Handwheel for a Vice

**Bushmiller** · 29th May 2020, 10:27 PM

In a way this is a little bit of a spoof in that I am not posting a work bench but a teeny weeny piece of a a bench: Namely, a handwheel. A while back now FenceFurniture posed a suggestiuon that it would be very pleasant to be able to spin a handwheel attached to a vice and have it close up by itself with one spin of the wheel. I think he moved towards that with a custom wheel on one of HNT Gordon's new aluminium vices. I am not sure exactly how well that went as I cannot recall where it was posted. In speaking today on Zoom with LanceC, Simplicity and NCArcher I believe he commissioned a cast iron wheel.

At the time I thought that I might be able to achieve something similar using timber. To that end I worked towards a timber wheel. The trick to spinning a wheel is inertia, diameter and frictional resistance or rather the lack of it. Most of the wheels we encounter in woodworking are too small and have insufficient weight: Size does matter.

I planned to laminate three pieces of Forest Red Gum, primarily for strength and stability, but even that was not going to have the weight. So I laminated the first two sections and routed a grove the depth of one lamination around the centre of what would become the rim. Then I poured moulten lead into that recess:

P1040314 (Medium).JPG

I learnt that the pour has to be done in one hit, which I did not do. The wood is an insulator that keeps the low temp lead warm and moving. If you poor a second time to take the lead to the desired height the existing lead in the trough instantly cools the new lead and prevents it flowing. I will know for next time. It resulted in the lead sitting quite proud of the surrounding timber and I had to file or cut it down before gluing down the final lamination.

P1040316 (Medium).JPG

That was another learning curve as lead is not easy to file.

Next the shape had to be cut out. I followed the same procedure that I use for saw handles. A template is made from MDF and a rough blank is cut using a jigsaw (a bandsaw would be better except for the inside cuts). Then using a flush trimming bit the exact shape is formed removing the last mm or two:

P1060078 (Medium).JPG

Once the correct profile is achieved the edges are rounded over using the router again and it looks like this:

P1040326 (Medium).JPG

The brass pins are decoration only and in fact were old slotted head brass screws I salvaged years ago. They are filed until the slot disappears:

P1040327 (Medium).JPG

This wheel is 300mm diameter so it is only really suitable for a leg vice being too large for a conventional carpenter's vice. I was going to weigh it but my kitchen scales, which were a cast off from SWMBO (when she thought they had stopped working and bought a new set: She was pressing the wrong button) have gone AWOL, and in any event they were only good for 3Kg. Putting them on a set of bathroom scales (another cast off from you know who) the wheel weighs between 4Kg and 5Kg.

P1060074 (Medium).JPG P1060075 (Medium).JPG P1060077 (Medium).JPG

First two pix are with flash and the last without. True colour is between the two. And that is as far as my workbench has progressed as I explained today on the "Friday Lunch Prattle" (or was it in a workbench thread

?). I have all the timber and hardware: I just need the new shed to house it!

Regards
Paul

**BobL** · 29th May 2020, 11:19 PM

Very Interesting and Clever Paul.
How deep was the recess into which the lead was poured?

**Vann** · 30th May 2020, 01:00 AM

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

...That was another learning curve as lead is not easy to file...

Before bondifill (or do you call it bondo in Oz?) imperfections in car panelwork were "leaded" - i.e. filled with lead and then filed to shape. I don't recall what the files were like but think they were very coarse like used on horse hooves.

But you don't need to know this 'cause you're just doing a single pour next time, right?

Cheers, Vann.

**Simplicity** · 30th May 2020, 08:37 AM

Paul,

That looks quite the business,an I not your using your favourite timber.
I really like the idea.

Cheers Matt.

**Simplicity** · 30th May 2020, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Vann

Before bondifill (or do you call it bondo in Oz?) imperfections in car panelwork were "leaded" - i.e. filled with lead and then filed to shape. I don't recall what the files were like but think they were very coarse like used on horse hooves.

But you don't need to know this 'cause you're just doing a single pour next time, right?

Cheers, Vann.

There called a Body file.
There still readily available,an yep there similar too a faeries rasp.

You actually use the same file for what’s called file finishing , ie knocking a dent up then running the file over the area to show low an high spots.

Cheers Matt

**Bushmiller** · 30th May 2020, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by BobL

How deep was the recess into which the lead was poured?

