The Handyman's Book of Tools, Materials, and Processes Employed in Woodworking. Paul N. Hasluck
Fig. 91.—Section through Screw Vice.
Figs. 92 and 93.—Ordinary Screw Vice and its Defect.
Figs. 94 and 95.—Improved Bench Vice.
Fig. 96.—Instantaneous Grip Vice.
INSTANTANEOUS GRIP VICE.
An instantaneous grip vice is a very great improvement upon the wooden screw vice. Without any unscrewing it will take in anything, from a sheet of paper to a block 12 in. in thickness. Vices of this pattern apparently are not so widely known and used as they should be, and many a carpenter keeps to the old screw vice, although by the adoption of the parallel and instantaneous grip vice much time is saved, because this seizes and secures work instantly by the third of a turn of the hand, whereas with the old vice the jaws must be opened, perhaps with many a turn, to a sufficient extent, and then tightened with more turning, a contrast to the rapid and effectual action of the grip vice, whose rack can be thrown out of gear at once by an upward motion of the hand, and the front jaw pulled out, pressed against the wood, and then tightened in an immovable grip by a downward movement of the hand. The pattern shown in Fig. 96 is fixed to the bench from beneath as indicated, and the tops of the jaws are level with the surface of the bench; one-third of a turn of the handle releases the work. Like all the grip vices, its holding force is so great that if a long piece of wood be clutched by one end in the vice its weight will be powerless to alter its position in the vice in the smallest degree. There are but two working parts in the vice, the spiral H, and the short rack L.
SCREW VICE FOR KITCHEN TABLE.
The worker who may be obliged to dispense with the convenience of a regular bench may be glad to know of such a simple arrangement as that shown by Figs. 97 to 99 for fixing a screw vice to a kitchen table, the vice being detachable for removal as required. The device illustrated does not cause the least degree of damage to the table. A hole is made in the table leg for the screw to pass through, the nut or box of which is fixed to the back of the leg as shown. Two hardwood runners, 2 in. by 3/4 in. by 1 ft. 8 in., should be made and dovetailed into the screw cheek, which is 2 1/4 in. thick, 1 ft. 3 in. long, and has its breadth regulated by the size of the leg. The distance between the runners should be the same as the thickness of the leg. The runners are kept in position by two blocks A and B, which are screwed to the back of the leg. An adjustable pin C, made from a piece of 1/2-in. round iron, will be required, and must be sufficiently long to pass through both runners. It will be advisable to screw a block D (Fig. 98) to the leg, the face of the block being flush with the front edge of the top.
Figs. 97 and 98.—Kitchen Table Screw Vice.
Fig. 99.—Side General View of Kitchen Table Vice.
SAWING TOOLS OR TRESTLES.
Fig. 100 shows the kind of sawing stool in common use by carpenters, Fig. 101 being a side elevation, and Fig. 102 an end elevation. Suggestive sizes are figured on the drawings. The thickness of the material can, of course; be increased or decreased according to requirements. The simplest sawing stool, but the least reliable, is the one with three legs shown by Fig. 103, but this is of little service and almost useless. Better and more usual forms are shown by Figs. 104 and 105, these being about 20 in. high, firmly and stiffly made. In Fig. 104 all the parts are mortised and tenoned together, and strutted to give strength, but in Fig. 105 the legs are simply shouldered and bolted into the sides of the top. The cross stretchers are slightly shouldered back and screwed or bolted to the legs. Sometimes the carpenter uses the sawing horse, the ordinary form of which is shown in Fig. 106, but this is more generally used for rough sawing, such as firewood, etc.
Fig. 100.—Common Sawing Stool.
Fig. 101.—Front Elevation of Sawing Stool.
Fig. 102.—End Elevation of Sawing Stool.
Fig. 103.—Three-legged Sawing Stool.
CRAMPS.
Cramps are used to hold work on the bench, to hold together work in course of construction, to facilitate the making of articles in which tight and accurate joints are essential, to hold together glued joints until the glue is dry and hard, and for other purposes that suggest themselves. Their uses will be treated in detail as occasion requires, and in the meantime it will suffice to illustrate a few types commonly employed in workshops. A holdfast for temporarily securing work to the bench is shown by Fig. 107. This ranges in length from 12 in. to 16 in. The old-fashioned holdfast cramp is illustrated by Fig. 108; this is entirely of wood, and the cheeks of the cramp range in length from 6 in. to 16 in. Iron cramps are shown by Figs. 109 and 110, Fig. 109 being the ordinary G-cramp, of which different makes vary only in unimportant details; some, for instance, have a lever and screw instead of a thumbscrew, whilst Fig. 110 shows one of Hammer’s G-cramps with instantaneous adjustment, this being an improved appliance of some merit. The screw merely is pushed until it is tight on the work held in the cramp, and a slight turn of the winged head then tightens up the screw sufficiently. The sliding pattern G-cramp is illustrated by Fig. 111, this possessing an advantage similar to, but not