Home made clamp

[Josh Bowman]

I went out to my shop tonight with the intentions to orgainize and cleanup. Then I found myself with some scrap turning handles for a wooden clamp. I think I'm about to wear this subject out, but here it goes.
I first had problems making the treads with the woodcraft threader. You all, suggested I soak the dowels in mineral oil, which did a wonderful job and the threads cut very well. So tonight with a dowel with cut threads and some scrap for handles and jaws, I made my first clamp, it's kind of rough at this time. Again with help from you all from kindly provided pictures.
I'm finding the threaded dowels are extremely hard to turn. Is this normal? They squeak fairly loud. I tried some J&J paste wax which helped some. What else can I do?
Thanks

[David Gendron]

I think when the mineral oil drys out the wood might shrink a bit and then wax would help?!? I don,t realy know, just guessing.

[harry strasil]

You need to set the cutter a tad deeper and make the threads a bit deeper. or take a bit off the dowel outside with some sandpaper. Experiment with another piece till you get it right.

[Josh Bowman]

You need to set the cutter a tad deeper and make the threads a bit deeper. or take a bit off the dowel outside with some sandpaper. Experiment with another piece till you get it right.
++++1 to Harry! After 2 more depth adjustments to the cutter, the threads loosened up and now the jaws spin.

I'm NOT an expert but a beginner and I write some of the mistakes and successes below that made a good fitting and working thread.
For all who care, here was my process with the Wood Craft 3/4" thread kit.
Take the lead hole piece off the threader and take it with you to find dowels, maple best, but with this process I even got great threads with cheap Lowes poplar dowels. You'll be surprised how many 3/4" dowel will NOT fit through that hole.
Drill a piece of metal with a 3/4" hole and a 47/64" hole and drive the dowel through the holes to round and reduce the size slightly, the lead hole of the threader piece should be easy to push the dowel through.
Sand any rough spots off, but don't take the dowel out of round.
Take a piece of PVC pipe with a cap on one end and pour some baby oil or mineral oil in it and put the dowel in it to soak. A day worked for me. You'll know if it did not soak enough, the shaving coming off will be crumbly and the threader will bind some (the threader will "sing" as you turn it).
Take the cutter out of the threader and hone it until polished. (I broke one cutter and this was the fix per Wood Craft and it did help)
Cut you threads and watch the shaving, it should have some length to it as it comes out of the box.
As per Harrys suggestion above, if the rod is to tight and you know the dowel has been sized correctly, open the threader and loosen the cutter and while having you thumb on the cutting end use a wide screw driver to "pry" slightly the cutter deeper. Recut, being careful NOT to cross thread and cut off your 1st threads. Repeat until the rod spins in the tapped treads.
One last final thought. I saw several ways to put the handles on the threaded rod. Some turn the handle and dowel from 1 piece. Some glue the handle on. I made a handle blank about 4 inches long and drilled and tapped it for my 3/4" dowel. I took a small threaded piece, enough where I could put pliers on it and threaded it into the handle blank. I then marked the center of it and mounted the blank/threaded rod piece on my lathe with the treaded rod on the dead center. I turned the handle as I pleased and then unscrewed the little blank to be used again.
I then screwed the handle on my clamps rods very tightly. One held well, due to the earlier problem of the dowel being too tight the other handle did not hold well, I simply drilled a small cross hole through it and tapped a #5 finish nail, cut for length into the hole. The thought is, if I strip the rods (which, I haven't a clue what fails 1st, the rod or the jaw) But if it's the rod, I only have to take the handle off and put it on a new rod.
Thank you all for your help.
Josh

[harry strasil]

FWIW dept, I have a couple of Screwboxes from the old AMT Co., I think the Woodcraft ones are basically the same.

This is how I modified mine.

1. I used my marking knife to mark the end of the cutter for a reference point if and when the cutter needs to be honed.

2. I removed the guide and drilled a 3/16 hole thru it for line up pins on each side of the hole and then using a thin dovetail saw, split it down the middle sideways, to make it removable while cutting threads so that i could cut threads up to a shoulder.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/scewbxmod.jpg

I buy old wood screw clamps that have the handle end broken off, usually for little to nothing. Fashion a new handle and drill a hole in the end somewhat smaller and then chisel it out to a square. Square the end of the screw and glue it in place to resurrect the old clamp.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm NOT an expert but a beginner

I think the only difference is the expert has made more mistakes and learned how to get out of the beginner's tight spots.

A common old saying, "the difference between a professional and an amateur is how they handle their mistakes."

jim

[harry strasil]

An old friend once told me, he would rather be a pert than an expert, ex= has been, gone, used to be.

I would rather be a dummy, don't have to answer so many questions that way. You never to old to learn, but I gues I am close. LOL ( hard drive is getting full)

[Josh Bowman]

Couple of hours in the shop and another clamp. A friend said yesterday that I could start a cottage industry and make at least 17 cents and hour making these. They are fun though and kind of useful.

[harry strasil]

Josh, from looking at my collection of old Screw Clamps it seems there is a general rule of thumb for them that the screw lengths are equivalent to the length of the jaws.

[Josh Bowman]

Josh, from looking at my collection of old Screw Clamps it seems there is a general rule of thumb for them that the screw lengths are equivalent to the length of the jaws.
Thanks.....I didn't have a clue. The 1st one I made the screws were way to long. So I just guessed and cut them. That rule will make it easier.

[Bob Glenn]

I think the only difference is the expert has made more mistakes and learned how to get out of the beginner's tight spots.

A common old saying, "the difference between a professional and an amateur is how they handle their mistakes."

jim

You are a wise man, Jim.