123 block attachment kit - video

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Apr 19, 2023, 08:56 PM
Jon

123 block attachment kit - video

123 block attachment hardware kit. Hat tip to mklotz for finding this video. The attachment hardware kit mentioned is available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/123-Blocks-At...dp/B09V44FB6M/ . 6:13 video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQezV-E1kMk
Apr 20, 2023, 10:01 AM
mklotz

The metalworking fora are rife with folks complaining about tools broken while trying to drill or tap 1-2-3 blocks so they can be connected with fasteners. This idea provides a simple, yet elegant, work around that solves the problem without the need to modify the blocks.

I'm mad at myself for not having thought of this approach myself. It's a perfect example of form-follows-function design.
Apr 20, 2023, 11:09 AM
BuffaloJohn

I bought these some months ago.

Taylor Tools sells it's products on it's own site: https://taytools.com/collections/123-block

and - these are cheaper on the Taylor site than Amazon!
Apr 20, 2023, 11:24 AM
mklotz

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuffaloJohn

I bought these some months ago.

Taylor Tools sells it's products on it's own site: https://taytools.com/collections/123-block

and - these are cheaper on the Taylor site than Amazon!

The cheapest shipping to LA they offer is $8 which brings the total to $18. Amazon is $15 with free shipping on orders over $25.
Apr 20, 2023, 12:42 PM
WmRMeyers

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuffaloJohn

I bought these some months ago.

Taylor Tools sells it's products on it's own site: https://taytools.com/collections/123-block

and - these are cheaper on the Taylor site than Amazon!

Amazon includes shipping, though, it's cheaper than direct from Taylor. Win a little here, lose a little there.
Apr 20, 2023, 12:46 PM
BuffaloJohn

Quote:

Originally Posted by mklotz

The cheapest shipping to LA they offer is $8 which brings the total to $18. Amazon is $15 with free shipping on orders over $25.

If you have to get over $25 on amazon, that would be two orders for $30 and $28 direct from Taylor Tools. I have more than one set of 123 blocks, so I ordered more than one set.
Apr 20, 2023, 05:19 PM
hemmjo

I never buy from Amazon unless I cannot get it from a better source. Even if it cost a couple of bucks more. I am not rich, but I prefer to support smaller businesses.
Apr 20, 2023, 05:54 PM
metric_taper

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemmjo

I never buy from Amazon unless I cannot get it from a better source. Even if it cost a couple of bucks more. I am not rich, but I prefer to support smaller businesses.

They refuse to honor keyword search, making it difficult to find what I'm looking for. And if you click on lowest price first, all sorts of crap not related to the search comes up. Sadly, eBay is working toward this same model thinking if you have to sort through lots of stuff, you will buy more.
Apr 21, 2023, 05:41 AM
WmRMeyers

Quote:

Originally Posted by metric_taper

They refuse to honor keyword search, making it difficult to find what I'm looking for. And if you click on lowest price first, all sorts of crap not related to the search comes up. Sadly, eBay is working toward this same model thinking if you have to sort through lots of stuff, you will buy more.

I often find them aggravating as all get out, but there is no-one else here in my area that delivers parts and materials to my door. Except eBay. Steve's Wholesale Tool, my favorite place to spend my tool money, is going out of business. Been buying my tooling there, when I can, for 27 years now. Unfortunately for me, they seldom carry stuff for machinists. And I've been having trouble finding small taps and dies there for the past few years. I just ordered from Amazon 4-40 taps, die, and a tap & drill set, for delivery tomorrow. IF They deliver as promised. Not something they're very good at anymore, either. But Steve's hasn't had them in stock when I was there for the past couple or three years. And I need them now.
Apr 23, 2023, 02:39 AM
dave003

I used to buy quite a lot on eBay, but over the past few years have found Amazon to be cheaper for most things. I almost always check both sources along with others, Amazon wins about 80% of the time. Like others have said though, Amazon's search "feature" is abysmal! Worst search function ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemmjo

I never buy from Amazon unless I cannot get it from a better source. Even if it cost a couple of bucks more. I am not rich, but I prefer to support smaller businesses.
Apr 28, 2023, 02:58 PM
mklotz

I bought a set of these from Amazon. Here's a brief review...

The 5/16" OD dowels wouldn't slide into the holes in my 123 blocks. The interior of these import blocks is grotty at best so I reamed the holes with a small grind stone powered by a handheld Dremel. Better but still no go. My blocks are almost 40 years old so they may be dimensionally a tad different from those used by the manufacturer. I stuck them in the lathe and removed six thou from the OD and they slid in like deer guts on a glass door knob. (Isn't it wonderful to have a lathe in the house?)

Next, on the first assembly, I discovered that when everything was tightened, the dowels projected from the block holes a bit. As delivered, the dowels are 7/8" which is not quite short enough. This too may be due to my older blocks having different spacing than those to which the dowels were designed. Again, the lathe to the rescue. Took 0.1" off one end on each dowel. Now all the bits of the clamps are inside the blocks and the block assembly lies flat in any attitude, as it should.

OK, it was a bit of work to get the blocks and the clamps in working shape but, on the other hand, it's very gratifying to have the tools and skills to do jobs like that.