Alex RichI am using a very inexpensive Shapeoko 3 to produce precision milled PTFE jaws for Stickvise from my basement!
Why don't I have the part molded or machined somewhere else? I project sales of about 200 pairs per year. Molding PTFE is a specialized process because of the very high temperatures, so it would only be warranted at higher volumes or if I could justify a much higher price point. Machining is more typical in this volume range, but outsourcing machining was still too expensive.
To hit the price point I wanted and not commit to large manufacturing runs, I chose to get a machine to make the parts myself. This also meant I could justify having my own CNC at home, which I had wanted for a while.
I'm happy to say the machine is working well and has already paid for itself. Most importantly, I have a new toy that I never would have bought otherwise.
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I love my PTFE jaws -- picked a set up from Adafruit late last year and they have been absolutely rock-solid. Also swapped the M3 screws out for brass. Now my vise is fancy.
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Cool, thanks for sharing! I wondered how the held up over time, PTFE is fairly soft so it will dent even if it doesn't melt. Brass screws is a cool idea, I like it!
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No issues with denting or wear so far and I'm not particularly careful. Most of the damage on the original jaws came from a soldering iron or a blast from the hot air gun, so PTFE is an ideal upgrade.
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let me know if you need beta testers for the jaws, my stickvises are all melted lol
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