Holdfast

[Alex Yeilding]

What do you use to hold material on your benchtop for operations like chopping waste from dovetails? I've been using F clamps, which are a little awkward and sometimes in the way.

How well does the "shepherd's crook" type of iron holdown work?

Are the versions with a screw tightening mechanism worthwhile? (Hopefully you will answer "no", since it seems so much easier to just set the holddown with a mallet if that holds well enough).

Have seen the shop-made solutions in Landis' Workbench Book. Some are very clever, but seem like they would be as much or more of a pain than clamps when you flip the board and need to reset.

Anyone here use a "go stick" like Landis describes?

I was thinking of making a wooden version of the shepherd's crook (maybe not strong enough?) or a variation with a more substantial post using the square dog holes, and a cammed lever at the business end to apply pressure.

Thoughts? What do you use that you are happy with?

[Mike Weaver]

How well does the "shepherd's crook" type of iron holdown work?

Are the versions with a screw tightening mechanism worthwhile? (Hopefully you will answer "no", since it seems so much easier to just set the holddown with a mallet if that holds well enough).


A genuine holdfast, forged (not cast) works VERY well.

I haven't used the screw version, but it seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist (not knocking a Very Fine Canadian company here - it's an innovative idea and I'm 100% sure their version works as advertised). I'm just not convinced it's needed.

Cheers,
-Mike

[Neil Clemmons]

Alex,

I've had very good luck with the Jorgensen H0932 Jorgensen® 3" Hold-Down Clamp. Available from Amazon for $14 each. Include a round-head bolt you can countersink into your workbench and they drop flush when not in use. Also include a cotter pin you can use if you want to permanently attach them to the bolt so they don't slip off. I find they will hold just about anything very tightly to my bench.

I countersunk four bolts on a 3' x 6' bench and have two of the Hold-Downs. They work great for holding pieces while chiseling mortises or dovetails. Also use them to hold backer blocks when I am cutting biscuit joints. Absolutely no movement, yet easy to release.

I also made carriage bolt adapters that allow me to use them on my Festool MFT table. Pictures of the holddowns are here - with carriage bolts and washers through dowels to fit the MFT holes. Bolts that come with the holddowns are longer.

Neil

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Alex, I have a couple forged holdfasts and they hold really well, but you don't want to use them in the same hole you use for bench dogs because they wear out the holes. I only use them in the middle of the bench because I don't use those holes for bench dogs very often. I use quick clamps to hold down stock on the edge of the bench. They have rubber pads and can be operated one handed.

[Steve Cox]

I've used several designs and the best for me is the Veritas. I like the traditional holdfasts but as was stated earlier they will wear dog holes. The Veritas works well and is well made. I did however just break one (I have the reputation as something of a gorilla :-). I like it well enough that I'll be buying another one to replace it.

[Steve Schoene]

These were just reviewed in one of the woodworking mags. Message seemed to be that the "shephards crook" worked fine if it was a good match to your workbench. The Veritas worked well in all the benches.

I have the Veritas and have been pleased with it. It holds well, is easy to release, takes almost no time to set and doesn't need a mallet to set or release.

[Alan Turner]

Like Neil, I like the Jorgie. I also have a screw type from LV, but it gets only limited use. As to the Jorgies, use a large stiff washer on the bottom, and the 3/4" holes for the LV toys works well.

A small gloat -- Bought 5 for $15 (including shipping) off of fleabay a couple of weeks ago as I gear up for making 10 student benches for the new teach studio. A regular hex head bolt works just fine, by the way.

Note that one advantage of the Jorgie is that when tightened, there is no side slipage, which does occur on the LV $50 guy, and with the cast iron crooked ones.

[Alex Yeilding]

Thanks for the info, guys.

Mike, I was not aware of the cast versus forged issue, but after reading your post have seen others complaining of breakage of cheap cast iron holdfasts. Looks like the best inexpensive solution my not be iron at all, but steel; these from toolsforworkingwood look good. http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=MS-HOLDFAST.XX&Category_Code=TL

Dennis and Steve, I have somewhat large square dog holes, and already prepared a plug (dog with no spring) into which I had drilled a 3/4" hole to avoid new holes in my bench until I was sure what I wanted to use. Sounds like this "disposable sleeve" approach may be a way to solve the hole wear problem.

I'll have to look at the Jorgie. Sounds like it would also be useful on my DP table with T-Tracks. I presume no one is talking about the Jorgie glass-impregnated plastic version. And is the Jorgie CI holdfast any better than what has been described as "cheap CI holdfasts", or are they all the same?

[Brad Olson]

Woodworking magazine in their blog said that they realy liked the tools for working wood version of forged holdfasts. I ordered them some time ago and eagerly am awaiting their arival. At $30 per pair, this seem like a fair price especially if they work well.

[Roger H.]

I went through my scrap metal box and retrieved a pair of front end suspension struts and the bow from a trailer hitch.
Cutting the bow in the middle of the centered hole gave me a nice semicircle that mated with the old strut rod. I welded one of the half pieces onto the strut end. It worked so well that I did the same with the other half and rod.
The only other modification was to roughen-up the "way too slick" chrome polished rods. That was 15 years ago, and they are both still working well.

P.S. Sorry for the late, late reply; but I just got around to your post.

[Alan Turner]

An update. I now have two of the new Grammery Tool (Toolsforworkingwood.com) holdfasts, and they are by far my new go to guy. They hold well, release well, have the right amount of spring in them, and are shaped so that they do not trash either the bench dog holes. or the stock being held. Very fine hew prduct, and they are not forged.

[harry strasil]

I'm surprised somebody did not mention the regular jorgensen pipe clamps All you need is a couple 1/2 inch pipe clamps a couple of short pieces of 1/2 inch pipe and stick the clamp down thru a hole and stick the movable end back on. It won't wear the holes, its cheap and easily installed and removed and a positive lock down.

[Frank Chaffee]

Very good Harry,
Sometimes we overlook the simplest and cheapest methods.
Thanks,
Frank

[James Mittlefehldt]

Personally I tend to subscribe to the school of thought KISS. I don't use holdfasts for dovetailing which was I believe the original question. I simply put two bench dogs (ie 3/4 inch dowels) into two holes in my bench. THen place a board between then back the piece against the bord and chop away. If I control the chisel then that is all the restraint I need. Chop halfway down and then flip the board over and finsh, pare the excess and you are done.

Oh I usually have a sacrificial board underneath the piece being worked on as well.

[Jerry Palmer]

Ditto on the Gramercy holdfasts from Tools for Working Wood. Though I don't generally use anything to hold down for wasteing out DTs, just a waste piece under the workpiece to protect the benchtop, the Gramercy holdfasts definitely work. Just enough flex to lock in soundly and the price is most definitely right.