harry strasil
01-24-2009, 12:13 AM
It's surprising no one has thought of it yet.
I am talking about the bottom adjustment on a Woodworkers Leg Vise. We use the same principle all the time while working in our Woodshops. Its just so simple and already proved itself.
Most Old Time WWing Leg Vises used an ordinary piece of scrap with many holes in it and put a pin in the right hole to keep the vise from Racking.
I have been sick most of the day and couldn't sleep last night or keep anything down. So I must have had a vision like the Indians did in the old days.
I was reading a good book by one of my Favorite Authors, and I assume my brain got bored and kicked into gear on the problem of a simple yet effective way to easily adjust the bottom racking adjuster, and then Bingo the answer was staring me in the face when I came down to the WW shop to put some of the tools away I have been using as there were stacks on several benches.
You probably won't believe it, but the ANSWER to the problem is at Harbor Freight. One of their CHEAP "F" clamps which have a habit of breaking the die cast ends.
THE SOLUTION:
1. Grab one of their Cheapo F clamps that has failed or another good one that is damaged, which has the serrated bar, long enough to span the whole length of your bottom vise adjusting board, (don't really know the proper name for the thing.)
2. Cut the serrated bar off to the proper length (the RED part in the drawing.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/nu%20bench/sosimple.jpg
3. Kerf the top center of the Adjustment board 2/3 to 3/4 the depth of the serrated bar as shown. The serrated bars are usually 3/16 thick and 3/4 wide. Make sure it is a nice tight drive in fit.
4. After the bar is seated in the adjustment board, mark in trom the top edge for some fastening pins, (I am going to use medium sized finish nails with the small head. Drill said holes about 3 inches apart on center, and smaller than the nail body.
5. Remove the bar and drill the holes in the metal bar so that the nail body with go thru it without binding.
6. Find a piece of 11 or 12 gauge metal (1/8 inch) approxiametly 2 inches wider than the wooden adjusting piece and long enough to have 1 inch of metal at the top, (the blue part in the drawing), and about 2 inches at the bottom.
7. Mark out the center,( a light coating of white spray can paint, will make the marks show up and after drying won't wipe off). For the lengh of the slot mark a 10 or 15 degree angle on one side of the Wood adjuster with the serrated clamp bar in the slot to obtain the necessary length of the slot.
8. Mark out the tab, it should be at least a 1/2 inch long,(the tab prevents the lock from eating into the wood of the bottom when its in use and tight.
9. Using the intersection of the side marks and the top of the tab, drill a hole on each side large enough so that a metal cutting Sabre saw blade with fit thru it. Secure the metal, then cut both directions the long ways from the hole. Then using one of the holes cut across the top of the tab. (AT THE END OF THE TAB CUTS, DRILL A SMALL HOLE AND COUNTER SINK BOTH SIDES A TAD, TO PREVENT THE TAB CORNERS FROM TEARING WHEN YOU BEND IT OVER.
10. (Remember to make the cuts on the sides of the TAB a little longer to compensate for the thickness of the metal when it is bent out.) Place the metal in a metal working vise with the bottom of the cuts even with the top of the Jaws, and using A Punch or other means BEND the tab over a little more than needed, so the cut end does not cut into the wood of the adjusting board.
11. Clean up all the edges with a file and debur the sharp edges. Rounding the very Bottom and Top Corners and the corners of the tab.
12. Clamp one side of the stop sticking out one side of the vise and file a 15 or 20 degree angle in the center of the top inside so that it is sharp enough to engage the serrations in the top of the clamp bar, with the bevel sloping up on the side facing the leg of the bench. If NECESSARY, you can file some of the notches deeper with a 3 cornered file used for Saw Sharpening.
13. Cut a Pinch Block as shown in the drawing,(Green part) Sticking Out enough that it will make the lock engage and still have clearance between the lock top and the bench leg, and secure it with at least 2 wood screws.
14. If you don't want to stoop over to adjust the lock. (Me), Drill a hole on one side of the lock and bend an eye on an old Coat Hanger or other suitable wire material and bolt it to the lock with the top end bent for a handle. Now you have a handle and if it's in the road, bend it out of the way.
Boy, the instructions for this little simple project got kinda long winded in the explanation.
But, I did get to use the free standing Drawing Board, I made out of some of that Veneered Sawdust board from the old Cheapo Computer desk Ma used in her Apartment when she lived in KC, Mo. before we were married.
Jr.
