Replies

1. 
   _mj_ | Dec 05, 2021 09:13pm | #1

   Make the attempt first, the decision after. Sweet looking bench.

2. 
   jharveyb | Dec 05, 2021 10:17pm | #2

   The screw is the easy part. From the nut, figure out the threads per inch and the diameter. Wood threads were generally made a bit loose in case of distortion. Turn a piece of wood to the diameter, leaving a knob on one end for the handle. Mark out the threads by marking along the rod, a mark for each thread. Wrap either a string or a strip of paper around it, lining up with the mars, and mark out the threads. Paper is easier to mark from. I would probably start the threads by clamping wood strips to a back saw and cutting a spiral between the marks. You could pare away the bulk of the waste with a chisel and finish with a triangular file. I did this once on a much smaller scale to make a new thumbscrew for a mortising gauge.
   If you can use the half nut you have as a pattern, you can mark it out and cut it with a v-carving tool. You might need a bent one to deal with the curve.
   Years ago there was an article in FW about cutting a large nut for a vise, using a spiral cut into a cylinder to lead the cutter into the nut blank.

3. 
   john_c2 | Dec 06, 2021 01:52am | #3

   I'd try wood first. If you don't want to try cutting your own wooden screw as above,the are some people out there who make big wooden screws for workbenches.

4. 
   rob_ss | Dec 06, 2021 02:06am | #4

   I'd buy a wooden screw set and make that work. The modern vice would be more practical but would not be quite 'the same'
   Having seen these wooden vice screws though, I'd probably get a cast iron one and maybe even gold plate the entire bench, for more or less the same price...
   https://www.lakeerietoolworks.com/collections/wooden-vise-screw-kits

5. 
   jharveyb | Dec 06, 2021 10:18pm | #5

   I forgot to mention that if you decide to make wood screw and nut, your choice of wood(s) to use is important. Don't use oak, hickory, or ash, or any other wood that splits easily. Maple and beech are commonly used for such parts. The best wood for the nut would probably be a chunk of dogwood; elm (that was used for the hub of wagon wheels because it doesn't split) would be a close second choice; just not quite as wear resistant.
   I used to covet such a work bench; the only times I saw one for sale at an auction, there was a wealthy tool collector there bidding against me. It ended up working out fine, however. I bought a 3'x7' workbench that had been in a school shop, with quick action vises at each corner and 8 drawers, for $55, the price of one vise at the time. It's been the most important tool in my shop for over 40 years.
   Let us know what you decide to do.

1. 
   Dave_Bermingham | Dec 07, 2021 12:04am | #6

   You folks have convinced me to try to recreate the original screw and nut. It's going to be a long process, since I don't own a lathe and may have to build a router jig to work around that. I'm assuming I need to use a solid rod and not a glue-up. I have a bunch of scrap ipe flooring that I was considering using for the nut. I'm a little concerned that it might be too hard to thread though. I noted that the shops that have wood screws for sale all seem to use maple, so I was planning to follow suit.
   This one is going to take a lot of work to rehab. It's a solid slab and it's been horribly abused over the years. I'd probably need to plane as much as 1/8 inch to get a flat top without using filler. In this case it's the journey, not the destination though. Thanks to all.

1. 
   jharveyb | Dec 09, 2021 10:20am | #7

   Congrats on your courageous decision! You can make the rod for the screw by starting out with square stock, then making it 8 or better yet 12 sided, then using a dado set (or even a band saw with a fence) to hog off the waste down to slightly bigger than your final size. You gauge from each of the sides to create a smaller version. At that point, you can use hand tools to remove the slight corners and have your round rod. If using the dado head method, I'd leave both ends full size (making the blank a bit longer than needed) so that they can ride on the table saw table and not get tippy. No dado set? If you have a router table, use it and a straight bit. No router or table saw? Clamp a board as depth stop to a hand saw, saw down multiple times, and chisel off the waste between cuts.
   I have a 3'x7' work bench, with a maple top. It was badly out of flatness when I got it, and I got very frustrated with it. Finally decided to flatten it out. My method was to clamp straight boards to each long side, and use a router on a track between them to hog off the bulk of the waste. Then a jointer plane and scraper to smooth out the router marks. There are youtube videos on how to flatten slabs. Here is a set up I used for a mahogany slab recently:

   
1. 
   jharveyb | Dec 09, 2021 10:24am | #8

   Forgot to mention that when setting up the two long straight edges to guide the router, I used string from opposite corners to make sure that they were not twisted compared to each other. If the strings just touch in the middle, the straight edges are parallel. You can put a short piece of string under both ends of one of the strings to raise it up the right amount so it should just touch the top of the other string.