I’m about to build my ultimate bench; the one I will keep the rest of my woodworking life. I’d like to get some opinions about bench dog shape. Round or rectagular? I’ve been over and over the pros and cons of each… Which do you prefer? Why?
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This is the observations of a crotchety, overly critical person who may be criticized for reading too much and not spending enough time in the shop but IMO:
Frank Klausz built two of the finest ( most useful ) cabinet maker's benches I have ever seen and I been looking at benches out of the corner of my eye for more than twenty years. He said he could not improve on the basics design. That it was a thousand years old and this is what you need if you are going to make cabinets.
His protégée (SP) Andy Rae built a similar almost identical bench. It seems he would one up the "Old Master" if he thought it worth doing. Yes ? Check out Mr. Rae's tool cabinet by the way:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/Gallery/GalleryImage.aspx?id=28031
The Tool Box Book by Jim Toplin has way better photo's of the masterful joinery and details that went into this tool cabinet. We are talking Finest in the world craftsmanship just for his tool box ! His calling card; just like the old master with their chests with tool tills that showed off their best work. No round dogs in his work bench mind you.
All three of these benches use rectangular dogs. I could stop there and say "Enough Said !"
If you have studied these two men and what they can do you would think if round pegs were worth having they would have them at least along side the rectangular.
A rectangular can be angled and help to hold down and to resist being pushed past perpendicular. A round, assuming the advantage is that it can turn to accommodate odd shapes, can not have this angled advantage.
I built a work bench nearly identical to Frank Klausz's original work bench
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignPDF.aspx?id=2129
I used purple heart for strength and hardness. I use purple heart dogs with hacksaw blade (teeth ground off) side springs. I suppose I can always drill round holes in it where and when I need them but so far for regular chest of drawers and rectangular table type woodworking I am ecstatic with my work bench. I love it, I love it, I love it !
Mr Klausz uses metal dogs. I am trying very hard wood dogs to find out if they are strong enough. He does more wood working than five of me will ever do so he would probably always be replacing wood dogs. So far I like my wood dogs and I have been cross grain scrub planing ten quarter bubinga including all the other hand planing that goes along with a totally hand planed surface. I have not worn out or broken a wood dog.
When Mr Klausz made his second bench some decades latter he didn't add round dogs
http://www.woodcentral.com/chats/chat_klausz40223.shtml
http://www.workbenchdesign.net/frankbench.html
But then you may have specific needs for round dogs that we, so far, do not.
Edited 11/6/2008 5:38 pm by roc
roc... Yes, I'm very familiar with Frank K's bench. Being somewhat of a traditionalist, I'm leaning toward rectangular dogs, but I'd like to be able to use holdfasts as well. I just need to make a decision before gluing up my top... it's a lot easier to plow out slots for the rectangular holes before glue-up than chopping them out afterward.I was thinking... why can't I have both? Maybe alternate them... square, round, square, etc. Or maybe two parallel rows; round and square.Has anyone tried this? Can anyone identify a downside with this idea? Is this the best of both worlds or just a case of trying to do everything poorly and nothing well?
Edited 10/10/2008 2:14 pm ET by rdasilva
"Being somewhat of a traditionalist, I'm leaning toward rectangular dogs, but I'd like to be able to use holdfasts as well."
My guess is that if our forefathers had had access to the Veritas Bench Dogs, Bench Puppies, and related benchtop gear, they would've used round holes as well! ;-) More versitile IMHO, and I've used both.
BTW, if you do decide to go square, the benches I first used had the holes "countersunk" larger at the top, so the hand-forged, spring-loaded iron dogs could be lowered if needed, or fully recessed when not in use. Nice touch, and certainly easier to do while building the bench rather than as an afterthought. (Not an issue with the round dogs. I frequently lower these to about 1/4" proud of the top for planing thin stock -- impossible to do with square dogs unless you include the countersinks.)
