A very brief and simple #ScrapHappy this month.
I love my mitre vise beyond measure and I bought the best I could afford back in 2017, but it’s not the best there is.
As a result of my near constant use, and despite regular loving and careful maintenance, the threads on the bolts that allow the various jaws to open and close get a bit clogged with all the silver dust.
This means that they no longer stay anchored to the bottom jaw, and it started to open and close a bit wonkily (technical goldsmithing term there)
It really needed a grub* screw, (and it may well have had a couple originally) but we don’t have any of those, so #MrG retrieved a couple of old screws from the hinge of a kitchen cabinet.
You know the ones – we use them in modern kitchens to make sure the doors hang vertically. We had lots left over for some bizarre reason from when we put in the kitchen at the beginning of the century, so you’ll be pleased to learn that no cabinets were harmed in this process π
We used these and although it would be better with grub screws these were free, and what’s best? #ReusingIsBetterThanRecycling that’s what’s best**
As you can see, the heads do impede the sitting it flat element, but as long as I carefully utilise the slot in my peg it’s a completely acceptable work around
*For the uninitiated, a grubscrew has no head to it. Basically teeny tiny 2mm allan key bolt fittings.
**That and getting something, however tiny out of the shed and into use.
ScrapHappy is open to anyone using up scraps of anything β no new materials. It can be a quilt block, pincushion, bag or hat, socks or a sculpture. Anything made of genuine scraps is eligible. If your scrap collection is out of control and youβd like to turn them into something beautiful or useful instead of leaving them to collect dust in the cupboard, why not join in on the 15th of each month?
Contact Kate via her Contact Me page, or leave a comment on her ScrapHappy post. You can also contact Gun via her blog to join. We all welcome new members.
You donβt have to worry about making a long term commitment or even join in every month. Here are the links for the ScrapHappy gang, some of whom post every month, some of whom (like me!) are rather less prolific
Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Tracy, Jill,
Claire, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen,
Bekki, Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Bear, Carol,
Preeti, Edith, Debbierose and Viv
Again, mitre vises (vices?) and grub screws are beyond my ken, but any recycling is good. Mr G is obviously very organised when it comes to hanging onto unused things from over 20 years ago….
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can you hear my laughter?! It’s total chaos π
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Ah, chaos! That’s more my style π
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Even tiny scraps are scraps π
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An excellent work around! I must try and think of a good use for the thousands of identical allen keys I have sitting in a box on my Shelf of All Stuff. I mean, how many can you use, especially as I have a very nice set in its own proper box that the Husband is not allowed to touch on pain of a sharp smack on the hand.
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There must be something. Perhaps some kind of xylophone?!!
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I think there’s an African musical instrument called an Mbira which makes me think they could be repurposed that way. Or perhaps a sculpture… ?
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^^ I thought of you the other day, Dawn, while doing my daily wordle . . . word of the day was “smelt” ^^
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I am glad your beloved Mitre Vice could be reconstituted with a non-grub-screw…and hooray for being able to use a bit of leftover cupboard hinge. Think sideways!
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That is a very clever repair! Good bit of thinking outside the box!
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it must be called “thinking outside the cupboard” Hope the new/repaired Mitre Vice gives many years of happy work.
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ha ha!
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Dawn, we live on a farm that originally belonged to my husband’s parents, and they built the house themselves. It was before the days of the big box stores, so they continually brought up all kinds of odds and ends of bolts, nails, etc.
Then during 2020, we expanded our deck to make it easier to social distance with our little group of neighbors. My husband spent about $700 on lumber, but he told me, “I used a bunch of bolts from the barn!” So I understand the triumph of using a hardware “notion”! π
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hurrah for the space and inclination to store this stuff!
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Great way to use scraps!
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I’m all for re-use, repair and recycle. Go MrG. π
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