Designing/building workbench and I'm going the inexpensive/hard route
- total bottom feeder.
Want to MAKE my own vices. Don't want to BUY vice hardware, in part
to keep SWMBO quiet and in part to $ave, in part just cause I'm like
the challenge and would get more satisfaction out of something
completely home-grown and not "store-bought".
Found a pattern for using pipe clamps which seems like it'll work and
won't cost too much. Then thought about taking the screw out of a
scissor jack, making something more refined than this:
http://member.nifty.ne.jp/manasan/english/diy/diygr7.htm
Then noticed that press screws, like this:
http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=4362&gift=False&mscssid=0B271AB3EB7D64965A1BFA0D0B2E1450
don't appear to be any different than vice hardware, other than
diameter. Why not use two of 'em for a wide face - better stability,
no wracking, etc. Do they come any longer than 9"? Certainly cost
less...
Local hardware stores have plenty of threaded steel rod. How can I,
with only hand tools, build a vice based on one or two 24" lengths of
threaded steel rod? I don't have any way to drill through the rod to
put a tommy bar in, so I'd need some piece of hardware that would
achieve the same result. Then mortice large nuts in the pieces of
wood making the vise jaws and guides?
Finally, making my own wooden vice screws& nuts? Suggestions? Saw
the thread boxes at Lee Valley. For a 1.5" set it's $42.00 less
shipping. I may as well give up and buy a vise screw...The workbench
in Fine Woodworking Winter 2001/02 looks good but he put out close to
$200 for his vice screws!
So how can I REALLY "do it yourself" ?