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Here you go . . . I got two thoughts, maybe three, then I will shut up. A rare promise from me !1) figure out, if you haven't already, which of the world's best wood workers that you admire the most/ who do work that you want to emulate and build a bench OR BENCHES based on what they use.2) In the excellent book The Workbench Book by Scott Landis (I really like Lon Schleining's book that came later as well) there is this thought:If a novice asked "Should I build the workbench of my dreams" his answer would be "it will take much longer than you expect, and by the time it is built, you may have different dreams".I cannot comment further on the round hole and hold fast thing since I am not currently using them. I agree: must cut rectangular while lamming up top. Can always drill round where you like later as you need. I am pretty darn sure I would not like a bench with round only.
There is, in my opinion, an even better book on designing workbenches by Christopher Schwarz. The two Taunton books you list are great for inspiration and ideas, but Chris' book analyzes every aspect of a bench - it's strengths and weaknesses. Highly recommended. The "Understanding Wood" of workbenches.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I respect Mr. Schwarz a great deal especially his info on Coarse, Medium and Fine. I have had the pleasure of a few e-mails from him. Very prompt and helpful gentleman! However after seeing his work bench while building my Klausz (for lack of better name) I was not swayed to change tack.I am so fried from all the time I spent investigating the info that was available at the time on benches I won't be looking at benches again soon but will look up this book someday. Thanks.I strongly believe as the saying goes a guy needs at least two of very thing. A bench is no exception. I bring this up again because I just realized that I had not mentioned hight. I spent a great deal of experimentation with various hights while working wood for actual projects over many, many, many hours of planing. I arrived at a very low top for best horse power application. To relieve my back for chiseling/chopping I sit on a low stool or kneel for a few minutes. The kneeling Mr Klausz demonstrates in his videos.There is always the mini bench some have made to sit on top of the main bench for detail routing etc. I have not made one yet but I can see one in my future.Horse power: When you got less than a whole horse it is hard to plow a field. Doesn't stop me from trying 'cause he is all I got. So my Klausz is low so I can get my legs into it. Works great for me.But. I have several benches. I have one that folds up and is rather high. It works great for layout, sawing up sheet stock using a circular saw and straight edge, cutting cloth and leather, etc. I got a medium hight welding table I can always throw a sheet of masonite on.I got my automobile/bicycle/machinery rebuild bench. I welded plate to both ends of a piece of fat steam pipe, put a machinist vice on top and bolted it to the concrete floor so I can walk all the way around it for shaping metal, filing, sawing etc. I got two matching work mates that some times are the way to go.I say have several benches. Edited 10/12/2008 3:40 am by roc
Edited 10/12/2008 3:43 pm by roc
I have two benches, my primary bench is also my tool chest and is used for most of my work. It's 35.5" high (I am 5' 11" tall) and has a typical end vise (twin screw) and pattern makers vise configuration. Also, because I'm left handed my vises are installed on opposite ends of the bench from what most people have. I have round dogs... never once have I thought "gee I wish I had put square dogs in this bench" and if I had put square dogs in I doubt I would ever say "gee I wish I had put round dogs in". In the design phase you can get sucked into paralysis analysis from considering every "what if" possibility but in the end it just doesn't matter.I concur with Roc that a second bench is necessary. I have a 20" tall low bench that has an end vise and a few dogs (usually drilled in wherever I needed them). I originally thought I would use this for assembly, but it's also quite handy for bench work. I really prefer it for any kind of handsawing.
>Pattern makers viseWow that would be nice to have ! Someday I would like to have one of those.>round dogs work well
Good to know. At some point maybe I will need a carver's style setup and then they would come in handy.If you will answer two questions please:
1. Do you plane drawer sides approximately 3/8 (~10mm) thick often?
2. How thick is the actual wood the round dogs are fitted to?
sorry I missed your questions earlier. Yes, I handplane stock frequently on my bench and the top is roughly 3" thick so the dogs are pretty secure.
>Three inch thick
Thanks
I asked not so much wheather you hand planed but if you planed thin stuff. I was wondering how you do it with the bench dogs/pups on thin stuff. I think I am confusing you with some one else that was using the dogs/pups.
Edited 10/20/2008 10:14 pm by roc
I have a couple of dowels that I cut a notch in for use as makeshift dogs when planing thin stock. The brass dogs can run pretty low but with the wood ones I don't have to worry about nicking my plane.
