Replacement pads for vise

WNYBill

Member
This is a small bench vise with 3 inch jaws. The hardened pads have been removed and lost. I have looked on Amazon and they are not cheap and don't tell the distance between screw holes. Mine is 2.5 inches and no idea what the thread is. Where do I look for replacements?
 
This is a small bench vise with 3 inch jaws. The hardened pads have been removed and lost. I have looked on Amazon and they are not cheap and don't tell the distance between screw holes. Mine is 2.5 inches and no idea what the thread is. Where do I look for replacements?
Toss it in the scrap pile and then go to Harbor freight and by a new vise. You can also order online if desired.
 
The bolt on pads I've looked at all show the center to center distance. Though 2.5" spacing on a 3" pad sounds strange. I only see 4" pads with that spacing. Not sure why the thread matters? Replacement pads don't come with screws, you'll need to figure those out.
But if none of those work, there are countless cheap magnetic pads out there.
 
Had pretty much the same issue on an old machinist vice: A very high-quality, older, well built vice with only 3" jaws and an unusual bolt pattern (Might have been 2.5", can't remember). Similar to what MJ found, the only pads with that centre distance were large. I just bought the larger pads and cut them down.
 
I had a cheap vise from another supplier, all I can say is don’t buy one. Never held anything tight and the jaws were not paralle. Found a used Columbian for $50 several years ago. Holds anything and everything perfectly.
 
This is a small bench vise with 3 inch jaws. The hardened pads have been removed and lost. I have looked on Amazon and they are not cheap and don't tell the distance between screw holes. Mine is 2.5 inches and no idea what the thread is. Where do I look for replacements?
Have an old craftsman 2510, 3 inch jaw holes are 2 1/4 center. I'd maybe make my own out of something, old horseshoe rasp possibly?
 
i have used oil field tong jaws in an old vise . i just spot welded them in. works perfect.
 
This is a small bench vise with 3 inch jaws. The hardened pads have been removed and lost. I have looked on Amazon and they are not cheap and don't tell the distance between screw holes. Mine is 2.5 inches and no idea what the thread is. Where do I look for replacements?
My Craftsman 391.5180 3-1/2" vise are 2-1/2 on centers 5/8" tall I could not fide any parts for it.
My 4" Wilton 2-1/2" centers 3/4" tall, no number on the wilton I could see.
 
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Usually if it's a name brand, american made vise you can search by the dimensions of the vise and come up with the jaws and other parts. One more reason to not buy chinese junk in the first place.
 
A Harbor Freight vise?? I’m not so sure about that.

Glenn F.
I second that. We had a Harbor freight vice at work. POS. When tightening it felt like the screw was made out of a marshmallow. It lasted a few months and got replaced with a Wilton. Maybe HF has different qualities of vices. Never checked. The one we had sure was junk though!
 
A Harbor Freight vise?? I’m not so sure about that.

Glenn F.
I broke the vise I had. Went to Harbor Freight and bought the Doyle #57738 which is their top of the line . Price was $229.00 but the price with a membership would be $199.00. A one year membership would be $29.99 so I bought the membership. The vise had good customers reviews. The vise has 9900 lbs squeeze force. It is six inch vise and seems to be pretty good. There are different prices for the harbor freight vises and it depends on what you are willing to pay as there are for the different values for the Wilton brand vises.
 
If you go down the rabbit hole at Garage Journal dot com, you can spend the next month reading about vises, repairing vises, buying and selling vises, and much more. I think there was somebody on there that was custom making vise jaws.
 
Find a hobby machinist and buy a small piece of 0-1, (oil hardening), tool steel from McMaster Carr,and make a set. Heat until a magnet will not stick, harden in an oil quench, temper at about 800 degrees. Find a color chart (after cleaning to shinny) for the tempering temp. or get a temp crayon.
 
I second that. We had a Harbor freight vice at work. POS. When tightening it felt like the screw was made out of a marshmallow. It lasted a few months and got replaced with a Wilton. Maybe HF has different qualities of vices. Never checked. The one we had sure was junk though!
Our last Harbor freight vice didn't last either.
 
Find a hobby machinist and buy a small piece of 0-1, (oil hardening), tool steel from McMaster Carr,and make a set. Heat until a magnet will not stick, harden in an oil quench, temper at about 800 degrees. Find a color chart (after cleaning to shinny) for the tempering temp. or get a temp crayon.
well u need the teeth grips on the dies. smooth dies are useless unless u are clamping wood.
 
I go through the local water-jet shop's scrap bin and find a chunk of 3/8 ish x 3/4 ish steel and drill it with countersinks and bolt it in.... If I need grippage I use the death wheel to cut knurling in.
 
This is a small bench vise with 3 inch jaws. The hardened pads have been removed and lost. I have looked on Amazon and they are not cheap and don't tell the distance between screw holes. Mine is 2.5 inches and no idea what the thread is. Where do I look for replacements?
Make a set. use 1144 stress proof steel and drill and countersink as needed. I like them flat with no teeth so that they do not mar the small parts I work on on that vice. Once created, heat it to red, then quench it in water for only one second. then let them cool on a brick. Jim
 

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