Post by admin on Nov 8, 2009 4:45:52 GMT -6
Yeah, I now it's nearly 4 AM, but when a fella can't sleep, a fella can't sleep....
I went to the shop 'bout 12 or so, just meaning to reorganize my tools into a more permanent system, as they had been riding the bench, all of 'em riding the bench. I took my old black and yellow Stanley tool box down, I'd planned to have it sitting on a shelf and there when I need it, loaded with tools I use, but not use all the time.
However, I discovered that there was actually enough room for most of the smaller tools that are used frequently. Essentially all the bench tools I like to keep at hand; rasps, my surform, small hammers, all of them fit, and I still had a drawer free for my wrenches and sockets so I could keep all the stuff in one spot. The flip open lid contains all my other 'assorteds'; honing guide, allen wrenches, screwdrivers. My planes are laying on their sole sides on the bench but well out of the way so they'll not get dinged up. (I don't think anybody would notice a little coating chipped off, but when the irons get mussed up, it's a headache, especially if it dings out a chunk of 'em)
Once the bench had been slightly reorganized, I started practicing my coping saw skills in my leg vise and noticed that I needed a solution for a habit it had. It was build as a 'we'll see' project, and it's been a daily used item, and lately it'd learned how to really be a pain in the butt. So, I made a decision.
I'd rework it.
It'd been made as a pivot type which would have a block at the bottom, a block at the top, and pulled into each with the screw 'bout middle of the 2x4 'jaw' piece. (Do not ask me what kind of 2x4, I just know it's got worm holes all over it, but is still too hard to saw by hand...) The problem is, the vise sat away from the leg too far, and would cause trouble when I had to move within the shop. The center nut that I rigged at the end of the threaded rod normally hits me about 6 inches above the knee, often.
So, I took it apart, removed the blocks that'd been fixed to the leg, and readjusted it so that, when closed fully, the jaw would sit against the side of the leg, and, as an improvement, level with the top. It had sat 2" lower and I disliked that bit immediately.
The issue with boring a second hole is, it would weaken the item. I chose to bore the 2x4 as it's already harder than any other wood in the shop, and I'd rather lose a jaw board than the leg of my bench.
I used a forstner bit and my brace. It took me about 20 minutes of steady pacing, but I broke through the bottom surprisingly sooner than I'd expected. The task was a tough one, but not impossible.
I then did something that may not make sense. It is a little tough and tricky to reattach the jaw, as I have to rethread the rod through a back nut, and normally, I don't like to do that anymore often than needed (I've got the screw about a foot longer than it need be, but I can hold just about anything in the vise, and it allows me to always know where my spare threaded rod is!)
So, I laid the 2x4 in the floor, and place one end upon a block. Then, put a foot on the board and pushed down a bit. Nothing. No flex. I then pushed down HARD. Nope, no flex. Eventually, I was bouncing on the board with both feet. That's more than 225 or therebouts with no flex at ALL. It'll do nicely. And, I was convinced that the pair of holes hadn't caused any weakness at all.
I reassembled it and noticed that I was somehow off by roughly 3/8". Still too low. So, I thought of a solution. I could take it apart, turn the jaw board end for end, and bore a new hole. Not a good idea as this is surely going to effect strength, three 3/4" holes in a 3' board is more weakness than I'd prefer as sometimes I use it to hold pieces while I chisel them, these must be held FIRM and any movement of the leg vise could be serious.
I thin thought of the idea solution; tack a small piece of plywood onto the top of the jaw board. This will allow me to have a replaceable 'sacrificial' jaw top so that errant chisel strikes won't be as critical. I decided on on nails over screws as I'd stripped screws and broke the shafts trying to put screws into predrilled holes in another piece of the same 2x4.
I took a few precise measurements and decided to plane the piece of ply to the exact thickness, then do a replaceable inner jaw piece so that at will I could replace virtually all the upper components. It was tricky, but the final product is a vise that has an inner and outer jaw that fit perfectly square to each other, and are the same level. I took out my nail set punch and sunk the nails so that I'd be less likely to bump into 'em with a delicate edged tool.
At this point I realized that the air had gone a little... Brisk. As I'd been concentrating and not really noticing, I was surprised to see that I could easily see my own breath. But, I felt an urge to do something I hadn't really done before.
I stood at the left side of my bench and placed the rasps, surform, three chisels, and two hammers into the tool chest. I placed the brace back on the wall, and the forstner bit box back in it's place. The other assorted tools I'd had out were placed into their places, and then brushed the bench off and swept the floor.
If you haven't done it before and are like me when it seems more simple to just leave the mess due to time constraints or just because you don't feel like tidying the shop, I can't recommend anything higher. The feeling of accomplishment I had when I hung the broom on the wall and looked back towards the bench seeing a nice 'new' leg vise, a clean bench, and a tool chest sitting at the end of the bench without a lot of tools scattered around the bench wherever they left by hand, well, it made me feel like I'd finished something for a change instead of just tinkering around getting just projects done.
