Separated Shoulder (Vice)

[mr]

The threaded bar and glue that held the shoulder vice together has proved stronger than the wood itself - no surprise there. What does the panel think might be the best course of action to remedy?

Cheers Mike [/img]

 

[WellsWood]

Er.. use a stronger wood? Sorry that wasn't intended to sound rude. I was just thinking maybe this is why hardwoods like beech are used traditionally for this.

 

[mr]

You have a point perhaps, though when I built this bench I couldn't afford a hardwood top, nor can I now so repair with more of the same is really the only likely course of action.

Cheers Mike

 

[bugbear]

The threaded bar and glue that held the shoulder vice together has proved stronger than the wood itself - no surprise there. What does the panel think might be the best course of action to remedy?

Cheers Mike [/img]

Rather a lot of shoulder vice benches also have threaded rod through the shoulder.

http://homepage.mac.com/galoot_9/Shop_and_Bench.html

http://www.calanb.com/PA130002.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/~mvr1/benchfront.jpg

http://www.segosha.net/wood/bench.html

Can we see a theme developing?

BugBear

 

[mr]

It's a definite weak point in this style of vice, particularly if, as I have, one has the grain of the shoulder running perpendicular to the clamping force. I'm currently wondering whether it's time to build a new bench - though funds dont really permit or (more realistically) what sort of repair I should make to this vice. I like the shoulder vice concept, I rarely use my tail vice because of the screw and guide bars obtructing the area. What a pain eh.

Cheers Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Well do you do have 3 more ends to fit the vice before you need to really worry.

 

[mr]

Well do you do have 3 more ends to fit the vice before you need to really worry.

???
Sorry I don't understand

EDIT
- I take it back - I do understand. Alas not the case though. The other end of the bench has a tail vice and the backside of the bench has a tool well. The shoulder can only go in this position.

Cheers Mike

 

[Chris Knight]

I would have thought that you could reglue it. I would also epoxy a threaded rod in as implied by BB's post.

 

[CHJ]

Mike, why not do an insert repair, cut the corner out and use a hardwood piece to fill it, bolt it in place with some threaded rod as deep as you can drill horizontally into the worktop as well as the glue. (same like joining kitchen worktops but longer distances) that way the pulling loads would be spread deeper into the top.

Face the front face if necessary to hide the rod/nut ends.

 

[OLD]

I think CHJ has the answer you can laminate the hardwood to get the size you need as we know the glue is stronger than the wood.

 

[mr]

Mike, why not do an insert repair, cut the corner out and use a hardwood piece to fill it, bolt it in place with some threaded rod as deep as you can drill horizontally into the worktop as well as the glue. (same like joining kitchen worktops but longer distances) that way the pulling loads would be spread deeper into the top.

Face the front face if necessary to hide the rod/nut ends.

That's more or less how the original was made. I think I'm probably looking at chopping out and replacing the corner of the bench as you suggest and then gluing the shoulder back in place with the threaded bar again. Though I'm also looking through "The Workbench" book to see if theres some other inventive way I can use the vice screw.

Cheers Mike

 

[Harbo]

Cannot you drill into the side of the bench for the bolt and cut a slot underneath for the "nut". That way it will work as a conventional vice - you will loose a bit of opening width but it will put your top into compression - though not if you are using bench stops?

Rod

 

[mr]

Cannot you drill into the side of the bench for the bolt and cut a slot underneath for the "nut". That way it will work as a conventional vice - you will loose a bit of opening width but it will put your top into compression - though not if you are using bench stops?

Rod

The problem with that is that I lose the "open mouth" of the shoulder vice, meaning my planing stop, engineers vice mounted on ply etc etc would all have to be remade

Plus as I say I like being unrestricted by the screw. I have just found a boys own style exploded diagram of Tage Frids bench which has a shoulder vice which looks quite sturdy. That might be on the cards for tomorrow.

Cheers Mike