Thiss is what I am going to use on my NuBench I am building.
I am talking about the bottom adjustment on a Woodworkers Leg Vise. We use the same principle all the time while working in our Woodshops. Its just so simple and already proved itself.
Most Old Time WWing Leg Vises used an ordinary piece of scrap with many holes in it and put a pin in the right hole to keep the vise from Racking.
I have been sick most of the day and couldn't sleep last night or keep anything down. So I must have had a vision like the Indians did in the old days.
I was reading a good book by one of my Favorite Authors, and I assume my brain got bored and kicked into gear on the problem of a simple yet effective way to easily adjust the bottom racking adjuster, and then Bingo the answer was staring me in the face when I came down to the WW shop to put some of the tools away I have been using as there were stacks on several benches.
You probably won't believe it, but the ANSWER to the problem is at Harbor Freight. One of their CHEAP "F" clamps which have a habit of breaking the die cast ends.
THE SOLUTION:
1. Grab one of their Cheapo F clamps that has failed or another good one that is damaged, which has the serrated bar, long enough to span the whole length of your bottom vise adjusting board, (don't really know the proper name for the thing.)
2. Cut the serrated bar off to the proper length (the RED part in the drawing.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/nu%20bench/sosimple.jpg
3. Kerf the top center of the Adjustment board 2/3 to 3/4 the depth of the serrated bar as shown. The serrated bars are usually 3/16 thick and 3/4 wide. Make sure it is a nice tight drive in fit.
4. After the bar is seated in the adjustment board, mark in trom the top edge for some fastening pins, (I am going to use medium sized finish nails with the small head. Drill said holes about 3 inches apart on center, and smaller than the nail body.
5. Remove the bar and drill the holes in the metal bar so that the nail body with go thru it without binding.
6. Find a piece of 11 or 12 gauge metal (1/8 inch) approxiametly 2 inches wider than the wooden adjusting piece and long enough to have 1 inch of metal at the top, (the blue part in the drawing), and about 2 inches at the bottom.
7. Mark out the center,( a light coating of white spray can paint, will make the marks show up and after drying won't wipe off). For the lengh of the slot mark a 10 or 15 degree angle on one side of the Wood adjuster with the serrated clamp bar in the slot to obtain the necessary length of the slot.
8. Mark out the tab, it should be at least a 1/2 inch long,(the tab prevents the lock from eating into the wood of the bottom when its in use and tight.
9. Using the intersection of the side marks and the top of the tab, drill a hole on each side large enough so that a metal cutting Sabre saw blade with fit thru it. Secure the metal, then cut both directions the long ways from the hole. Then using one of the holes cut across the top of the tab. (AT THE END OF THE TAB CUTS, DRILL A SMALL HOLE AND COUNTER SINK BOTH SIDES A TAD, TO PREVENT THE TAB CORNERS FROM TEARING WHEN YOU BEND IT OVER.
10. (Remember to make the cuts on the sides of the TAB a little longer to compensate for the thickness of the metal when it is bent out.) Place the metal in a metal working vise with the bottom of the cuts even with the top of the Jaws, and using A Punch or other means BEND the tab over a little more than needed, so the cut end does not cut into the wood of the adjusting board.
11. Clean up all the edges with a file and debur the sharp edges. Rounding the very Bottom and Top Corners and the corners of the tab.
12. Clamp one side of the stop sticking out one side of the vise and file a 15 or 20 degree angle in the center of the top inside so that it is sharp enough to engage the serrations in the top of the clamp bar, with the bevel sloping up on the side facing the leg of the bench. If NECESSARY, you can file some of the notches deeper with a 3 cornered file used for Saw Sharpening.
13. Cut a Pinch Block as shown in the drawing,(Green part) Sticking Out enough that it will make the lock engage and still have clearance between the lock top and the bench leg, and secure it with at least 2 wood screws.
14. If you don't want to stoop over to adjust the lock. (Me), Drill a hole on one side of the lock and bend an eye on an old Coat Hanger or other suitable wire material and bolt it to the lock with the top end bent for a handle. Now you have a handle and if it's in the road, bend it out of the way.
Boy, the instructions for this little simple project got kinda long winded in the explanation.
But, I did get to use the free standing Drawing Board, I made out of some of that Veneered Sawdust board from the old Cheapo Computer desk Ma used in her Apartment when she lived in KC, Mo. before we were married.
Jr.
Thiss is what I am going to use on my NuBench I am building.