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Bench Vise

firemedic

firemedic

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Gonzales, LA
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Jean
As many of you know I'm planning a new bench. I had a young apprentice start recently and he also needs a bench. I think it's important for him to feel like he has "his stuff" to encourage him to take better care of it. So long story short I'm killing two birds by helping him build a bench and at the same time I'm trying some ideas for the vise I'll build for my new bench. Working this one through should yield a tremendous amount of understanding for both of us on wooden screw vises.

It's all, and I mean ALL been done with hand tools as he is only allowed to use hand tools until he has a good grasp of them. The screw on this one is a poplar glue-up. The stock was milled to a 1-1/2" sqaure then to an octagon. Next it was fed through a shop made dowel cutter similar in design to a dowel pointer. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of that step, I will take a picture of the dowel cuter next time I'm at the shop though... It worked surprisingly well!

Then a wooden thread box was used to cut threads on the 1-1/2 round dowel. A 2-1/2" thick oak nut was made with a matching tap.

There is still some work to go to but here are a few pictures thus far. Also the bench for my vise will have persimmon wood screws and nuts provided by Mike. The last picture is the first screw and nut I made from Mahogany.

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Wow! Those threads do look good. So uniform.

Good you take in a youngster and teach him some skills.

Has he started with the "old man" comments?
 
Tom that looks great! That young man is lucky to have someone teach him skills like you are giving him. I used a screw box myself this weekend, there is something rewarding about watching those threads come out of the die.

Is that the rounding plane laying on the bench in the first pic.?
 
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  • #4
Thanks! To answer you, Brink, no... no old man comments yet but he did just realize the 10 yr deficit though so it may not be a long time!

Mizer, yes that's the rounding plane in deed! I didn't realize it was in the picture prior to posting.

Overall I'm really liking the screw boxes and I'll certainly be looking to buy / make other sizes.
 
firemedic said:
Thanks! To answer you, Brink, no... no old man comments yet but he did just realize the 10 yr deficit though so it may not be a long time!

Mizer, yes that's the rounding plane in deed! I didn't realize it was in the picture prior to posting.

Overall I'm really liking the screw boxes and I'll certainly be looking to buy / make other sizes.
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I have made one set. It is not that hard if you have access to a forge and are willing to do a good bit of filing.
 
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  • #6
Mizer said:
I have made one set. It is not that hard if you have access to a forge and are willing to do a good bit of filing.
Click to expand...

I'm familiar with the method but I've never made one. I'm thinking I may take a bit different approach for the tap than is the norm and have a wooden tap with iron cutters. Not sure if that will work but there is only one way to find out, right!? :)


bigcouger said:
Beautiful Tom an glad you took the youngster inder your wings an teaching him right hand tools only, you cant beat that at all. Looking forward to seeing rest of the bench there tom
Roy
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Thanks, Roy. fyi the front of the bench is PINE!!! :lolol:!!!
 
I had to look up what persimmon is. What I read, seems to have some nice characteristics for making a wood screw.
 
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  • #8
Brink said:
I had to look up what persimmon is. What I read, seems to have some nice characteristics for making a wood screw.
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Yeah, I was originally sourcing apple/pear wood when Mike suggested the persimmon. From the looking I did it sounds like it's perfect for this. I planed one of the blocks I got and WOW it's a lot like walnut but tighter grained and really slick.
 
It's quite a bit denser than maple, my book states: hard, dense, elastic, tough and wear resistant. Has high crushing and bending strength.

And it doesn't seem to grow in NY :(
 
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Grows all over the south. I've got feelers out for a tree. I'll send ya some once I find a nice log. In the mean time, Mike's prices aren't bad!
 
Persimmon- It seems to me that there is plenty of it out there but it is difficult to dry. First test batch I received was cracked and quite warped. I just got a bunch more and it is straighter and fewer cracks-especially in the blackline areas. I bought it to use for drawer slides-had no clue as to what I was getting. I have never sawn anything that comes straight off the saw so smooth.......... :yipee::yipee::yipee: 3"x16"x9' planks are definitely hernia material though.:dash2::dash2::dash2:
 
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I've read it's tough to dry elsewhere, Mike. Did you air dry it or kiln dry it?
 
Tom, I bought it dry- It is about 7 yrs old. Not sure but I think they kiln dried it.
 
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  • #16
Brink said:
Update?
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So impetuous for an old man! hahaha

Brad was able to make some significant improvements to the vise on Sat. Racks very little and slides smoothly now!

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  • #18
Brink said:
I'm feelin' like a wild man, lately. Lol

Vise looks great, glad Brad is teaching you well.
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Haha, I'm glad he is too!

I'd feel like a wild man too if I was blazing across the country on a two wheeler with a young looker on the tail!

I don't know if it's readily apparent but the task required a scale drawing of the pieces with high tolerance measurements to make it work, and he did great!
 
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  • #19
Works a lot better with the captive nut! It's hard to tell in the picture but it slightly recessed below the surface.

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