Finally got around to modifying my PATTERN MAKER'S VICE

[BrushCountryAg03]

Howdy Everyone,


I got really tired of always having to scrounge up pieces of leather to hold stocks, barrels, parts, etc. in the vice, so I decided to cut some larger pieces of oak (3" X 6") and cement & screw some pretty stout pieces of leather to them after they were wet-formed to the wood.

AS ALWAYS, ANY OPINIONS, COMMENTS, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ARE APPRECIATED.

Does anyone else have any other ideas for modifying Pattern Maker's Vices or vices in general?


Thank y'all for your time,

Will

[Kermit]

As soon as mine arrived a few years ago about the first thing I did was remove the wood jaws and trace them onto hunks from my 4/4 wood scraps, mostly maple and cherry. Then I used Titebond III to glue on some heavy leather given me by a friend who made holsters/LEO rigs. A new blade in the razor knife trimmed the leather flush to the edges. Actually, I see no reason to wrap the edges as you did. I'm ham-fisted enough to scar things on your screw heads. Now when a set gets pretty dinged up and worn, I just swap for new. I made about ten pairs, and at the rate I'm using them up, I have a lifetime supply.

[Acer Saccharum]

Good idea.

  just make sure the leather has no oil in it.

[Kevin Houlihan]

Will,
If at some point you make another set of jaws, you can use contact cement and forget about the screws - the leather will NEVER come off once bonded.
Kevin

[BrushCountryAg03]

Good idea.

  just make sure the leather has no oil in it.

You're absolutely right...I made sure it didn't before I used it and will keep it that way...I have a 2nd all-metal vice that I use for metal/oily parts.

[BrushCountryAg03]

Will,
If at some point you make another set of jaws, you can use contact cement and forget about the screws - the leather will NEVER come off once bonded.
Kevin

I know you're right about the cement...I think I was having one of my "Build it Russian" moments and was going for something crude, tough, fail-safe, & virtually indestructible.

[Okefinokee Outlaw]

I recently purchased this vise from Woodcraft, and it came with 1/8" thick soft plastic pads attached to the wood blocks.

[TNVolunteerEngineer]

I cut out two pieces of plywood to match the jaws and drop down over the screw guard.  They have a U shape. Then I glue pieces of 3/4" closed cell foam onto the plywood and clamp them in the vice until the glue dries.    The foam  has enough firmness that I can hold a gun easily without damage.   If the gun is very long I have a camera tripod that has a V-yoke from a hiking staff mounted in place of the camera mount.  It allows the gun to rest easily without tending to droop in the vice and permits me to use less vice pressure.

[cunninmp]

This was a great post. After seeing it I ordered one from Woodcraft.
When it got here I was surprised at how much it weighed and it's overall size.
I should have gotten one of these years ago. And yes the vise jaws are padded with
what appears to be a hard neoprene.
I mounted my Vincent stock in it in all different positions. So now I'll get 2 or 3 square
feet of leather and make some additional jaws for it.
After years of messing with my machinists vise to hold and not mar wooden parts, this
vise is phenomenal.
Not being a leather guy, was thinking about going with 8/9 oz leather. How does that sound??
Thanks everyone,
Mike C.
Groveland, CA

[Acer Saccharum]

With this vise, I put a rubber pad on the slide under the jaws. I've had stocks drop out of the jaws onto that crossbar, and it leaves a big ding.

[James Rogers]

Ditto Acer. I always keep a crumpled piece of chrome deerskin on the bar of mine. I guess I should do something more permanent. I use two of these vises.

[davebozell]

I use a "U" shaped piece of carpet tile in mine.  It wraps around anything that I am clamping.  So far, no dings.