Bench bolts?

[Jason White]

Where can I find bench bolts and don't cost an arm and a leg?

Jason

[Ken Pywell]

Home Depot. Just regular ol' bolts.

[Mark Carlson]

Heres a few sources.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31147&cat=1,41637
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7580

[Jason White]

Not what I would consider "cheap" by any stretch, but thanks.

J


Heres a few sources.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31147&cat=1,41637
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7580

[Bob Vallaster]

The Lee Valley and Highland links are for 1/2" hardware.
If you think 3/8 will do the job, you can get a 10-pack of cross dowels for $10 at Woodpeckers: http://www.woodpeck.com/cgi-woodpeck/sb/productsearch.cgi?storeid=*120df6a45dd107769c50c8.
Bolts&washers available separately. Buy locally and save freight.
I'm doing a kitchen island project and wanted to mount the legs with these. The above link came up in another SMC discussion last week, so I ordered the 3/8" and a bag of 5/16" while I was at it. These things are handy when they fit a design and anything above 1/4" is not to be found at most outlets.

BobV

[Jason White]

Actually, I probably should use 1/2". Workbenches do take quite a beating.

Thanks.

Jason



The Lee Valley and Highland links are for 1/2" hardware.
If you think 3/8 will do the job, you can get a 10-pack of cross dowels for $10 at Woodpeckers: http://www.woodpeck.com/cgi-woodpeck/sb/productsearch.cgi?storeid=*120df6a45dd107769c50c8.
Bolts&washers available separately. Buy locally and save freight.
I'm doing a kitchen island project and wanted to mount the legs with these. The above link came up in another SMC discussion last week, so I ordered the 3/8" and a bag of 5/16" while I was at it. These things are handy when they fit a design and anything above 1/4" is not to be found at most outlets.

BobV

[Brian Tax]

I have seen routed elongated holes used with regular washers and nuts, that is about the cheapest you could get.

[Scott Loven]

You can drill and tap a rod to make a barrel nut and buy the bolts local.
Scott

[Lee Schierer]

I think the nuts you are looking for are called dowel nuts. McMaster Carr has some that seem reasonably priced that can be used with standard threaded bolts. http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/115/gfx/small/90835ac4s.gif

I did a google search for dowel nuts and cross dowel nuts and found a number of suppliers. They are commonly used for knockdown assembly.
http://www.profhdwr.com/36240.jpg

[Chris Friesen]

Where can I find bench bolts and don't cost an arm and a leg?

Just get regular big hex bolts and chisel one side of the hole for the nut square to accept a nut&washer.

Way cheaper than the "bench bolts".

[David G Baker]

If I was going to build a bench that I was proud of and was going to give it a good work out I would do it right and go with the bench bolts even if they were in the $30 range for 4 bolts. I would even consider 3/4 inch bench bolts depending on the size of lumber that the bench was made from. I tend to over do things that I never want to visit again.

[Bill Blevins]

Jason,
I bought mine from Highland and they are bomb proof. After spending time and money to make my base, I'm very glad I didn't cheap out on the hardware to put it together. I've all ready had to take mine apart and and put it back together. It was extremely easy with the bench bolts.

Bill

[Mark Blum]

I used the Lee Valley bench bolts when I built my bench and while they are expensive they are solid as a rock. I was building a "lifetime" bench that I knew I would be using for many years and figured I should invest in good quality hardware. If you are building a long-term bench the cost of the good bolts with be minor over the life of the bench.

[Jason White]

Those are what I'm looking for, except I need 1/2" nuts. Can't find them with Google. Any ideas?

Jason


I think the nuts you are looking for are called dowel nuts. McMaster Carr has some that seem reasonably priced that can be used with standard threaded bolts. http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/115/gfx/small/90835ac4s.gif

I did a google search for dowel nuts and cross dowel nuts and found a number of suppliers. They are commonly used for knockdown assembly.
http://www.profhdwr.com/36240.jpg

[Jason White]

Ok, I'll stop being cheap. I just ordered some from Highland.

At least they're less than at Lee Valley!

Jason


Jason,
I bought mine from Highland and they are bomb proof. After spending time and money to make my base, I'm very glad I didn't cheap out on the hardware to put it together. I've all ready had to take mine apart and and put it back together. It was extremely easy with the bench bolts.

Bill

[george wilson]

I make up a 1/2" steel rod,threaded on each end.then, that goes all the way across the stretchers,and through the legs.I dado a groove down each 2"X6" stretcher,that the steel rod will lay in the center of. Through each leg,drill a hole for the rod to come through. the ends of the rod are tightened with hex nuts against large washers. Now,THAT makes a strong bench.

[Christopher Foote]

I used square 1/2" nuts from Lowes, and a benchtop mortiser with a 3/8" chisel to make the "holes". The thickness of the nuts was just a bit less than 3/8". I think they cost around 70 cents apiece (which I thought was quite pricey, though they are stainless steel). I used tight tolerances for the mortises, and though the nuts slid in quite easily, there was little chance of rotational slippage, allowing me to crank them down just as tight as I wanted them to go.