Sometimes even a great vise has a bad day and bites.  Found these and fixed the problem.

Pool noodles or floats

 

 

Ahh shame them out of biting! I found some rubber washers that I was able to push over the knobs when I warmed the rubber---moved them in a bit so they would show up better on my travel vise:

Thomas I like your suggestion.

This solution came from a blacksmith in Israel. 

That stuff is all well and good but nothing accelerates one on the learning curve like blood blisters. 

Joking aside I rolled a couple Orings on each side to stop the bite. I don't have a pic though.

Frosty The Lucky.

I’ve just cut thick leather rings, put a slit inside and slid them over the handle.  Any of these ideas above do good to prevent nips 

I cut some big rubber bands from an innertube (just cut straight across to make a ring) and wrapped those around the handle next to the knobs.

Common problem, a wealth of fixes. I have noticed that blacksmithing tends to enhance folks creativity and problem solving skills as there is generally not "one way" to accomplish things and smiths are encouraged to work on "local optimization".   (The smith that used a monkey to crank his blower is a good example---I hear they work for peanuts!)

Beware the Jabber-vise my son, the jaws that bite, the claws that catch.  Beware the Jubjub...I dunno, anvil stand, beware the Frumious Curmudgeonsnatch!

Oy...I stretched poetic license too far, and I think I broke it.  Does anyone know a good blacksmith?

5 hours ago, JHCC said:

some big rubber bands 

 

Beware the Fumiest Bandermudgeon? Well DUUHH! And I only have a poetic learners permit and nobody is sitting in the passager's seat!

Frosty The Lucky.

Harrumph this is going to the Jub Jub Birds *fast*!  I'm going to go talk with the caterpillar of fire by the Mushroom cloud.

I’m just going to go hang out in the wabe with the borogoves 

Going to imbibe enough to gyre and gimbol? 

Frosty The Lucky.

Think I'll have a snack & adult beverage while the blood blister on my thumb heals up. Wish this had been posted on Friday because a vise bit me on Saturday while at our BOA meeting and I was oiling up the screw & box.

Bummer about the timing on the discussion. To quote Maxwell Smart, "Missed it by T H A T much." A perfect example of the "Non-Reciprocating law," in action. "Mention something good and it won't happen. Mention something bad and it'll happen immediately."

Deb and I try not to talk about the weather.

Frosty The Lucky.

Well, I deserve the lesson not learned award for this.  I chose to learn the how to not let it happen pathway.  

For the most part its been a good choice.  

However, the key words are "for the most part." 

I didn't think of this till reading this thread and it's a real head slapper. I'm going to put a handful of Orings in my tool bag so I won't have to be so careful using other smith's post vises.  DOH!

I think I'd rather have pieces sliced out than get blood blisters. (NOT big pieces! Of course.)

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Frosty is a well known connoisseur of impact wounds!

i must be in the minority. I've had the vice pinch a few times, but not since I was a kid! I just learned not to drop the bar if my hand was still there (just like not putting my finger infront of a moving bandsaw or under a descending hammer). 

I have the bandsaw and the hammer thing down, but alas, the handle is yet poised to bite me.

Robert Taylor

7 hours ago, Dave Budd said:

i must be in the minority. I've had the vice pinch a few times, but not since I was a kid! ). 

I was thinking the same. And I learned as a kid too..the hard way! On the palm..a few times! But this is a great thread for those that teach blacksmithing, to remind their students of the danger. 

I also learned as a kid not to hold a piece of metal as I was drilling it with the drill press. It took half my glove off as it spun loose and came back around. Good thing I was wearing the glove...

If any equipment rotates such as drills, lathes, etc. clamp the work in place,  and then back up. This is the place a foot operated kill switch is something to consider. Move your foot off the switch and the electric to the machine is dead.

Interesting idea. I already have a deadman switch on my solid-fuel forge's blower; maybe one for the drill press would be a good idea as well.

On 4/30/2019 at 2:01 PM, Dave Budd said:

i must be in the minority.

Yup, me too.  

On 4/20/2019 at 1:20 PM, ThomasPowers said:

! I found some rubber washers that I was able to push over the knobs

The picture ThomasPowers added got me thinking of my technique. It may be unusual, since I was self taught...or it may be common. I don't rightly know...

I never turn a vise with the handle centered , like the picture. The handle is always fully on one side, and I keep a slight outward force as I turn , so it never starts to slide. When the turn is finished, I just remove my hands and let it fall with a 'clunk' if it was facing up. No issues. I never get bit; there is no way for that to happen with this technique. I would wonder about the training of the smith, if I saw bright colored puffy padding on a vise in a one man shop, and they were not a teacher. If I may joke around (hopefully without offending anyone) , the padding looks like training wheels. The twine however, looks acceptable to the eye, like an old world safety feature. Just my opinions here