Hey, when I go back, I get to start brand spanking new messes!
I went to the shop 'bout 12 or so, just meaning to reorganize my tools into a more permanent system, as they had been riding the bench, all of 'em riding the bench. I took my old black and yellow Stanley tool box down, I'd planned to have it sitting on a shelf and there when I need it, loaded with tools I use, but not use all the time.
However, I discovered that there was actually enough room for most of the smaller tools that are used frequently. Essentially all the bench tools I like to keep at hand; rasps, my surform, small hammers, all of them fit, and I still had a drawer free for my wrenches and sockets so I could keep all the stuff in one spot. The flip open lid contains all my other 'assorteds'; honing guide, allen wrenches, screwdrivers. My planes are laying on their sole sides on the bench but well out of the way so they'll not get dinged up. (I don't think anybody would notice a little coating chipped off, but when the irons get mussed up, it's a headache, especially if it dings out a chunk of 'em)
Once the bench had been slightly reorganized, I started practicing my coping saw skills in my leg vise and noticed that I needed a solution for a habit it had. It was build as a 'we'll see' project, and it's been a daily used item, and lately it'd learned how to really be a pain in the butt. So, I made a decision.
I'd rework it.
It'd been made as a pivot type which would have a block at the bottom, a block at the top, and pulled into each with the screw 'bout middle of the 2x4 'jaw' piece. (Do not ask me what kind of 2x4, I just know it's got worm holes all over it, but is still too hard to saw by hand...) The problem is, the vise sat away from the leg too far, and would cause trouble when I had to move within the shop. The center nut that I rigged at the end of the threaded rod normally hits me about 6 inches above the knee, often.
So, I took it apart, removed the blocks that'd been fixed to the leg, and readjusted it so that, when closed fully, the jaw would sit against the side of the leg, and, as an improvement, level with the top. It had sat 2" lower and I disliked that bit immediately.
The issue with boring a second hole is, it would weaken the item. I chose to bore the 2x4 as it's already harder than any other wood in the shop, and I'd rather lose a jaw board than the leg of my bench.
I used a forstner bit and my brace. It took me about 20 minutes of steady pacing, but I broke through the bottom surprisingly sooner than I'd expected. The task was a tough one, but not impossible.
I then did something that may not make sense. It is a little tough and tricky to reattach the jaw, as I have to rethread the rod through a back nut, and normally, I don't like to do that anymore often than needed (I've got the screw about a foot longer than it need be, but I can hold just about anything in the vise, and it allows me to always know where my spare threaded rod is!)
So, I laid the 2x4 in the floor, and place one end upon a block. Then, put a foot on the board and pushed down a bit. Nothing. No flex. I then pushed down HARD. Nope, no flex. Eventually, I was bouncing on the board with both feet. That's more than 225 or therebouts with no flex at ALL. It'll do nicely. And, I was convinced that the pair of holes hadn't caused any weakness at all.
I reassembled it and noticed that I was somehow off by roughly 3/8". Still too low. So, I thought of a solution. I could take it apart, turn the jaw board end for end, and bore a new hole. Not a good idea as this is surely going to effect strength, three 3/4" holes in a 3' board is more weakness than I'd prefer as sometimes I use it to hold pieces while I chisel them, these must be held FIRM and any movement of the leg vise could be serious.
I thin thought of the idea solution; tack a small piece of plywood onto the top of the jaw board. This will allow me to have a replaceable 'sacrificial' jaw top so that errant chisel strikes won't be as critical. I decided on on nails over screws as I'd stripped screws and broke the shafts trying to put screws into predrilled holes in another piece of the same 2x4.
I took a few precise measurements and decided to plane the piece of ply to the exact thickness, then do a replaceable inner jaw piece so that at will I could replace virtually all the upper components. It was tricky, but the final product is a vise that has an inner and outer jaw that fit perfectly square to each other, and are the same level. I took out my nail set punch and sunk the nails so that I'd be less likely to bump into 'em with a delicate edged tool.
At this point I realized that the air had gone a little... Brisk. As I'd been concentrating and not really noticing, I was surprised to see that I could easily see my own breath. But, I felt an urge to do something I hadn't really done before.
I stood at the left side of my bench and placed the rasps, surform, three chisels, and two hammers into the tool chest. I placed the brace back on the wall, and the forstner bit box back in it's place. The other assorted tools I'd had out were placed into their places, and then brushed the bench off and swept the floor.
If you haven't done it before and are like me when it seems more simple to just leave the mess due to time constraints or just because you don't feel like tidying the shop, I can't recommend anything higher. The feeling of accomplishment I had when I hung the broom on the wall and looked back towards the bench seeing a nice 'new' leg vise, a clean bench, and a tool chest sitting at the end of the bench without a lot of tools scattered around the bench wherever they left by hand, well, it made me feel like I'd finished something for a change instead of just tinkering around getting just projects done.
Hey, when I go back, I get to start brand spanking new messes!