Bob

It was about the depth of the middle layer which was 14mm. probably a little less as i wanted to retain as much gluing surface as possible . When I think back on it, as it was about a year ago when I first worked on this project, it would have been 12mm. The overall thickness of the wheel is 40mm. It is a fair lump of wheel.

Regards
Paul

**Bushmiller** · 30th May 2020, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Vann

Before bondifill (or do you call it bondo in Oz?) imperfections in car panelwork were "leaded" - i.e. filled with lead and then filed to shape. I don't recall what the files were like but think they were very coarse like used on horse hooves.

But you don't need to know this 'cause you're just doing a single pour next time, right?

Cheers, Vann.

Vann

I should have used a farrier's rasp as the lead quickly clogs an ordinary bastard flat file. I ended up cutting the bulk off with the coarsest hacksaw blade I could find just using the bare blade without a frame. It clogged the hacksaw blade too, but at least I was removing more material for my trouble.

The silly thing is I have some of those vixen files Simplicity mentioned and the body holder too. I forgot all about them. I think they would have been the best option of all as the body can be adjusted up to provide a slight convex surface.

Regards
Paul

**Bushmiller** · 30th May 2020, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Simplicity

There called a Body file.
There still readily available,an yep there similar too a faeries rasp.

You actually use the same file for what’s called file finishing , ie knocking a dent up then running the file over the area to show low an high spots.

Cheers Matt

Matt

Now you tell me! Where were you when I was removing hair from my head? You may remember I have those files and a Simonds body holder!!!

Regards
Paul

**BobL** · 30th May 2020, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Bob

It was about the depth of the middle layer which was 14mm. probably a little less as i wanted to retain as much gluing surface as possible . When I think back on it, as it was about a year ago when I first worked on this project, it would have been 12mm. The overall thickness of the wheel is 40mm. It is a fair lump of wheel.

Regards
Paul

Thanks Paul, a back of the envelope calc works out to about 2.5kg of lead.

Another way I have seen to weight wooden wheel perimeters was to drill holes into sides of the wheels outer perimeter and insert metal slugs.
The simplest used holes right through the sides of the wheel and 19 mm brass rod glued into the holes ie brass left showing.
Looks nice but would not have as much inertia as lead.

Similar to yours was one that poured lead into holes drilled into the outer edge of the wheel, with each pour stopped a few mm short of the top of the hole and and then covered with a thin layer of wood. To get 2.5 kg of added weight would need ~11 , 25mm diameter x 40 mm deep holes .

It's debatable which would be more work.

**Simplicity** · 30th May 2020, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Matt

Now you tell me! Where were you when I was removing hair from my head? You may remember I have those files and a Simonds body holder!!!

Regards
Paul

Sorry [emoji52].
I was possibly engaged in other less important stuff, you know like making a living lol.

A tin opening chisel, ruffle sharpened on what ever wheel is on your bench grinder,could be used to just chip the lead away too, it’s only lead, Iron Bark is probably tougher.

Cheers Matt

**Bushmiller** · 6th June 2020, 10:22 AM

When I posted this thread I nearly called it "Reinventing the Wheel." Then I considered it might be misleading and possibly presumptious too: Just mentioning.

Regards
Paul

**Vann** · 6th June 2020, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

When I posted this thread I nearly called it "Reinventing the Wheel."...

I like it!

Cheers, Vann.

**riverbuilder** · 7th June 2020, 08:49 AM

That collection of handsaws is just outrageous.

**Bushmiller** · 7th June 2020, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

That collection of handsaws is just outrageous.

Saws? What saws? Where?

Regards
Paul

**auscab** · 7th June 2020, 09:06 PM

That's going to spin on and on . Nice one Paul.
Ive heard of Lead being shaved with a wood plane.

A friend went to an Organ builders clearance Auction . The story went something like, They started here back in the 19th C and the sale was full of High end hand tools from the 1800 to 70 mark . I think the Company moved here from the UK in the 19th C? The plane used for shaving the poured flat lead that was then to be rolled into organ pipes was a Low angle Miter Plane . The normal Woodworkers type . Possibly a Rt Towell .
One of the former employees at the Auction walked up and told him of its use. I think The very plane was in use till they closed . They hadn't found a better tool !

Rob

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