What workbench appliances do find useful?

[Wayne Morley]

I’m getting back into woodworking, so I took a class in hand tool joinery. One of the things that struck me was how useful fixtures like a bench hook and shooting board are. So my question is: what other workbench appliances do you all find useful? (photos are good :D)

[glenn bradley]

Vise, dogs and holddowns are about it for my bench add-ons.

[Alex Shanku]

I use my Gramercy holdfasts for just about everything I do on the bench.

[Ben Silverman]

You should read “Workbenches” by Chris Schwarz. In addition to his lucid discussion of workbench design and function, he has an extensive discussion of workbench accessories. The book makes clear how the bench and its accessories should work together to serve as the woodworker’s trusty assistant.
The book is well worth the money and will be a useful reference.
Ben

[Wayne Morley]

Vise, dogs and holddowns are about it for my bench add-ons.

When you refer to hold-downs do you mean something like the Gramercy holdfasts that Alex refers to or do you prefer something else? I was able to use holdfasts, like Gramercy version, during the woodworking class and I found them very useful. (I have a pair on order)

[Narayan Nayar]

I use dogs, a bench-width planing stop (which goes into my face vise), holdfasts, bench hooks, shooting board, and a brush.

The way I use a particular light fixture I suppose qualifies it as a bench accessory (it mounts into a dog hole).

[Graham Hughes (CA)]

Holdfasts are fantastic. I use the Gramercy ones. Bench hook, shooting board, vise, dogs are most of the rest. I should make a wide planing stop but haven't bothered yet.

[glenn bradley]

When you refer to hold-downs do you mean something like the Gramercy holdfasts that Alex refers to or do you prefer something else? I was able to use holdfasts, like Gramercy version, during the woodworking class and I found them very useful. (I have a pair on order)

I have some others but have taken to using these lately:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=90754

Kinda silly looking but I like not having to smack them in and out.

[Michael Faurot]

Something I've found really useful is the Anant holdfast. It works differently than a traditional holdfast. Instead of being wedged into a dog hole, it has its own special grometed hole that needs to be installed and then uses an Acme screw to apply pressure. I like the screw approach as it let's me easily control the amount of pressure I'm putting on something.

Highland (http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7829) has these on sale at the moment for $13.50. Normally they go for about $26.

[David Keller NC]

Wayne - I'm interpreting your question as "what kind of workbench appliances that you build yourself, rather than purchase, do you find useful?"

If that's the case, I'll offer up a few variations that are "outside the Norm" (pun intended).

1) A Sticking board - I find two kinds of these essential to hand tool work. One is a straight, 2" thick, quartersawn red oak board about 4 feet long, with a fence screwed to its edge in an "L" configuration out of 1-1/2" QSRO. Near one end are 3 screws sunk into the base board 90 degrees from the fence (these are moved up and down to provide a stop for the workpiece). I use this sticking board for almost all moldings I make with molding planes for furniture. With such an appliance, holding a board still for a molding plane is really easy, but it's difficult without it, since most molding planes are "sprung" and must be simultaneously pushed forward and into the work at about a 45 degree angle.

2) Sash sticking board - see #1 above. This board differs from the other sticking board in that it has a rabbet along the edge and a couple of grooves down the center that allow a piece of sash muntin to be held and rotated around its axis as the 4 sides are profiled with sash molding and sash fillister planes. If you don't make divided-light doors for bookcases, this appliance might not be useful to you.

3) Donkey's ear shooting board - You can dig up lots of plans and drawings for one of these on the 'net, but I find one indispensible for getting standing-miter joints to meet at 90 degree angles.

There are a few others that I'll mention in passing - a small miter box for use with my dovetail saw to cut 45 degree angles on small pieces (it's just 3 pieces of wood made into a "U" shape), a scratch-stock trough and holder for creating molded profiles along long pieces (like table legs), and a "carver's chop" that's designed for holding turnings for carved details (like for making flame finials on chippendale furniture).

