I'm working with some really small pieces, around 1/4 x 1/4 x 1 inch, and I'm on the hunt for a wood vise that has wooden jaws. I need it to hold the parts securely for planing, drilling, and other tasks. I've tried using hand screws with sandpaper on the inside, but it's quite cumbersome. Ideally, I'm looking for something similar to a 3-inch drill press vise but made out of wood. Any suggestions, or is it feasible to just install wood jaws on my drill press vise?
4 Answers
You might want to check out this mini work surface from Lee Valley. It's designed for small tools and could be a great fit for your needs. Plus, you can pair it with some accessories like the miniature wonder dog and surface dogs for added stability! Here are the links:
[Mini Work Surface](https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/miniature-tools/113770-veritas-miniature-worksurface)
[Miniature Wonder Dog](https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/miniature-tools/113766-veritas-miniature-wonder-dog)
[Miniature Surface Dogs](https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/miniature-tools/113767-veritas-miniature-surface-dogs).
Check out the vise design from Clickspring! Here's the link: [Clickspring Vise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk_rCm1rAeg). You can also make wooden jaws for a small machinist vise by unscrewing the existing ones. Just grab two wooden blocks that fit, with countersunk holes—they're pretty easy to whip up. If that's not your style, soft jaws might work too, but be cautious with the material to avoid damaging your wood.
You might not find any wood vises that are small enough. I’d suggest using a small machinist vise instead and just adding some soft jaws or even just two wood shims. You don’t need to replace the whole jaw, just make it work with what you've got!
Alternatively, I stumbled across this miniature bench vise from Lee Valley. It looks like it could do the job well for small projects. Here’s the link: [Miniature Bench Vise](https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/workshop/workbenches/vises/110964-veritas-miniature-bench-vise).