In Shop Blog, Techniques

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Snap-On Soft Jaws

I’ve been using an old metal-working vise in my shop for years. Occasionally I really do need a metal-working vise, but most often I use it to hold drawer sides up high when cutting dovetails. Unfortunately the metal jaws can be a hazard to edge tools and they can mar the surface of the wood. I solved these problems by adding a pair of soft jaws to the vise. The jaws are just two pieces of pine with a couple holes for recessed rare earth magnets. The soft jaws literally snap in place to provide a non-marring clamp surface for my stock plus a non-threatening surface for my edge tools.

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker January 2003, issue #98.



January 2003, issue #98


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