Poplar Moxon Vise Jaws?

[Patrick Cox]

Hello,
I am getting ready to build a moxon vise and I stopped by the lumber yard this weekend to buy some 8/4 soft maple for the jaws but they didn't have any decent boards. So rather than waiting for them to get in more stock, I was considering just using some leftover 8/4 Poplar that I have on hand but wanted to ask what the downsides would be of using this softer wood.

Thanks!

[Ralph Boumenot]

I used poplar (5/4) and I haven't had any problems with it.

[Stephen Clement]

My Moxon vice has both chops made from relatively soft dimensional SPF (best guess is doug fir). It is prefectly fine. You don't want a twin screw chop to be too rigid because you want to bow the front and have it flex to lie flat on your part.

[Jim Belair]

I used poplar and think there is an advantage to using a softer wood, within reason of course, to avoid marking the workpiece.

[Rob Luter]

What do you consider decent? Is this an aesthetic issue or something else? I look at a vise the same way I look at the head of a hammer. Pretty is nice, but pretty doesn't make it work. It's going to get roughed up a bit in use anyway. I had some wormy 3/4 soft maple that I laminated to make a big 12/4 chop for my 36" twin screw. It looks nice, in an all business sort of way.

[Gary Cunningham]

I made mine from plain old yellow pine. Works fine.

Hey I made a rhyme. :rolleyes: