I got inspired by a Taylor Tools video and started a blog about it (the link introduces you to the Taylor Tools video).
If you haven’t seen the video, may I suggest you view it which may influence whether you might be interested in continuing to read further, wait for that blog’s expansion or simply expend your time on more fruitful pastures… however, on latest inspection I never continued it and probably never will...
Nevertheless I made a 9 part video titled Hand Screw Kit, with the following link to Part 1
and if everything worked, the continuing Part x+1 is linked to at the end of the watched video.
I posted building my 177.8mm, 203.2mm and 330.2mm under this project, however, I was missing the 279.4mm kit which wasn’t available at the time.
Now I doubt if there isn’t a woodworker out there that hasn’t bought at least 1 pair of at least 1 size of hand screws, used them 1 time and has either been exhibited at a garage sale or hidden in the workshop where even the spiders will stay away from them.
While some of my original post may be duplicated here, I decided to post it due my use of two BOOMBYs.
As previously advised (for those that haven’t read it), before yazall go running to dig up, study your old clamps and consider modifying them, be warned that the additional 25.34mm at the end (which contributes to making these great/better) would be a tad too hard to achieve, even with a Fe$tool Domino... also the handles are usually pinned and removing them to extract the threaded rods (that may be epoxied) could be a futile exercise.
This started with the stupid purchase of 1 x 279.4mm clamp kit… stupid as you should always buy clamps in pairs and two jaws do not make a pair.
Nevertheless, I found some BOOMBY(Branch Out Of My Back Yard) in my secreted lumber rack that has been non-kiln drying for quite a few years, and prepared some timber for 1 pair (2 jaws),
Had another different piece of BOOMBY to make some handles out of as though the kit came with handles, it came with 2 extra ferules,
The next step is to slice up the timber in accordance with my laser cut templates (out of 3mm MDF).
No magical formulae used to cut to length other than a measuring stick and cut the “nose”, I used the laser template to set the mirtre saw angle, and used a custom jig to hold the piece at 90° to the fence,
Placed the templates on the pieces and used a hole punch to mark all the drill holes,
Then over to the drill press and using a brad pointed Japanese brill bit, drilled the holes, that were within my metric spectrum,
using the template as reference for the drill sizes that were engraved onto it.
Got my closest sized bit to the bloody imperial dictates, drilled it,
and it was over to my spindle sander (1/2" dia.) till the “nut” would easily pass through the appropriate hole.
Fortunately the next set of holes were in the range of my Vortex drill bits and although I was skeptical about the janka rating of my BOOMBY, there was no issues in drilling the angled holes without any fear of deflection,
The slots were tidied up with a chisel using the hard face of my vise as a straight edge,
(the chisel is only being balanced on the left slot for the photo shoot).
Turned the handles on the lathe,
and was happy with the look and feel,
and in my humble opinion, complimented the jaws nicely,
I then used a strap clamp to screw the handles onto the threaded rod…
BUT… then some idiot, who shall remain nameless, thought it needed another 1mm depth and resorted in a not so gentle tap with a mallet,
oops…what the hell was IT thinking? I made do with the supplied handle as my end goal was not pretty-pretty, but functional… no more time wasting turning new handles.
Anyone interested, some links to easy your navigation:- Files are available at this link and the 3D Warehouse model,
Yep for the Voyager and Trotec for the laser... just kidding, the Trotec is my cutter/engraver... the laser for the DP is a Wixey WL133.
Ronstar ..... Didn't know that these kits existed....
Like me, most woodworker underrate the hand screws... and as they are off the shelf, I preferred the quick/squeeze grips, however, after watching the Taylor Tools video and making up the kits, they are still a pain to screw up (I mean tighten), but their versatility increased tenfold.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
I was/am so impressed with these Taylor Tools customisationsto resurrect faith in the ancient hand screws, I wanted to publish this post over there at LJ.
Looks like they have been listening to you pottzy about the length of my articles... after starting to draft the same context... I crapped out about 1/3 of the way through by too many objects uploaded.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Great job on the write up LBD! I'm fall in the category of WWs that own one of these and never use it. I didn't even create a spot for it on my clamp rack.
