Veritas hold down vs veritas fast action hold down

[John Stankus]

Veritas hold down vs veritas fast action hold down, any opinions between the two?

John

[ken hatch]

Veritas hold down vs veritas fast action hold down, any opinions between the two?

John

John,

By "fast action hold down" I assume you mean a traditional hold down that uses a mallet to set. I have both traditional and Veritas and each have their use. That said, if I could have only one style it would be the traditional mallet set hold down.

The traditional hold down is easier to use and much faster. It's kinda like the difference between holding your work with a tail vise and holding it with stops and battens. Both work but stops and battens are much faster and easier to use. A traditional hold down holds as well or better as the Veritas with few exceptions. Those exceptions are: I've never found a case where the Veritas will not hold, sometimes with a thick bench the traditional will not (easily fixed). The other case is if for whatever reason you do not want to hit your hold down then the slow even application of force from the Veritas screw is advantageous.

About the only time I use the Veritas is to hold the "Moxon" vise to the main work bench. All other uses it's the traditional hold down.

Hope that answers your question. BTW, as with all things wood YMMV,

ken

My bad....early morning and the old eyes didn't focus well :-). Oh well, wrong question answered but good answer anyway.

[Jim Belair]

This is the Veritas Fast Action hold down.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/images/item/Woodworking/Clamps/05g4701i4.jpg

And this is the other
http://www.leevalley.com/en/images/item/woodworking/clamps/05g1401s2.jpg

I have the latter and like it's longer reach 8" vs 5"

[Charles Bjorgen]

John -- I just took delivery yesterday of the Veritas Hold-Down, the one that uses the knob to tighten the hold-down to the work. I also bought the optional 5 1/2" post because I plan to install a tool cabinet under my bench and I was concerned about the lack of clearance the longer post would have. Why did I choose that rather than the fast-action? My hand strength is no longer what it once was. I assumed turning the knob would be easier that gripping the levers. I probably could have gone either way though. I just set it up this morning and it worked fine on my small Sjoberg bench.

[glenn bradley]

I played with both at the Woodworking Shows a few months ago. Neither seems made for holding large work like planks you may be flattening. For more delicate work either would do and the difference to me is what I would be doing. If I am wokring on a piece that I need to reposition now and again as I work, the fast action would be my choice. For just holding something still, either would be fine but, neither has a tenacious grip like a more basic holddown.

[Mike Brady]

I disagree with the comment that the LV holddown with the tension knob does not provide a secure grip. I have used both this model and traditional struck holdfasts for years. I generally use the the LV alone and the struck type in pairs, depending on the job. The main reason is that the LV adjustable model never loses its grip on the workpiece. My struck holdfasts will sometime slip, particularly if the bench is bumped or nearby chisel blows have vibrated them loose. My struck holdfasts, which are Lie-Nielsens, do have a very low profile, which is a clear advantage; but as I said, they have been known to let go. My only reservation about the LV unit is that I feel it is over-priced. That is why I own just one.

[Frank Martin]

I have a pair of the Veritas hold downs with the tension knob and they have worked flawlessly the last 12 years I had them.