Workbench Hold Downs

[Ed Gibbons]

Looking for recommendations for a workbench hold down. Thanks.

[Bob Betker]

Ed: I use a pair of Gramercy holdfasts and an assortment of Lee Valley Veritas workbench accessories like the Surface clamp and Bench blade. These along with jigs work on just anything I have needed to keep steady. Good luck.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have Grammercy. They work well for me and are priced reasonably at $40 a pair. LINK (https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/ms-holdfast.xx/holdfasts_by_gramercy_tools)

There are a few people that find they dont work well for their bench. If that happens to you, TFWW will let you return for any reason within 6 mos. Would be worth a look.
Fred

[Jim Becker]

Gramercy Hold Fasts if you have 3/4" dog holes...indispensable!

[Paul F Franklin]

I see Leigh is now selling the cam clamps they use on some of their jigs and machines adapted for bench hold downs. No experience with them but they look well made. You have to thread a quick nut on them from under the bench or use a surface mount adapter, which is a downside compared to holdfasts for one off work, but if you are doing repetitive stuff, the speed of clamping and un-clamping would be hard to beat...They are reasonably priced compared to, say, the veritas adjustable bench hold down.

[Kevin Jenness]

I have a Record holdfast which works well, similar to the Veritas . No longer made under that name, but a modern knockoff is available https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/bench-holdfast.aspx

[Scott Winners]

3/4" is the hole diameter with the most options. The Gramercy holdfasts have an excellent reputation here, but the Toronto people make a host of options.

I ended up stepping up to one inch through holes and buying from Crucible, but my special spade bit for holdfast holes was down to something like 0.979 last time I checked. Start with 0.75". If you are not happy, try some of the other stuff that also works at 0.75". Once you are _sure_ that 0.75" just doesn't do it for you, buy that one more thing for 0.75 holes and give it 60 days. Once you bore your holdfast holes out to one inch there is no going back without building a new bench.

[Frank Pratt]

I like the Grammercy hold fasts. They are simple, super quick to use, and provide impressive holding force. And they will last several lifetimes of heavy use.

[David Walser]

Ed -- A lot depends on the style of workbench. The Grammercy holdfasts require the bench top to be at least 1.75" thick. Many modern benches, such as the Festool MFT or Paulk workbench, only have 3/4" tops. For such benches, a traditional holdfast will not work. A number of companies make bench dogs and clamps that work in 3/4" (and thicker) tops. For example, and only an example because I have not yet used these, only seen them at local stores, Armor Tool makes a line of clamps and fences that install in 3/4" bench top holes. https://armor-tool.com/products/woodworking/clamping/dog-clamps/ Others, such as Kreg, make competing items.

[Jim Becker]

That's a very good point, David...I'm glad you raised it. In fact, when I designed my current main benchtop to replace the old one this year, I had to make provisions in the design to be able to continue using my hold-fasts while also bringing the 20mm grid to the surface for alignment purposes.

[Ed Gibbons]

My bench has1” holes so many hold downs won’t work. Thanks for the feedback.

[Bob Betker]

Ed: Take a look at the Crucible Iron Holdfasts sold by Lost Art Press: https://lostartpress.com/collections/tools/products/iron-holdfast. They will fit 1" dogholes.

[Frank Pratt]

Ed: Take a look at the Crucible Iron Holdfasts sold by Lost Art Press: https://lostartpress.com/collections/tools/products/iron-holdfast. They will fit 1" dogholes.

They sure are proud of them, but they do look cool.

[Alan Lightstone]

I've never used the typical type of holdfast like the Grammercy. I've used the Sjobergs ones for their workbench, as it has 1" holes.

Do they mar the wood when used?

[Frank Pratt]

I've never used the typical type of holdfast like the Grammercy. I've used the Sjobergs ones for their workbench, as it has 1" holes.

Do they mar the wood when used?

Just like any clamp, they will mark the wood if used aggressively. Some leather pads glued to the face solves that problem.

[Ed Gibbons]

Ed: Take a look at the Crucible Iron Holdfasts sold by Lost Art Press: https://lostartpress.com/collections/tools/products/iron-holdfast. They will fit 1" dogholes.

Looks good but that’s a heavy pricey tag. I do have the Sjoberg clamp but it is starting to fall apart.

[David Walser]

Ed -- Given that your bench has 1" dog holes, I believe the following would work: Attach a toggle clamp to a plywood base so the clamp extends out from the base as far as practical. Close to the toggle clamp, drill a 7/8" diameter hole through the base. Glue a 7/8" diameter dowel to the base with 2-3" extending below the base. Before gluing the dowel in place, prepare the dowel for use by drilling a 1/4" hole through the center and length of the dowel. On the end that will be sticking down, make two crisscrossing saw kerfs about 1" deep in the end grain of the dowel -- effectively splitting that end into quarters. Take a 1/4"-20 bolt of appropriate length and turn it into a wedge that can be used to expand the dowel, locking it in place, once it's placed in a dog hole. To do this, thread three or four 1/4-20 nuts up against the head of the bolt. Affix the nuts in place with epoxy, solder, or brazing (depending on your metal working skills and available tools). Then, using your bench grinder, turn the head of the bolt and stack of nuts into a smooth taper, with the widest width at the head of the bolt. Then, by threading the bolt through the 1/4" hole in the dowel, and with a 1/4-20 knob you can make or buy, a few twists should secure the clamp to your bench.

Note: I've never done this. I've never needed to. Unless you count the value of your time, it should cost a lot less than the Crucible Iron Holdfast or the Sjoberg clamp. But, it wouldn't be as easy and simple to use as either commercial solution.

[Paul F Franklin]

FWIW, the Leigh Hold down clamps will work in hole sizes up to 1 1/8. https://www.leightools.com/leigh-hold-down-clamps/

[Scott Winners]

I cried once when I paid for my Crucible holdfasts, but haven't shed a single tear because of them since.

They do work in one inch holes, but the tighter the hole is to the holdfast, the less whacking you have to do. Like I mentioned in an eaerlier post this thread, I think my bit for boring holdfast holes is down to +/- 0.980 inches. Besides my benchtop, I have made a pair of sawhorses with 4x6 inch Doug Fir timber for the top bar, and bored vertically through the 5.5" dimension on the saw horses. So if I need to clamp something to a saw horse- it stays clamped

[Rob Luter]

I got a pair of Gramercy Holdfasts years ago. They still work great. I did add leather pads to the faces.

[Jim Becker]

I got a pair of Gramercy Holdfasts years ago. They still work great. I did add leather pads to the faces.

Yes, they are outstanding, despite being such "simple" things. I need to do the leather faces on mine...I keep forgetting, but I have a few other things I want to do this for, too, so it's worth moving forward on it when I get the opportunity.

[Michael W. Clark]

Not to hijack, but how much room do you need below the bench for Gramercy hold fasts. I.E., 3" bench, 3/4" material clamped on bench, how much clearance below bottom of bench is needed?

[Jim Becker]

Going by memory since I'm not in the shop, the leg of the holdfast is about 10" long but the bend in the business end takes about 2" off that. So if you are holding really thin materials,, even with a block to prevent maring, you'll need 4+ inches below the table. This is typical for any make/model traditional holdfast.

[tom lucas]

Another vote for grammercy. I glued leather pads onto the faces. Work perfectly. No marring. I've been using them all week on a relief carving. Piece never moves. Love them.