Tricks / Hints for installing bench bolts?

[Jim Neeley]

I've picked up some bench bolts for affixing my LV twin-screw to the end of my benchtop and a skirt on one side. It'd be easiest to install it while the top (~200#) is still upside-down on my sawhorses. Adjust-a-bench legs to be added later.

Drilling the holes seems straightforward enough and the screw slot makes rotating the brass nut a cinch. My concern involves depth, whether my initial hole is too deep or too shallow, the odds of it being the perfect depth involves Murphy's law. <g>

Is there a proven way to affix something to the brass knob for installation? I was considering hot glue and a scrap of wood. Is there a better way?

Recomendations welcome!!

[Michael Peet]

Hi Jim,

I made little tabs out of duct tape; hopefully you can see it in the pic:

199766

Mike

[Sean Hughto]

I found these VERY tricky to install. But the problem was not depth, it's making a very deep hole very straight. If the bolt hole does not intersect the nut hole at the precise tangent, you have a problem. Large bits in deep holes tend to like to wander somewhat; not to mention that if you are even off a degree or two, by the time you get six inches a way that degree has multiplied the miss distance. In short, drill carefully.

[Charles Wiggins]

Look at pages 130-131 of Schwarz's Workbench Design Book: http://books.google.com/books?id=-yvwC8gUMdcC&lpg=PA130&ots=7ubL-vQFEp&dq=bench%20locating%20bed%20bolt%20schwarz&pg=PA130#v=onepage&q&f=false

If you don't have a doweling jig you can make a guide block out of scrap to help you get started.

[Tom Vanzant]

With Schwarz's two-dowel guide, you drill the long hole first, insert one dowel in the hole and use the other dowel to show where to drill for the cross-nut. It works every time.

[Sean Hughto]

"Schwarz's two-dowel guide"

FWIW, Schwarz himself gives credit for the jig/guide to the instruction set that came with the vise. It's so long ago now that I made my bench, I'd forgotten that I used these LV bolts too and made the dowel guide. I do remember, however, the difficulty of drilling a straight 6+ inch deep hole as most 1/2" bits are not that long by the time you put them in the drill. I did it - probably drilling the legs and stretchers separately with some sort of guide block - but it wasn't as easy as the concept seemed.