There are other ones I've made and are lying around the shop (somewhere - if they didn't get turned into stove fuel), but the above are the ones I use most frequently.

[Raney Nelson]

Holdfasts - I think the Gramercy are the ones to get unless you've got some money to burn.
Shooting board, bench hook (I like a pair), planing stop, etc as other have said. If you do any work on moldings, then a sticking board is pretty indispensible. The other thing I really use a lot, though they don't seem to be all that popular these days, is a miter jack.
There is a good reprint on making one at http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/wwmitrejack.html

[Frank Drew]

I think a board jack is a great accessory for planing longish boards.

[Wayne Morley]

You should read “Workbenches” by Chris Schwarz. .....
Ben

Ben I just got a copy of Chris Schwarz’s book and it is in part what prompted me to ask the question about Bench Accessories.

[Wayne Morley]

I have some others but have taken to using these lately:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=90754

Kinda silly looking but I like not having to smack them in and out.

This is a good idea; I assume that you line up the tee with the shaft of the F-clamp, push it through a dog hole and the tee catches the underside of the bench. Cool.

[Wayne Morley]

Wayne - I'm interpreting your question as "what kind of workbench appliances that you build yourself, rather than purchase, do you find useful?"

If that's the case, I'll offer up a few variations that are "outside the Norm" (pun intended).

1) A Sticking board - .....

2) Sash sticking board -.....

3) Donkey's ear shooting board - .....

There are a few others that I'll mention in passing - a small miter box for use with my dovetail saw to cut 45 degree angles on small pieces (it's just 3 pieces of wood made into a "U" shape), a scratch-stock trough and holder for creating molded profiles along long pieces (like table legs), and a "carver's chop" that's designed for holding turnings for carved details (like for making flame finials on chippendale furniture).



Thank you for your excellent and thoughtful answer. When I posted my question I was thinking of shop made workbench appliances, as you assumed, but useful is useful regardless so in or out of the “Norm”; it’s all good.

I haven’t graduated to molding planes yet, but when I do I will be building a sticking board. Donkey's ear hmmm I’ll have to look that one up.

[Wayne Morley]

This is one I made in order to hold thin stock for hand plaining.

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Wayne, try Alf's shooting board pages for other shop made appliances

http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/shootingboards.html

Take care, Mike

[Wayne Morley]

Wayne, try Alf's shooting board pages for other shop made appliances

http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/shootingboards.html

Take care, Mike

Thank you for the link. I bookmarked it and will look it over thoroughly. Lots of good info.

[Jim Koepke]

Bench hooks are very useful. Mine are made so they can fit in a vice and have commonly use angle guides along the rails. Mine are also made so both sides are functional. One side for cutting, flip it over and do the shooting if needed.

My favorite bought helpers are the Veritas Surface Clamps. They have gone up in price since my pair was bought.

Then there is the lighting in the dog hole set up someone mentioned. Did a similar set up for my bench.

Below is a shot of the Surface Clamp.

jim

[Mark Singer]

good directional light source is essential to read the scribe lines for joinery

[Eric Brown]

Much more reliable and faster than measuring.

Eric

[Jim Koepke]

Just remembered another. Many years ago, I made some large 60-30-90 triangles with one 90-30 leg flat to the bench and the others sides perpendicular to the bench. The flat side has dowels to fit into the dog holes and the 30-60 sides have dowels sticking out at the 30° end.

This may sound strange until you see them on the bench with my drafting board sitting on top. I also made a wooden strip to fit to the dowels at the bottom so when a pencil was set down on the board, it wouldn't roll and fall off.

jim

[Doug Shepard]

Ditto on the LV Surface clamps. They're extremely handy buggers. Bench dogs and a full width planing stop get used quite a bit. I'm also kind of surprised how much I use the little pop-up planing stops. I stuck 2 on the front edge of my bench as an afterthought and find myself doing quite a bit with them.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=90780&d=1213408668