vice jaw replacement

[james butler]

i am looking to replace the vice jaws on a couple of vices i have.
looking on line the replacement jaws arent bad but the holes arent going to iine up with the current holes in my vices
are you supposed to drill new holes in the vice and tap new threads or something?
this is what a lot of people seem to have done online but is it ok to drill holes into a vice?

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

It's your vice, if that's what you need to do.
Why not make jaws to match the existing instead.

 

[Screwdriver]

i am looking to replace the vice jaws on a couple of vices i have.
looking on line the replacement jaws arent bad but the holes arent going to iine up with the current holes in my vices
are you supposed to drill new holes in the vice and tap new threads or something?
this is what a lot of people seem to have done online but is it ok to drill holes into a vice?

No. I forbid you.

But thanks for asking...

 

[Gragson]

Surprised you can't get replacements with the same hole centres?

 

[pressbrake1]

On one of my vices I made some copper vee jaws for holding rod.
If your into messing about why not make some jaws of different types to make certain jobs easier

 

[MattF]

i am looking to replace the vice jaws on a couple of vices i have.
looking on line the replacement jaws arent bad but the holes arent going to iine up with the current holes in my vices
are you supposed to drill new holes in the vice and tap new threads or something?
this is what a lot of people seem to have done online but is it ok to drill holes into a vice?

Better to make new inserts to fit current holes, but just work with what you have available. The screws are only to hold the inserts in place. They don't take any load, under normal circumstances.

 

[james butler]

Surprised you can't get replacements with the same hole centres?

i daresay you can but i havent found any yet

 

[james butler]

It's your vice, if that's what you need to do.
Why not make jaws to match the existing instead.

i think that probably what i will do as i only really need one to replace a damaged one.
can i make them out of mild steel bar ok?

 

[james butler]

Better to make new inserts to fit current holes, but just work with what you have available. The screws are only to hold the inserts in place. They don't take any load, under normal circumstances.

sounds a good plan if mild steel bar is ok to use i think i will use use that to make a couple of new ones.
thanks for the input peeps much appreciated

 

[Gragson]

Just had a look and a bit of a shock, for my one my vices, 6" record - irwin hardened 60- 70 quid! FT! - I would be making them as well
Depending on what you use them for, depends on what you make them out of.

 

[MattF]

can i make them out of mild steel bar ok?

Yup. Smooth, non hardened inserts are preferable to serrated, hardened inserts, for a lot of work. They grip fine, and you won't mar the piece as you will with serrated inserts. When they wear, easy enough to make some more replacements.

 

[james butler]

Just had a look and a bit of a shock, for my one my vices, 6" record - irwin hardened 60- 70 quid! FT! - I would be making them as well
Depending on what you use them for, depends on what you make them out of.

universal ones can be had for £20 of dubious quality but the holes are quite close together presumably so you can drill new holes to secure them with
so yeah i am going to make some

 

[pedrobedro]

Buy a length of mild steel bar in the correct size and make loads without the milled finish which you don't need anyway. Drill and tap them and swap when they need it. That's what the fitting shop at the factory used to do.

 

[Cobbler]

My vice has had mild steel plain jaws for as long as I’ve known it, over 60 years, it’s fine. It was my fathers before & he changed the jaws back in the dark age I reckon.