Now the threading process can begin. You simply turn the router on; insert the proper size dowel; and start turning it. Amazingly, the device cuts the thread smoothly and you can go slow or fast...the instructions say that you can advance the dowel at about 1 rotation a second. I don't think I ever got that fast but it was amazing to me how effortlessly the threader worked.  

     Here is the view after a 1/2 minute or so of the very first threaded rod I made. In some way, I was lucky that the initial router depth was right - the instructions point out that if the dowel is hard to feed, lower the bit slightly. If the thread is too sharp, then you raise it a hair. You can see that the proper thread is clean and has a slight flat to the top of the thread.

   Once you get going, you just keep on going however long you want to thread the dowel. Since I hadn't given much thought to it, I threaded the entire 2-foot length in less than 5 minutes time.

   The second half of the kit centers around making the female part, or the nut. A clever template is included which allows you to select the nut size you want to make. An awl placed through the center point, holds the template in position for marking.

   I then drill the hole — centering on the center point mark, of course. I used a piece of quarter-sawn oak that I thought would be strong and give me a good threading surface.

   Now the tap is part of the kit. The wood handles are made from plans that come with the kit. Different from the standard machinist tap, the Beall tap has a base guide that fits in the pre-drilled hole to help get the tap aligned accurately. It did make it quite easy to do it right.

   Then you start turning the tap letting the tap itself do most of the work. I was surprised how easy it was to thread the hole and how smooth a thread it was.

   When it threaded on the dowel so smoothly, I could only give a nod of appreciation to JR Beall and his wood threader kit.

      A minute at the band saw, got the sides cut to the marks.

   And I had a completed wood nut and threaded rod. Now I love all wood tools, but I must say that this one surprised me at how easily it did its appointed task...and how well.

   Now to figure out what to do with threaded wood dowels and nuts. Well JR wrote a book on uses and I used his ideas and then created some of my own — coming next week.