Moxon Vise – The Screws
2013.06.17
I evaluated different options for the screws, with cost being a factor. Benchcrafted sells complete vises, but also just a hardware kit which includes two 3/4"–8 acme screws and nuts and two 5″ cast iron handwheels. They look great, but currently sell for $150 plus shipping.
Many people make wooden screws using a screwbox and tap available at Woodcraft and various online suppliers. What was once a good product is now plagued with quality-control issues, judging from the numerous complaints on woodworking forums. Often the tap and the screwbox are not even the same thread pitch, and the screwbox cutter has not been properly hardened. For all that, the kits cost around $50. I would also need to make or buy high-quality hardwood dowels to become the actual screws.
Everyone agrees that the better choice for making wooden screws is a kit from Beall. That kit includes a higher quality tap and, instead of a screwbox, a carbide router bit and small “table” to mount the router. The Beall kits cost around $100. Beall also sells appropriate hardwood dowels.
I considered buying a couple veneer press screws, as some have done, but I think they look a little odd in this application, and they would cost around $60. To be really cheap, I could have used a couple F clamps…
Like others before me, I finally settled on buying an acme threaded rod and nuts as the best balance between price, performance, and appearance on the lower end of the options. I first planned to buy from McMaster–Carr, since they sold the acme rod in 12″ lengths along with the standard 36″ and 72″. While doing some comparison shopping, I discovered that Enco was running a sale on a 36″ 1"–5 acme threaded rod in plain steel, which made it cheaper than two 12″ rods from McMaster–Carr. I also bought two matching nuts. Altogether with shipping this was about $35.
The tube from Enco arrived today. After checking that out, I carefully lined up the two parts of the vise, and drilled the 1″ through holes for the screws with a forstner bit in the drill press.
The Leather