workbench doghole question

[Steven Lee, NC]

any particular reason to drill two rows vs 1 row?

Once my 3/4" upcut bit comes in I'll be drilling my dogholes. As far as I am concerned, one row should be enough.

thanks

[Mark Kornell]

Drill one row. Later on, if you think you need another row, drill some more...

[John Sanford]

What Mark said. What you may want to do is also drill a row of holes that run at a 90d angle from the main row, centered on your face vise's doghole. Then you can make a planing stop that uses the perpendicular row of holes. By using the exact same spacing for both rows, you can use the planing stop in the long row as well. Why would you ever need to do that? Heck if I know, but I know I've used mine that way. If you can work from all sides of the bench, that "front side" planing stop is now a stop at the back of the bench, really handy when biscuiting.

[Jim Matthews]

If you have a conventional end vise, two rows makes it possible to glue up larger panels.

My first bench had a single row across the front, and I added additional rows as clamping needs arose.
I ended up with something a lot like what's pictured below.

The reason to put more holes in now is the mess that will be distributed in your shop if you need to cut more, later.
If you've got good dust collection - that may not be much of a problem.

288228

[HANK METZ]

I have two rows on my bench, makes it easy to clamp rounds when I use the end vise flip up dog.

[Frank Martin]

Mine has a full grid and I really like it and use various ones all the time. For me it is a tool and I don't think more holes take away from the bench, if anything they add more.

[Bill McNiel]

Plus 1 on Jim's pattern. Gives me the most versitility.

[Peter Kelly]

Mine has a full grid and I really like it and use various ones all the time. For me it is a tool and I don't think more holes take away from the bench, if anything they add more.What size spacing are your holes? I'm in the midst of building a new workbench myself and was imagining a 3.75" grid but that seems like an awful lot to drill out on an 87" x 42" top.

[Frank Martin]

What size spacing are your holes? I'm in the midst of building a new workbench myself and was imagining a 3.75" grid but that seems like an awful lot to drill out on an 87" x 42" top.

I think 3.75" grid is way too many. I think mine are about 5-6 inches apart. It also depends on the travel on your vices. Mine has a lot of travel (Record 53 face vice with about 10" travel) and Veritas Twin Screw end vise. I will try to take a picture and post if you like.

[Bill McNiel]

Peter,
Again plus 1 on Frank's view that 3.75" constitutes way too many holes. I use 2" less than the travel of my vises. Unless you are after the MFT versitility which doesn't really do well on a real workbench (IMHO).

[Steven Lee, NC]

thanks. I'll start off with one row of dog holes for now. They are probably gonna be spaced about 7-8 inches apart. My vice has 10" of travel.

[Peter Kelly]

I think 3.75" grid is way too many. I think mine are about 5-6 inches apart. It also depends on the travel on your vices. Mine has a lot of travel (Record 53 face vice with about 10" travel) and Veritas Twin Screw end vise. I will try to take a picture and post if you like.That'd be great when you get the chance.

Appreciate the FB.

[Tony Haukap]

I think 3.75" grid is way too many. I think mine are about 5-6 inches apart. I don't think 3-3/4" is necessarily too many holes... you want to keep the bulk of the work piece over the bench, even if the vise opened 24" I don't think I'd want to work with it opened that far. My dog holes are 3" on-center, mostly because my bench top is made up of (2x4s) 1-1/2" wide boards gluded together, also I only have holes about for 30" and if I needed any more than that I figure I can find better ways to clamp it. Maybe the solutuion is to have variable spaced holes? Say something like 3" out to about a foot then 6" to three feet then 9" oc for the rest.

[Tim Janssen]

I have three rows of 3/4 holes, spaced 8" apart. I use 3/4" dowels as dogs with a short piece of vinyl hose around the top of the dowel to prevent them from falling through. With the LV twin screw vise at the end of the bench with dog holes in the "jaw" of the vice I can clamp any panel.
This system has worked very well for me for almost 14 years now.
Regards,

Tim

[John T Barker]

Good to remember that they aren't used just with the vice. You can use them with holdfasts and some of the other holding tools Lee Valley markets. I picked up a couple of steel dowels with a flat tee on them that work well as stops in my dog holes. Mine are a single small version of these...
http://www.leevalley.com/US/images/item/Woodworking/Planes/05g2301s10.jpg

I've hand planed wide boards and these would have been great to have back then.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I use Wonder Dogs in lieu of a tail vise. They have a travel of about 6", so that is how far apart I put my dog holes. It is your choice, but I think that is a reasonable distance. 4" is probably too many, and 8" is probably too few.

[Frank Martin]

My workbench is currently covered as I am finishing a dining table, but this is pretty much how mine looks like. Except I made mine with 4 layers of 3/4" plywood and covered with masonite. Dog holes are lined with 3/4" copper pipe for durability. Performed to my satisfaction over the last 12 years. Other than using solid maple top would not change a thing if I were making a new one.



Good to remember that they aren't used just with the vice. You can use them with holdfasts and some of the other holding tools Lee Valley markets. I picked up a couple of steel dowels with a flat tee on them that work well as stops in my dog holes. Mine are a single small version of these...
http://www.leevalley.com/US/images/item/Woodworking/Planes/05g2301s10.jpg

I've hand planed wide boards and these would have been great to have back then.