Magnetic Vise Soft Jaws (w/ Silicone Adhesive)

I was recently given a very old vise from my grandpa, I started using it, And for most projects, It's an amazing must have tool!

The problem with vises is that they have serrated jaws, Which are very aggressive and can leave marks on your work, Whether it's Wood, Metal, Or anything else.

After looking at some "Magnetic Soft Jaws for Your Vise", I came across Fikjast Scott's : Magnetic Rubber Jaws for a Vise. He used "Big Mistake" erasers as soft jaws. I was very fond of idea, But these erasers aren't very cheap, And I wanted to keep the project free.

After thinking and searching around in my room for something soft I could use, I came across the idea of using Silicone Adhesive. Silicone is a very soft and hard to rip (high tensile strength), Which is better than an eraser. I also had it laying around, Which was even better!

Here's what I came up with, And I made it in 10 minutes!

Step 1: What You'll Need:

Materials:

Silicone Adhesive

Two Identical Magnets

Tools:
Vise (Obviously, But it will also be used as a helping hand)

"Epoxy" Mixing Stick

Step 2: Choosing a Magnet

The magnets I chose were ones that were salvaged from old speakers. You can see how to salvage them on your own here

In the beginning, I wanted to use rectangular ceramic magnets, But I only had one, So I had to think of something else.

I started searching in my magnet collection, Until I found Two identical magnets that were around The same size of my bench vise's jaws. I also Didn't want them to be too thick, Because it wouldn't leave me any space to clamp materials down. Before starting, You might want to make sure that they're strong by squishing them (not too hard) in your vise, They shouldn't budge.

Step 3: Clamp, Add Silicone, & Flatten It Out

Clamp one magnet in your vise, And put some silicone on the top of it, As shown in picture #1.

Next, Use your mixing stick to spread the silicone until you have a flat layer. This is not very easy to do because the silicone is very sticky, It has to be fairly flat, Not perfectly flat.

Now let cure over-night to maximize the strength. Curing time depends on the kind of silicone adhesive that you're using, But overnight is always the answer (for silicone)

Now repeat the same process with the second magnet

That's basically it, This project took me about 10 minutes