Cheap Dogs

[Victor Stearns]

Good Morning Creekers,
Here in northern Indiana the weather is a sunny -1 degrees.
Anyway I was looking for an alternative to manufactured bench dogs. Seems like they run around $25-pair. Then this thought hit me on Thursday, why not use 3/4" bolts that are cut short, or short enough to sit in the dog holes in my bench? I have access to many bolts of this size as the R&D lab where I work uses them and discards them by the handful. So I cut down 4-bolts to give it a try. Here are the results. Two things that I will improve on is to use my belt sander to create a 1-degree angle on the bolt head to assist is keeping the wood tight to the bench. I also plan on taking several bolts to the mill to remove more of the bolt head such that the contact patch is wider. Currently a 3/4"-bolt have a 5/8"-flat to it. Lastly will be to mill 4-bolts that have the heads milled down to use with thin stock.
Thanks for Looking and Merry Christmas & Happy New Year's to All
Victor

[Frederick Rowe]

Victor - That's a great idea. I'm going to go dig through my jars of bolts. I know if I waited long enough I'd find a use for them!

[Jim Becker]

Even better if you can find them in brass (cheaply). The one danger with steel is that it can really do a number on your hand tools if you nick it. The reason you see metal dogs from commercial suppliers made the way they are is to provide something that is softer than the steel and iron in your tools. If you have a lathe, you could also make some from wood, turning them round and then sanding a flat on the face to hold the workpiece.

[Jim Koepke]

I would fear for my blades with the steel bolts. Even though they are below the edge of the wood, it would be on my mind. Carriage bolts might also be a good choice for the low head profile. But then again, if they ain't free, it defeats the current acquisition concept.

I have made my own dogs from 3/4 inch dowels. I have glued square heads on them and even have put a small brad in them to hook the end of a piece of wood.

Another method used is to just clamp a piece of scrap to the end of the bench so it comes above the surface, but still low enough a plane can pass over.

Also use a planing board for thin stock. This does not work too well with stock that has any bow to it. Have been thinking about a way to clamp the sides. Most likely use a cam lever and floating face on one side and a low fence on the other.

jim

[Dewey Torres]

Are you at all concerned with the threads chewing up the inside surface of your dog hols over time? May not even be an issue... just something I thought of.

[Victor Stearns]

Dewey,
As I have cut off the threaded portion of the bolt, this is not an issue.

I did consider making the dogs from dowel rods but liked the idea of being able to drop them in place with worrying about them falling through the top. I did a little hand planing today and used the bolt-dogs. They worked fine on the 3/4" stock. As I stated in the orignal post, I am also going to make bolts that will have the heads machined down so they are thinner.
Victor

[Alan DuBoff]

I have made my own dogs from 3/4 inch dowels.
I have used this with success in the past also, works just fine. The bolts will work, but heed Jim's advice, one nick and you'll be sorry.:(

[Dewey Torres]

Oh I see....These are not a bad idea... thanks for posting Vic.

[Douglas Brummett]

I am loving the 2nd picture. Looks like the mower is hooked up for dust collection :D:D:D

Nice use of off the shelf hardware too.