Bench dog holes

[Jim Harsha]

In the planning stages for a new workbench. What's the consensus of opinion as to whether round or square? Round holes seem to offer more versatility. Any opinions appreciated. Thanks

[Barbara Gill]

My bench has round holes.

[Dave Anderson NH]

This is a constant topic of discussion on many of the hand tool woodworker forums. I have square dog holes on my current bench and they work pretty well. When I eventually get to start on my new bench I'll go with the round dogs. Round dogs and dog holes have a number of advantages, not the least of which is that they are easier to make. You build the bench and drill the holes where you need them after everything else is done. You can add additional holes with little effort as you discover new requirements or useful configurations. The dogs themselves are readily and inexpensively available in the 3/4" diameter from a number of sources and in a variey of special variations. It is also very easy to make your own from dowel stock and avoid almost all expense. Wooden dogs have little chance of damaging any of your chisel or plane cutting edges if your normally steady hands slip while working. Being round, they also offer the ability to clamp irregularly shaped objects such as circular or oval shaped items between them whithout having a square corner mar your work.

Overall, the ease of use, installation, and the versatility make them superior in my opinion.

[Eric Sanford]

yeah, what Dave said ;)

Eric