copper vise jaws

[EmilioG]

Thank you all. That is all good advice.
I have plenty of scrap aluminum, brass and copper.
I also have bronze sheets.
How do I distinguish what is copper/brass and bronze? Is there a simple test?
Thanks

 

[pebbleworm]

Not really a quick and definitive field test that I have found, but brass tends towards the yellow color end and bronze towards the copper colored or even silvery and will not crack as easily. Bronze is pretty tough stuff in general.

 

[kd4gij]

I made mine out of plastic cutting board. Hope the wife doesn't read this!anic:

 

[Uglydog]

Aluminum unventilated soffit from the neighbors tear off.
I got in caught digging in the kitchen cupboard!


Daryl
MN

 

[chevydyl]

I use the bearings out of a Caterpillar 3406 engine, flatten em out, they work good as a soft jaw, large surface area and free to me

 

[Al 1]

Vinyl 4" x 4" fencing post scraps also work well. Just cut out some L angles.

Al.

 

[uncle harry]

I made mine out of plastic cutting board. Hope the wife doesn't read this!anic:

I make scads of things out of food safe grade pvc cutting board material. One of my clients makes commercial food & beverage service products. For an hours worth of consulting I got a pickup box bed layered with cutting board material drop-offs. Very handy stuff.

 

[machinist18]

I use aluminum plates, mild steel plates for flat work holding and rubber belting for really soft jaws. I made them in a "U" shape so they straddle the ram of the vise so they are "hands free." This won't work on a round ram vise but works great on square ram vises. Cut the top level with the top of the vise jaws and work great.