I recently acquired a great workbench but it has 1” diameter holes and my old bench has 3/4” holes. Is there a simple solution to repurpose my 3/4” dogs. I was thinking a 3/4” pipe might work but I wanted to see if anyone had a better solution.
Thanks,
OldJasonG
Replies
I have the same problem. My Sjoberg bench has holes that are either one inch or 25 millimeters.
I have bought every hold-down reputed to work with one-inch holes, and none of them works as well as those springy iron hooks used in 3/4 holes. In fact, the ones I've bought are all crap and not designed by anybody who had ever seen a wrough-iron hold-down.
I do have four dogs that came with the bench, which work with the vise for large flat pieces. But a hold-down that you tighten with the tap of a mallet has eluded me for seven years. Let me know if you find one!
If you’re looking for a quality iron holdfast for 1-inch holes, here’s a suggestion:
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/workshop/workbenches/benchtop-accessories/111834-crucible-holdfast
Crucible is Chris Schwarz’s tool company, and so I think one can expect this to be exactly as good as claimed; he doesn’t go in for cheap and sloppy.
I can’t say that I’ve used them (my bench has 3/4” holes), but if I were to need a 1” holdfast, this is very likely where I’d go.
There are also blacksmiths and the like that can be found on eBay, Etsy, and similar sites, many of which probably already make what you’re looking for, or can.
On Etsy, from Black Bear Forge:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/758723459/simple-workbench-holdfast-34-or-1-hole
You can get those direct from Lost Art Press, too.
I'd rather buy a new holiest or two than redo a bunch of dog holes.
I’m absolutely with ya there. Note, I edited the comment to include an example of a blacksmith that makes both 3/4” and 1” holdfasts.
Because I’ve found holdfasts to be kinda finicky, I went with a pair that I’d used in someone else’s shop—those from L-N. Couldn’t be happier.
Oh, and thanks for mentioning the ability to get the Crucible holdfasts directly from LAP. I forgot to do that. Just happened to recall that I knew LV had ‘em, provided the link.
I would just put the 3/4 dogs out, but do it anonymously.
Oh, that's goood....
Make yourself all the 1" dogs you need. Workarounds get old fast. You're married to the new bench, those dogs should have left with your Ex.
My ex got the dog too.
You might try adding a few strategically placed new 3/4" holes and leave the 1" holes alone or plug some of the 1" holes and drill new 3/4" holes nearby. I'm probably like you and have a variety of 3/4" bench dogs, hold-downs and holdfasts that aren't available in 1" or that I wouldn't want to replace. When I built my bench, I installed a few round bench dog holes for the front vice but square bench dog holes for the end vice. Later I added a few more 3/4" round holes for holdfasts and hold-downs which solved the problem for me.
Three options:
1. Throw out the old ones, or sell them with the old bench.
2. Plug the 1" holes and re-bore 3/4" holes
3. Turn a collar for the dogs.
4. If wooden, you can cut the peg off and re-bore the dog-head for a 1" dowel.
All of these are an exercise in pain.
The first is best.
If you can find dowel that is a good fit for your one inch holes, then boring a 3/4 inch hole down the centre of it is trivial if you have a lathe, and unpleasant and difficult if you don't. The Lathe also makes it easy to turn dowel to fit, but that is a somewhat more challenging operation than drilling a short dog-collar. You can also do this in metal if you have the tools and more money and time than sense.
Dog-collar.
Appropriate, as you'll be calling out to at least one deity if you attempt to alter the existing dogs.
If you drill out a dowel to make a wooden collar to use a 3/4" bench dog in a 1" hole it will have an 1/8" thick wall in a perfect world. You'd better make a ton of them, they'll be splitting with every other use.
To quote Johnny Cochrane from the trial of somebody once famous: “Why we even having this trial?”
Just get 1 inch dogs and be done with it. Job done, worries gone, maintenance minimized.
Trying to convert 3/4” dogs to something usable in a 1” hole is not the sort of job that is going to impress your friends and neighbors. It will require significant effort, have a fair failure rate, and almost certainly demand more maintenance. Where’s the up side, exactly? Not throwing away the old dogs? Most of us routinely throw away scraps bigger than bench dogs, pretty much every day. Be done with it. Move on to something fun, interesting, and that your neighbor Tom might actually think is kinda cool.
Just drill the proper sized holes! It is just a bench and it is meant to be used.
Metal dogs are expensive. Wooden ones are just as good - better in that they're less likely to damage a tool that knocks into them; and they're very inexpensive to replace if damaged themselves.
This week a friend has been painting our house but having woodwork lessons in the evenings. One project was making a small dog-holed bench top, which he'll use in making small boxes, picture frames and plinths to go with his carved slate work.
When it came to dogs, planing stops, mini-vises and the like to use on this bench top, we found or invented wooden versions we could make from scrap and a few basic elements such as hardwood dowel, bolts and threaded metal inserts.
The dogs pictured cost just over £1 each in materials. (Metal ones are typically £12:50 each). The basic dog is 3/4" birch dowel cut to the usual metal dog pattern and made stiff i' the dog ole by use of two small bullet catches (£7 for 20, they were).
Get some 1" hardwood dowel and make your own 1" dogs, not to mention several other kinds of work grippers, stoppers and squashers.
Lataxe
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled