PDA

View Full Version : Finishing up the bench...



Circa Bellum
03-13-2008, 9:29 AM
All that's left to do is install the vises. Well, I gotta make 'em first. I'm having a lot of trouble getting the hardwood dowels I bought to thread, and when I finally do get some threads on them they are so tight that the nut doesn't want to turn on them. I know it would be easier if I already had a bench with vises to clamp them in, but any advice you guys have on threading my wooden screws would be appreciated. You can see where I'm at so far by going to my blog...
http://structuraldamage.blogspot.com (http://structuraldamage.blogspot.com/)

Robert Rozaieski
03-13-2008, 11:23 AM
I'm told that soaking the threads in some linseed oil or mineral oil will help with threading. As for the tightness of the nuts, I would also try oiling or waxing them and running the screws through a few times to burnish the surfaces. You can use some of that rubberized shelf liner stuff to give you a better grip. I've also heard that sprinkling some silicone carbide grit on the screws before running them through helps but I'd be concerned with not being able to remove it all and the screws getting looser and looser with continued use so I'm not sure I'd try that method.

Circa Bellum
03-17-2008, 3:06 PM
I wanted to go ahead and get my bench operational as soon as I could and am getting frustrated with the trying to thread my own dowels. I think maybe the 1.5" dowels that I bought are bigger than they say they are... So anyway, I broke down and bought a big old wood clamp with large wooden screws on it and made my leg vise with that. I'm trying to decide if I want to use the other screw on the end vise, or if I can now use my newly made vise to clamp a dowel firmly enough to get threads on it.

Not sure I'd of gotten into the wood working stuff if I'd known I'd have to do so much thinking. As Jethro once told Uncle Jed, "I tried it once and it hurt!"

amiel gernentz
03-22-2008, 10:53 PM
I had the same problem ,needed a pipe wrench to turn it LOL ended up ajusting the cutter a fuzz deeper and that worked

Circa Bellum
03-23-2008, 5:25 PM
Amiel is my new hero. I adjusted the cutter like he said and you can spin it with one finger now. The only problem I see at this point is the threads chipping off on one side. I think it has to do with the grain of the wood. In the instructions it said you may want to soak the wood in water for a bit. Before I couldn't imagine doing that because it was already needing super-human strength to turn it, how much worse would it be when the wood swells up? But now I'm thinking maybe that's what I need to do to keep it from chipping, so I'm soaking a dowel at the moment. I can't wait to see if that makes it perfect! Thanks Amiel!