Shop-made Tail Vise

[RodKirby]

JR -

I discovered that, apart from the dust; screws, washers, nuts etc. dropped thru as well

There is actually a gap of about 4" from the underside of the bench and the top of the cabinets (top row of drawer fronts are "fake"). So - I cut long strips of 1/4" MDF (what else ), and glued them to the underside of the bench top

[JR]

So - I cut long strips of 1/4" MDF (what else ), and glued them to the underside of the bench top

Oh, I see. So you just vacuum them out as necessary?

JR

[Tom Miller]

Do I have it right that you used the all-thread itself to thread the hole in the center block? Any special trick to holding the rod while doing this operation (maybe the double nuts thing?)?

Yes, threaded with the all-thread. I used a jam nut, and then my drill/driver with a socket to spin it in and out a few times. Just as important is to hold the wood in a vise to keep it from splitting out. Also, liberal amounts of paste wax is good. The hole doesn't have to be undersized by much (1/32" at most), since there's ~3-4" of thread.

My fall-back plan was to install a threaded insert, but this has been working very well, and spins quite easily.

Tom, it looks like your dogholes run along the "open space" outside the undertable cabinet, which would normally allow sawdust to fall through the holes onto the floor. Is this right?

That was more like a good consequence of my other design considerations: enough overhang to clamp things to the bench top, and dog holes close to the front edge for planing.

Regards,
Tom

[RodKirby]

Oh, I see. So you just vacuum them out as necessary?

JR

Yup! 5678910 (had to be 10 char. )

[RodKirby]

Actually - it's only the "inside" row of holes that needed the strip underneath. I also left plenty of room around the edge for clamping.

The "outside" row of holes are open to the floor (except at each end, where they are above the the legs).

The other pic makes the drawer fronts look level with the top - they aren't...

(Remember: the top row of drawers are fake)