roger lance
Derek has used the term "ordinary coach bolts"....I'm not familiar with this term....coach bolt....but I certainly agree with you about using barrel nuts (aka dowel nuts) in this end grain application....those solve the problem. Even an old end vise design like that used by Frank Klauz (not talking the L shoulder vise) relied on the end cap to take the back force of the clamping action....perhaps not the best design in that regard but a design that has been around a long time.