Here is mine, I just finished it a week ago and I am enjoying the heck out of it.
View Image
Now, I chose round holes, for one, easier to make, second no square hold fast, third, if I am in a bind and I need a hole in another place of the bench I can make it with no hassle, not so with a square dog. Frankly, IMO a bench should eb able to hold any size and shape piece with no problem, a single row of dog holes after a tail vise does not do it for me.
Here are some more pics of the bench holding different things.
View Image
View Image
View Image
View Image
Edited 10/20/2008 3:15 pm ET by jg0258
That is one beautiful bench !Looks like it does not rain much where you are.
I live in the central part of Mexico, it only rains a couple of months a years, so all I do is cover all the tools with tarps. So far no rust, thank God. Thanks for the compliment, I am new at this and the bench does have some mistakes, but overall I am happy with it given it is the first real thing I make.
Very nice bench, but I've a question. Look's like you're left-handed (so the face vise is placed on the right side of the bench), but I'd expect that the tail vise would be on the same side. What led you to place the tail vise on the opposite side (or is there also a face vise on that side as well)?
I am right handed, I chose this configuration because I thought the shoulder vise would get on the way when planing wood from the tail vise. This way I have all the table for the use of the tail vise and I can plane into the shoulder vise as oppose to away from it and having to bump into the handle all the time.
Hmm - An interesting point. Perhaps the convention is based more on bracing the bench against the wall than use of the vises.
You make a good point, since I have no wall I have light coming in from 3 sides, if I only had a window I would probably have put them in the same side on the right hand side like it was in the woodsmith magazine.
Nice bench. That approach to installing a deadman is a new one to me. Very simple and functional. Your hole pattern is interesting as well - aligned diagonally rather than vertically/horizontally. Is that just to be different or is there a bonafide reason to that?Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I thouught about the sliding deadman we mostly see in all the benches, but to be honest it was beyond my capabilities to make and I had already glued the apron, so I saw this approach in a magazine and thought it was a good approach.The holes look diagonal from the side but are in rows 6 incehs apart from the vise, they are just staggered so I did not run into a situation where I needed a closer hole and did not have one..
Here is a good reason for the diagonal holes, an easy way to glue miter joints, even those that are compound, since there is am 8º tilt to the sides
miterView Image
Edited 10/23/2008 12:58 pm ET by jg0258
Clever set-up!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I see you are another LV Wonder Dog user. I love mine. In fact, since one end of my bench is in a corner and the other butts against my RAS table, I can't use a tail vice -- a Wonder Dog is often a good substitute.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
I am a LV fan overall... :) Their products have a good balance between price and function. I use their bevel up planes and I find them amazing, I tried to learn hand planing with a regular stanley plane and it was an exercise in frustration.
>LV fan overall... :) Their products have a good balance between price and function. I use their bevel up planes and I find them amazingYes I could trade in all my planes but the Veritas BUs and be happy.Hey how do you get around the thickness of the wonder dogs. I just looked in the catalog. 5/8 above the bench. Allot ov my work is thinner than half inch so I look at these and get interested then realize again that I can't sink them into the bench top to clear my work.
Most of the top in my bench is only 1 3/4" thick, so the dog can go through all the way down, in those places where the top is thicker I made sure the hole was deep enough so that the top of the dog is only 1/4" above the top. Have you tried the pups? They are much shorter than the dogs.
jgo258,I was referring to the wonder part with the rectangle of brass and the screw and twist handle. I see how if one were using these they would use plywood to space up thinner work.
The easiest thing to do is stick a piece of 1/4" ply under your work to make your 1/2" work essenstially 3/4" thick.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
AAAAHHHHH SOOO thanks !
