How Do I Hold Stuff In a Vise Without Damaging (gears, threaded stuff, etc.)

[Texgasser1]

Made a set out of old oak, been using them for years. They are not just wood blocks set on the jaws, I drilled holes in them and mounted them on the vise like a set of jaws.

 

[old_bc]

Building my new shop and want to have a dedicated vise for sensitive stuff that could get damaged. Currently I am working on an ignition distributor for a Farmall 140 and the drive gear is held on with a solid pin. Upon trying to remove the gear, I damaged it in the vise trying to hammer the pin out. I HATE trying to use wood blocks to sandwich parts in the vise, cause it is like a fumble show and you need 5 hands to make it work. This time I wrapped the gear 3 times in a rag and clamped in a vise. It damaged the teeth on the gear, so now I need a gear........

Since I'm outfitting my shop, what is a good method to clamp stuff in without damaging. I also need a distributor gear if anyone has a good used one.

We had a set of brass inserts to protect sensitive parts in the vice at the shirt factory I worked in.

 

[stevieb49829]

I'm with Catguy on this one. Leather belt pieces, and a few swatches of suede leather that I can drape over the open vise and nestle my parts in it and clamp it down. Sometimes two layers of it. Even put it into an old leather glove. steve

 

[RTR]

Great info. Thank you all. I'll try some of the magnetic caps and the copper covers too.

I wonder If I can salvage my gear by putting a file on it?

 

[WNYBill]

Duct tape! Pad jaws or wrap object. I also have pieces cut from a cow floor mat, but it takes 3 hands to hold everything together.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Great info. Thank you all. I'll try some of the magnetic caps and the copper covers too.

I wonder If I can salvage my gear by putting a file on it?

I would think so. An assortment of tiny files can be a life saver. I once built an engine someone else had taken apart. The rod and cap joints were serrated. They had pounded the piston/rods out with a steel punch and damaged some of the serrations. I filed them down and took the rods/caps to an engine machine shop for evaluation. They all measured good.

 

[Wdj]

Hmm.. good ideas here. I have a bucket of linotype. Wonder how that would work?

 

[rustred]

I really don’t know why u want to clamp on the gear. Just hold the end of the shaft on the vise opened enough to pound the pin out. Clamping a gear is a no no. Even if you need to have someone hold it in place.

 

[Mule Meat]

Wheels BBI Shaft Clamps

 

[Pete7]

Building my new shop and want to have a dedicated vise for sensitive stuff that could get damaged. Currently I am working on an ignition distributor for a Farmall 140 and the drive gear is held on with a solid pin. Upon trying to remove the gear, I damaged it in the vise trying to hammer the pin out. I HATE trying to use wood blocks to sandwich parts in the vise, cause it is like a fumble show and you need 5 hands to make it work. This time I wrapped the gear 3 times in a rag and clamped in a vise. It damaged the teeth on the gear, so now I need a gear........

Since I'm outfitting my shop, what is a good method to clamp stuff in without damaging. I also need a distributor gear if anyone has a good used one.

I did what you are thinking about- I have a vise dedicated for sensitive work. I made set of vise jaws for it out of aluminum. ( I had it on hand) to replace the still jaws. Easy to make and when they get all cheeed up I just make another set.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Building my new shop and want to have a dedicated vise for sensitive stuff that could get damaged. Currently I am working on an ignition distributor for a Farmall 140 and the drive gear is held on with a solid pin. Upon trying to remove the gear, I damaged it in the vise trying to hammer the pin out. I HATE trying to use wood blocks to sandwich parts in the vise, cause it is like a fumble show and you need 5 hands to make it work. This time I wrapped the gear 3 times in a rag and clamped in a vise. It damaged the teeth on the gear, so now I need a gear........

Since I'm outfitting my shop, what is a good method to clamp stuff in without damaging. I also need a distributor gear if anyone has a good used one.

I lay a shop towel between the jaws,,,, the more sensitive the subject, the more folds in the towel. This is seldom necessary for what I use the vise for. If I had frequent needs I'd try the aluminum angle iron method described here. gm

 

[teddy52food]

Put the shaft in the vise, not the gear!

 

[RTR]

Put the shaft in the vise, not the gear!

I know but trying to drive that pin out it was easiest to hold the gear and couldn't get the shaft

 

[RTR]

I lay a shop towel between the jaws,,,, the more sensitive the subject, the more folds in the towel. This is seldom necessary for what I use the vise for. If I had frequent needs I'd try the aluminum angle iron method described here. gm

I did that this time and didn't notice the towel had fallen down enough to damage the teeth on gear

 

[drsportster]

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/d...PG0aFqTa2bB-qhkoBZoaAll3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds WILTON COPPER JAWS

 

[rustred]

I know but trying to drive that pin out it was easiest to hold the gear and couldn't get the shaft

you cant be clamping a gear in a vise and pounding on it, that simple. isnt there a round section below the gear where the roll pin is ? it dont matter what u put in between the jaws your still clamping the gear. even setting the gear on a wooden v ed block will work , dont need a vise.

 

[UncleTom]

I cut some leather from an old boot and have used that in the vice for protection.

 

[Ray,IN]

I use aluminium angle , around a eighth of an inch thick . Two linserts ,one over each jaw hammered to fit the shape of my large vise. They sit nicely without needing to be held by hand and are soft enough not to mark delicate items .
If I wanted them permanently fixed a dab or two of mastic or silicone would be enough .
For very easily marked things I put a layer or two of duct tape over the inserts .

That's how we made copper faces for our vices in the tool-room. Takes about 2 seconds to remove or replace them in the vice.

 

[rustred]

it dont matter what u have for jaws, steel copper, lead , leather, or what ever, u don't clamp a gear in the vise., and pound on it. post a pic of that gear and it will be self explanatory on how its done.

 

[JoeM(GA)]

I've used everything from leather belts to pieces of fire hose, I got these off the net for about $10, they have magnets to hold them in place, saw some at a local woodworking store, but they were $18 and out of stock