Leather Sewing Mini-Jaws

[ToddB 68]

Greetings !

One of my previous hobbies was gun stock checkering and I made a checkering bench. I mounted a swivel-vice on a raised platform at the front end, to hold a Brownell's stock cradle.

When I got the "leather bug", I decided to design and make a set of wooden leather sewing mini-jaws that would adapt to the vice and be used for small projects, like a sheath for tool or knife.

A photo of these mini-jaws is attached. The jaws are 4" wide and the throat is 6-1/2" deep (from top of jaws down to vice worm screw.).

Each jaw has a slot to allow it to slide down onto the vice worm screw to stabilize and keep the jaws in alignment. Springs keep the wood jaws open until the vice is tightened and leather washers prevent the spring-ends from marring the wood jaws.

ToddB68

[r lenna]

That looks very nice. I know that I like to do my sewing sitting down

[ToddB 68]

r lenna ,

Yes, with the mini-jaws mounted in the swivel-vice at the front-end of my checkering bench, I can sit at the rear of the bench and be comfortable while sewing! leather !

ToddB68

[ToddB 68]

Hello !

I decided to add the attached photo to this thread, just to make it a little clearer how all three components go together, i.e. the Mini-Jaws, Swivel-Vice and Gunstock Checkering Bench. Sorry, the photo isn't better (Not real sharp.).

At the time of taking this photo I had a piece of textured soft-rubber tubing slid onto the vice worm screw, to prevent lubricant on the worm screw from getting on a leather project. I'll be replacing that tubing with some material that is lighter-weight and more collapsible as the jaws are being tightened.

You can see the springs mounted on short hardwood dowels at the lower part of the photo.

I used Gorilla Glue to attach the leather pads at the top of the Jaws. The photo shows I didn't get all the glue residue cleaned off ! Oh well.

Hope this thread helps if someone decides to make a set of Mini-Jaws for their vice

ToddB68