# Vise chop liner



## 12strings (Nov 15, 2011)

I have heard a lot of people lining their workbench vise chops with leather, but what about cork? I happen to have some thin cork laying around and I'm wondering if it's a good idea.

thanks.


----------



## nicholasrhall (Aug 19, 2012)

Cork would improve the grip, but wouldn't be as durable. I think you'd have to replace it pretty frequently. That said, if you have a lot of free cork, and can figure out a way to switch out an old one for a new one quickly and without a mess, it would be a plausible option.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Try it, see what happens…

For leather, I was able to strip a seat cushion that was curbside for the garbage pickup one Saturday; it was a leather loveseat that had seen better days. Pulled the cover and had what I needed with plenty to spare.


----------



## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

I think cork is a good idea. While not as durable as leather, I think it would still last a long time. 
Just use any adhesives sparingly, making removal an easier process.. I can't imgine needing more than a few well-placed dabs of contact cement to hold it in place.


----------



## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I think it would increase the gripping power of a vise nicely. I wonder about it's durability though, it may not hold up as well as leather. Try it and let us know.


----------



## JeffDM (Jun 1, 2012)

I made a cheap moxon style vise and lined it with cork. It does improve the grip but when I make another I will line with leather.

As the others have mentioned the cork is not as durable. This wouldn't be a big problem if it just lost grip over time but what happens is you get little pieces of cork flaking off that then gets stuck in the rest of the lining. One day you pull out your case side that you just spent a decent amount of effort dovetailing and see a bunch of little dents in the wood because of the cork protusions. Sure, you can usually steam them out but why add the hassle?


----------



## nicholasrhall (Aug 19, 2012)

I didn't think about the cork flaking off and sticking to the remaining cork. I wouldn't have guessed it could dent a workpiece either. I'm glad you chimed in!

Another low cost option I've seen used is shelf liner. I'm pretty sure that's what Paul sellers uses in his vices. It doesn't last as long as leather, but it's cheap, and grips incredibly well based on his vids. He glues it to the top of his vise like a flap, so he can flip it out of the way in instances where he doesn't want to use it.


----------



## DubyaB (Jan 22, 2014)

I lined mine with leather which works great, I used double sided carpet tape to adhere to the wood, use that with the cork and see how it works!


----------



## mds2 (Jan 28, 2013)

I use shelf liner stuff from menards. Not very durable but it works well.


----------

