Dave Richards
02-09-2004, 9:53 AM
Here you go Todd. I hope it all makes sense
http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/discus/messages/618/2988.jpg
I started with two pieces of BB ply 9" wide and 60" long cut so the face grain was running along the nince inch direction. One was designated for the upper jaw and the other for the lower jaw. I plowed a groove the length of each piece of plywood of the appropriate width (from the plan) and 5/32" deep.
Next I cut a piece off the end of one of these for a template. Then I crosscut the plywood in half and glued the pieces together so there was a long mortise running the length of the assembly. For the piece with the narrow slot, I used a couple of 5/16" bolts for alignment. The other one got a couple of scraps cut for a snug fit.
I cut a groove in the edges of the glue-ups with a single blade in the TS, turning the work end for end to keep the slot centered and adjusting the fence as needed to get a 1/4" slot.
Next step was to crosscut the blanks. From there, I drilled holes for the pins. I had drilled a hole with the same set up in the template before cutting it to shape. I put a 1/4" machine screw into the hole and used it to locate the template on the blanks.
The blanks were bandsawed to close to shape and then finished on the router table with the template (I drove a finishing nail a little ways through the template to help locate the end opposite the machine screw.
The pivot is a strip of walnut sapwood I had saved because I couldn't bear to throw it away. It was planed for a snug slip fit into the slot. 1/4" birch dowel was used for the pins.
The bolts are 5/16"x 5" carriage bolts press fitted into the square hole. They were tight enough that I actually had to gently drive them home. There's nothing but friction holding them in. If for some reason I want to take them apart, it's no big deal.
I assembled the pair of jaws and tightened them together with the wingnut and washer on the carriage bolt. Then I clamped the clamp to my bench, slid the strip of walnut into the slot, drilled for the dowels and drove the pins in. The walnut is glued into one jaw and the pin in that side is glued. The other pin is simply friction fit. So dfar they haven't worked themselves out. I'm not worried about that happening anyway. The jaws only get moved through about 15° at the most.
After pinning both jaws, the walnut strip was cut off and I moved on to the next clamp. The clamps were sanded and the edges broken with the sander to prevent slivers. No finish was applied but I have put packing tape on the jaws faces because I'm working with epoxy and this will prevent me from gluing the clamps to the cradle.
http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/discus/messages/618/2988.jpg
I started with two pieces of BB ply 9" wide and 60" long cut so the face grain was running along the nince inch direction. One was designated for the upper jaw and the other for the lower jaw. I plowed a groove the length of each piece of plywood of the appropriate width (from the plan) and 5/32" deep.
Next I cut a piece off the end of one of these for a template. Then I crosscut the plywood in half and glued the pieces together so there was a long mortise running the length of the assembly. For the piece with the narrow slot, I used a couple of 5/16" bolts for alignment. The other one got a couple of scraps cut for a snug fit.
I cut a groove in the edges of the glue-ups with a single blade in the TS, turning the work end for end to keep the slot centered and adjusting the fence as needed to get a 1/4" slot.
Next step was to crosscut the blanks. From there, I drilled holes for the pins. I had drilled a hole with the same set up in the template before cutting it to shape. I put a 1/4" machine screw into the hole and used it to locate the template on the blanks.
The blanks were bandsawed to close to shape and then finished on the router table with the template (I drove a finishing nail a little ways through the template to help locate the end opposite the machine screw.
The pivot is a strip of walnut sapwood I had saved because I couldn't bear to throw it away. It was planed for a snug slip fit into the slot. 1/4" birch dowel was used for the pins.
The bolts are 5/16"x 5" carriage bolts press fitted into the square hole. They were tight enough that I actually had to gently drive them home. There's nothing but friction holding them in. If for some reason I want to take them apart, it's no big deal.
I assembled the pair of jaws and tightened them together with the wingnut and washer on the carriage bolt. Then I clamped the clamp to my bench, slid the strip of walnut into the slot, drilled for the dowels and drove the pins in. The walnut is glued into one jaw and the pin in that side is glued. The other pin is simply friction fit. So dfar they haven't worked themselves out. I'm not worried about that happening anyway. The jaws only get moved through about 15° at the most.
After pinning both jaws, the walnut strip was cut off and I moved on to the next clamp. The clamps were sanded and the edges broken with the sander to prevent slivers. No finish was applied but I have put packing tape on the jaws faces because I'm working with epoxy and this will prevent me from gluing the clamps to the cradle.