Holdfasts

[Clint Barden]

I am very excited to say that I am close enough to completing my work bench that I need to buy some holdfasts!

I have done some research and it seems the Gramercy ones are popular, but TFWW is currently out of stock.

I also read about some that Harry Strasil made. Harry are you still making any of those?

[Joel Moskowitz]

Gramercy Holdfasts will be back in stock in a couple of weeks.
joel

[David Weaver]

If you can't find them or harry's not making them, no problem waiting for Joel's. They're great, and they're cheap. Tough, simple and they work exactly the way they're supposed to.

(from someone who busted up a bunch of those $12 cast ones that seem to be passed off as holdfasts - avoid those like the plague).

[Clint Barden]

Ok Thanks. I will check back in a few weeks. I would prefer to have the holdfasts in hand before drilling the dog holes, but are 3/4" holes the standard size to bore?

[Mark Maleski]

Ditto on Joel's holdfasts working well, I have a couple in my shop and use extensively. If you're looking for other options, thebestthings sells Williamsburg holdfasts. I've never used these because the Gramercy holdfasts have done all I need from them. Note also they're quite a bit more expensive than Gramercy (which you'd expect, I guess).

[Matt Meiser]

That's what I used and the Grammercy ones work great.

[Andrew Gibson]

I am actually using my pair of Gramercy holdfasts right now to hold a birdsmouth... I am working on a name tag for our monthly woodworking meetings, and to wear at the upcoming woodworking events I will be volunteering at. I am done with my first name and just taking a break for a few minutes before tackling my last name.

I took some contact cement and and put some leather on the faces of my hold fasts. I have not had any issues with marking of workpieces sense.

[Mike Siemsen]

Gramercy (TFWW) is indeed the place to get them. The Hole size is 3/4.

Mike

[Clint Barden]

I will drill the holes at 3/4" and keep checking TFWW.
Thanks!

[Dave Beauchesne]

FWIW, I have a pair from Harry; work like a dream.

And yes, 3/4'' holes are the norm.

Dave Beauchesne

[harry strasil]

None on hand at the moment, when warm weather arrives, I will be making some more.

[Rick Erickson]

Did someone say Gramercy yet?

[Charlie Buchanan]

Grammercy works great and they are the most user-friendly in terms of feel and look. Worth a wait. 3/4 holes.

[George Neill]

Gramercy are the best holdfasts I have used and they work perfectly in 3/4" holes in bench tops no thicker than 2-1/2".

If your bench top is thicker than 2-1/2", you can either drill 3/4" holes with counterbores in the underside of the bench (effectively creating Ø3/4" x 2-1/2" deep holes), or drill larger diameter holes so the holdfasts have the same relative purchase at the top and bottom of the holes. If the latter, you would need to experiment with hole sizes to suit your bench thickness.

[Jon Nuckles]

My bench is 3.5" thick hard maple and the Gramercy holdfasts still work fine. Rough them up with some sandpaper where they pass through the bench top - going around rather than up and down; it really helps.