Wood threads

[Scott Parks]

For years I've been dreaming of cutting wood threads with shop made tools. The other day I saw Roy Underhill make a tap for cutting threaded nuts. This sparked an old interest. However I missed the show where he made the screw box. Has anyone made a screw box? If so, how? I'm going to give it a shot, but I like to learn from other's experiences, instead of trial and error. Is there a magical formula for thread pitch, and size for wood threads?
Thanks...

[Bob Hawley]

For years I've been dreaming of cutting wood threads with shop made tools. The other day I saw Roy Underhill make a tap for cutting threaded nuts. This sparked an old interest. However I missed the show where he made the screw box. Has anyone made a screw box? If so, how? I'm going to give it a shot, but I like to learn from other's experiences, instead of trial and error. Is there a magical formula for thread pitch, and size for wood threads?
Thanks...
Scott: J.R.Beall wrote a fun book "The Nuts and Bolts of Woodworking." I think if you will get it it will answer any question you might have. Sorry to be so late with this reference,I am a new member, lurking,reading the older threads.
Bob Hawley

[Bob Smalser]

Problem with threads is that when you need them, you need a lot of them. I'd buy a kit like mine, as sizing is real, real critical....especially in a humid climate like mine.

I been making hand screws, vises, jigs and all manner of clamps since JR Beall first marketed his wood threader in the early 1980's and I couldn't be more delighted with it.

Paid for itself in the sets of handscrews alone.

I believe he even makes a 2-incher now for those big vises.

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5424116/69402415.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5424116/76568211.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5424116/76568219.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5424116/76568184.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/75121185.jpg

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Bob, Thanks for the pictures, especially the one showing the holder for the tap. I just bought a 1" X 8 tap to make wooden nuts to attach to glue blocks for my little Jet lathe. I used a speed handle with socket and reducer to drive the tap, but it was pretty shaky. I will build the handle that you pictured for my next bunch.

[Bob Smalser]

Make them longer than mine, Don.

Then when the threads are tapped, run a wet swab and water through there....let them dry...then tap again both forwards and backwards to iron and burnish those threads.

[Mark Singer]

Bob,

That is great! I love special tecniques and hand made tools...great work!

[Bob Smalser]

None of this is any big deal, but one feature of my working life is that very little hardwood or cedar ever sees the inside of a wood stove. I like to think when I harvest a tree, the angels smile.

Get some cheaper glue than PVA....plastic resin is perfect.

Lay up all your cutoffs and rip waste into something usable as part and parcel to your current project and set it aside for later.

Long cedar rip waste becomes easels for my favorite school teachers...spring the uprights inward and lock in with a mortised shelf for that bent-wood "boatbuilder" look...

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594265/29956022.jpg

...or cut up for crossgrain drawer bottoms:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5732475/73536392.jpg

Tapered cedar sawmill pith waste becomes Adirondac chairs done with a chain saw:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594265/30531628.jpg

Cedar slabs from the sawmill become trail benches:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594265/29955706.jpg

Maple rip waste becomes stable jig and tabletop stock:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594265/50414150.jpg

Scrap brass and trop hardwood waste becomes tools:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/68779301.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/30531631.jpg

Continued...

[Bob Smalser]

Jigs:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/42015440.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/31795850.jpg

Almost all those handscrews and mallets are laidup from scrap:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/31795869.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/31846157.jpg

As are most all those rasp and file handles...some as many as 4 pieces:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/31846148.jpg