I picked up a vise but he jaws were missing. what is the best way to make new ones, I think I can salvage the threads in the raised slot on the faces. Can I take a piece of steel and heat it and clamp it in to make the slot, or is it too much movement for the steel? Or do I machine the slot and drill it. By machine I mean cut with an abrasive disc or hack saw. Thanks for any suggestions.

You can buy new jaws at almost any home depot/lowes/hardware/etc. If you have to make them, then take two pieces of flat steel the size of the jaw face on the vise, and cut knurlings in them on one side with a hack saw and drill holes in the proper placement.

thanks, where the jaw threads are there is a raised section, about 3/8" wide and high the length of the jaw, it kind of locks the jaws from sliding up and down I guess. I will take a look at the HD ones when I get out that way.

You may want to make a couple of soft jaws as well: unknurled mild steel, copper and or Al.

BP0358 Vise Jaw Protector

You can tack weld on strips of steel the length of the Jaws and leave a gap in the middle for that groove..Just make the strips the correct thickness to be correct

Ok, thanks. the welding sounds like the way to go, thanks for the other options of soft jaws also. and thanks glen I will look up the bp.

Note that if this is a machinest vise and not a post vise the body will generally be cast iron and welding is NOT suggested!

I annealed ( heated then let cool in lime ) an old couse File then drilled it --- fitted to to the vice works well so far and welding to the vice is not good if its a cast iron vice---- if its a steel vice just cut a file and weld it on there

I will take a closer look at it this weekend. I could also weld together something to fit over the raised section, then screw it on if I can use the threads, then weld any type of thing to that. The file idea sounds like a good thing to weld on there. I can tig it on. thanks again for the help.

--You could dress the jaw seat with a disc grinder---Then drill and thread out the jaw holes to a larger size --- you will not have to fully weld the file ---- just stich weld to much heat won't do the file any good---

Phillips RSP ---is what i use they worK will on files

A set of Jaws with a V cut across the length and width of the jaws are good for holding round stock and square stock on the diamond. You can make these either as a set of jaw accessories or part of your basic jaws. You will find them to be as handy as a shirt pocket.

wrong post sorry