Holdfast hole placement?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I think the real answer is going to be just to work on my new bench for a while and figure out where I'd like to have things stay steady, but I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for placement of holdfast holes? Searching found me more threads about where to place dogholes (which aren't moving now) rather than holdfasts.

My first thought for a good place would be something towards the right end of the bench, a little forward from center, (exact location determined more by the holdfast length than anything else, I guess) to help secure work over the front right leg where it seems like I'm more apt to do most of my mortising. At least, that's where I did my mortising while working on the bench when it was a a top sitting on my sawhorses. (The best part of a bench? Having my sawhorse back.)

[Federico Mena Quintero]

Just don't do what I did for one of the holes in my bench - I managed to put it directly over the leg vise's screw, so the holdfast won't sink :)

I have on hole in line with the business end of the planing stop; makes it easy to set a batten for planing wider boards. I think that's the only hole with a particularly important position; the few others are kind of where I happened to need them.

[Sean Richards]

Best approach in my opinion is to drill the holes when and where you need them.

[Jim Koepke]

Frederico mentions one ending up in a leg. If it is placed too close to a leg it may not be able to cant properly to hold something if the shaft hits against the leg.

Mortising over a leg is standard procedure to prevent bouncing.

You may also think about placing them to hold pieces along the front edge if you make molding.

jtk

[Bill White]

Mine are 6 1/4" center to center, and 3 across on a 20 1/2" x 53" bench. I can use front, middle, or back as well of any combo of these. Wide panels, narrow boards are worked well on this config. Anything requiring other uses are helped with spacers.
My bench is made from bowling alley maple. I use dogs (plastic) from the B&D Workmate portable bench. Been usin' this feller for almost 20 years.
Bill