Softjaw Design Question

I've just recently made my first set of soft jaws for my Haas mini mill, and I'm wondering if the holes for the two bolts that secure it to the vise should purposely be over sized to allow some movement in all directions until the bolts are tightened up?

Also should the holes be perfectly round, or should it be a slot style hole up and down to allow the soft jaw to slide up and down till the bolts are tightened?

When I made my first set I tried to get the holes as close as possible to the diameter of the bolts so that when I removed and reinstalled the soft jaw that it would be placed back into the exact same location, but I'm not sure if this is the right approach.

Thanks,

Kent

In most cases you want to size the hole for normal clearance (1/32''). This will allow a little float. If the jaws need to be precision located, then take a cut on the locating surfaces before starting the job to insure accuracy.

I normally put a generous chamfer on the bottom side of the soft jaws to be able to take a cut on the faces after installation if needed.