In the shed this weekend.

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

My friend asked me if I knew of any good quality aluminium soft jaws for vices.   He particularly wanted a pair for his ‘Nippy’ vice.   The use of a recessed 1/8” thick by 3/8” diameter magnet is a positive win for simple retention, however swarf attaching itself I may start to hate.

The V grooves are a challenge to do I thought until I found a V shaped HSS wood router bit.  Lots of suds,  slow 0.020”  deep cuts  and spindle speed of 2500rpm.   I had to hold the bit in a regular drill bit chuck as I do not have a 1/4” ER32 collet.   On my list now.

I ended up buying enough material from the always helpful M-Machine in Darlington and making 3 sets.  
http://www.m-machine-metals.co.uk/index.html

 The blue sky dream is doing a set in copper but I squeak when I consider £20 ‘s worth of copper will end up on the floor in chips.

 

Edited April 1 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[RogerH]

In the shed for the last week - I've been weeding. Amazing how much weed grows in the shed. (actually just outside)>

I've weeded and laid a rustic brick border on two of the three sides.  Today I finished off the weeding on the third side.

Tomorrow I shall edge this side.  Bl**dy hard work

I think I would prefer to repair a badly corroded TR4A boot lid.

 

Roger

[TR NIALL]

1 hour ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

My friend asked me if I knew of any good quality aluminium soft jaws for vices.   He particularly wanted a pair for his ‘Nippy’ vice.   The use of a recessed 1/8” thick by 3/8” diameter magnet is a positive win for simple retention, however swarf attaching itself I may start to hate.

The V grooves are a challenge to do I thought until I found a V shaped HSS wood router bit.  Lots of suds,  slow 0.020”  deep cuts  and spindle speed of 2500rpm.   I had to hold the bit in a regular drill bit chuck as I do not have a 1/4” ER32 collet.   On my list now.

I ended up buying enough material from the always helpful M-Machine in Darlington and making 3 sets.  
http://www.m-machine-metals.co.uk/index.html

 The blue sky dream is doing a set in copper but I squeak when I consider £20 ‘s worth of copper will end up on the floor in chips.

 

Excellent bit of Engineering I’ve to make do with lumps of Wood.

[Lebro]

They are certainly posher than the alloy ones I made about 30 years ago - out of ¼" plate bent in three places to fit the vice jaws.

Bob

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

6 hours ago, Lebro said:

They are certainly posher than the alloy ones I made about 30 years ago - out of ¼" plate bent in three places to fit the vice jaws.

Bob

That is precisely what they have replaced.   The ones I made in my metalwork class at school were the model for the folded ones I had and these replace.