Been designing some vice jaws to use. They make it easier to clamp c-channel with bending it, easier to hold shafts and standoffs, and have threaded holes to put screws in for cutting to length. If the community is interested in this idea I can leak pictures of the design and maybe even send out files later.
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That’s actually one of the best ideas i’ve heard in a while. Please do proceed with leaks and possibly released files, because that would be hugely beneficial to everyone, i think.
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Here are a few concept pictures.
The slanted and vertical slots are used for holding c-channel. You would slide the flanges into the slots and clamp against the back wall of the channel, not bending it. The overall height of the jaw also allows for you to slide the c-channel over the jaw for times when you want to clamp the channel horizontally. There are also some slots running horizontally on the jaw and that is for low-strength and high-strength axels. There is a threaded hole found on each side of one of the jaws used for putting screws into to cutoff screwheads and grind them flat for better clearances. Then there is special pockets cutout where the jaws meet together to clamp around the screwhead so you can cut your screws to length. (This special pockets was added because if you were to cut your screw to length in the threaded hole you would be left with a screw end stuck in the hole without an easy way to get it out. Finally the two jaws would have a diamond pattern engraved into them for extra grip.
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Feel free to share any ideas you would like to see and I can see about including it in the design. Also be watching this thread cause soon I plan on making a prototype out of aluminum.
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Those are some pretty solid design choices. I think that those would work wonderfully for anything someone might need them for. I’m assuming that these jaws would also work with flat bar and angle as well, so that you only have to put the jaws onto a vise and not have to swap back and forth?
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Yes, for angle you can also put it in the slots like channel or just clamp on one of the sides of the angle like normal, and also with the flat bar you probably could put it in the slots also like channel but i probably would just put flat bar in between the jaws like normal.
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Because I have limited skills I made a wood block that fits snug inside a channel. Place it inside then the vice can’t crush the c-channel.
For screws and shafts, I took a fender washer and a standoff. Epoxy glue or tack weld the fender washer perpendicular to the standoff. Insert screw, and cut with a hacksaw using the fender washer as a fence / guide. Or just buy the assorted color head screws from robo source.
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I think it’s great that you found something that works for your need. I myself have been taking scrap pieces of channel and set the scrap piece to where is boxes the piece i’m cutting to try and keep it from bending too bad, but it didn’t really help so we set out to find a better solution and came up with the jaws idea. But i do understand everyone isnt able to make those for themselves.
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But regarding both our solutions to try and help clamping channel, we still have the issue of having to fiddle with an extra piece to try and set in place, where the custom vice jaws are fixed in place to the vice so you only have to manipulate the piece you want to cut.
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I like your idea and if it came to market I might buy one since I have a ton of unitasker tools in my workshop.
Until it comes out a simple fix is the wood block and a washer, nut, epoxy trick. It will get people by until you start shipping.
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