Aluminium soft jaws for the four-jaw chuck

[thehomeengineer]

Hi All
I made some soft jaws today out of some aluminium sheet. The photos below show the method I used. What I hate about setting a four-jaw chuck is the damage the hard jaws can do to the component. Also when using packing between the job and jaws this tends to fall out when adjusting the job to run concentric.
These soft jaws only took ten minutes to make (please no comments like “it looks like it” lol) It took me longer to find the material than to make them and to write this post.
As you can see these are retained around the jaws so no more frustrating time looking for packing in the bottom of the swarf tray.

Setting the four-jaw chuck up to use as a press tool the piece of stock is there purely to flatten the bottom of the soft jaw

Gang cutting all four pieces of aluminium, the slit will form the locking tabs

Setting the aluminium central to the jaw to ensure they bend evenly

Pressing the sheet with the chuck jaw down tightly on to the stock



Knocking the sheet to fit tightly to the Jaws.

Bending the locking tabs down



Finished soft jaws.


Hope this will make your life easier when you don’t want horrible jaw marks all over your work piece
The Home Engineer

[Paul Jones]

Thank you for the posting thehomeengineer,

I like your series of photos. easy to understand to method.

I agree that using any "soft" jaw coverings made from aluminum, copper or yet another soft metal material in three, four or six jaw is a great way to protect your work and very important for secondary and beyond operations when preserving surface finish is a important.

Your method of bending-over the "upper tabs" to hold the jaw covers in place makes using these covers so much easier than just using just flattened copper tubing for jaw covering protections.

Regards,

Paul

[LMMasterMariner]

Excellent idea. Thanks for sharing. It's on my 'to do list' now.

Best regards
LMMasterMariner

[jjr2001]

Oh I really like that one. Great photo layout. I have been needing to make some for a while
and will get to it soon. Great method.

Cheers, JR

[Captainleeward]

I like I like must have some... :O)

[DIYer]

Thanks thehomeengineer! We've added your Chuck Soft Jaws to our Workholding category,
as well as to your builder page: thehomeengineer's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Chuck Soft Jaws by thehomeengineer

tags: chuck, soft jaws

[Ralphxyz]

Wow, so simple but so good, gotahavesome.

Thanks for posting.

Ralph

[melbakid]

What type of aluminum did you use. It seems every time I try something like this I get stress cracks. I can never remember which type is malleable.

[thehomeengineer]

Fully annealed aluminium. If the aluminium is hard run hand soap over the material and heat until the soap goes black and this will be the temperature for annealing aluminium and allow to cool naturally. The hard aluminium will be soft and workable. This is the method I use and it works but I am sure there are other methods for annealing aluminium.
hope this helps
the home engineer

[melbakid]

Thanks for the quick reply.