mats would work well They're more pliable than the thick cutting boards. Could be cut with a utility knife, and shaped with a heat gun...I am going to try that and re-post...

Mostly I use a heavy piece of leather. Sometimes I use wood.

Really like the old inner tube, but not sure where a man would find it

I have a pair of vise jaws made of some type of mystery rubbery material. One of the guys who used to work at the shop brought in a bunch of it in sheets, he claimed it was part of a landing gear mechanism on a DC3 or some such.

Whatever it is it is damn near indestructible while being soft enough to keep from marring a stock. It's 1/4" thick and kinda yellow/translucent color. It is tough enough that chips and filings don't embed in it yet bendable and springy. The only way I've been able to effectively cut it is with a coarse tooth hacksaw.

I don't know if some of the aircraft guys on here might know what it is and if it's available but if it is I'd sure like to have a piece of it to make more jaws and pads out of.