Chris at flairwoodworks,A quick note to say I took your advice and bought Christopher Schwartz's book Workbenches. I got a good price on a hardbound and pounced !I have not read any of it yet ( I just pulled it out of the mailing packet moments ago ) but looking through it the photos tell me this is going to be one totally great book ! Lots of new stuff. Just when I think I have read it all before.Thank you.Glad you recommended it. That gave me the push I needed to explore benches even further.roc
Roc,When you get a chance to read through the book, you'll realize just how much usefull information there is on every aspect of bench building. Being familiar with the book, I wouldn't hesitate to pay double the list price to have it in my library. But if you got a good deal, all the better!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com(soon to be http://www.flairwoodworks.com)
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Have to weigh in because I also built a bench based on Klausz's. It's been a joy to work on for many years, and I've always wondered, "Why the fuss over dogs?" I use square, and I haven't any need for round. If you use round and you're happy, great! The only thing I've never figured out is, why use metal dogs of any shape?
>Metal dogsI like my purple heart wood dogs. I am guessing though that the cool guys that work at the bench all day would probably go through wooden ones and so steel or brass would be less maintenance.I have a question for you. Have you noticed how long some of the handles are on the Klausz benches? I experimented and found I only needed a handle quite a bit shorter than the ones in the magazines. I can get plenty of leverage if I had to pull apart a joint and clamping my big old planks and scrub planing across the grain does not take much handle pressure to hold my planks.Wound up going over the top with my handle in that I made it from ebony and put big solid brass balls on the ends. I threaded the ebony on my metal lathe to match the pre-threaded stick control handle knobs. I can't decide whether I prefer the polished brass or the ones I patinad brownish gray green to tone them down. I have both. I like both. I was fortunate with the patina (ammonia fumes) I got a nice bright dot on one of them that is nice blue turquoise in color. Very organic looking.A happy accident !
>handle length
I agree that some of the vise handles are much longer than they need be. Mine are shorter and provide plenty of leverage. The one change I intend to make one of these days is the addition of a large O-ring at each end to stop the loud clunk I get every time I let go from tdc.
>O-ringsYah. The local HW store is chronically out of the ones I need. I first made some out of flat neoprene then I bought some that are a bit big that I am using now. A must with the heavy brass balls. I had a box of fifty correct size ones picked out through the mail order until I heard the shipping price. The box was like five dollars . . . the shipping . . . are you ready ? They wanted like ten dollars shipping. Big out fit MSC and small order. ( I forgot to put them on a larger order) so I been waiting to sneak them into another larger order. Shipping costs have gone through the roof !I wanted to order less than a hundred dollars worth of X-mas gifts the other day and they wanted forty dollars shipping for standard ground. I kept looking at it in disbelief. It must mean 2nd day air but after reentering it I gave up. Hell for forty dollars I will ride my bicycle to the next city and pick them up myself. Not really but you know what I mean.
Edited 10/23/2008 1:07 am by roc
Sorry to say, but you haven't seen shipping problems until you've lived in Alaska for 20+ years!
and roc,
Try your local auto parts store. Most of them carry O-Rings of many differrent sizes to build/repair hydraulic hoses.
I took my handles to one and they fitted them exactly so they don't slide up and down the handles. Total cost for 12 was 56¢ - no shipping!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Hi Folks,
To me dogs can and often do make a mess in my woodshop. Chewie the collie likes to pander about in the shavings and sawdust. Also, FuzzBall the cat leaves little gifts in rather strange places and paws around the floor trying to cover up all traces of his presence.
In search of the dogless bench,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,If you wanted a Douglas bench you shoulda just asked him for one.As to pussycat mess: one must be philosophical as a cat's will cannot be altered in the long run. Unlike that of a dawg, which may be told to perform the most ridiculous antics, much to the amusement and disdain of the cat.I imagine that a small pooch or four might be trained to hold a workpiece steady in their maws whilst one spoiled it with the gouge. But then you will have to clean off the toof marks, slaver and old bits of dawg-food. Then there is the vet-bill (not to mention the guilt) after the gouge slips....So I get the nice round aluminium ones.Lataxe, the only animal in his shed.
Edited 10/25/2008 7:19 am ET by Lataxe
Lataxe,
A Douglas bench!? I've not heard of same. Do tell me more about this bench.
Yam hopin he didn't copy my design, influenced by your marvelous fixture that works with your York dog. It could be my salvation for my pension and afford me many days lounging in the warm sun of Tahiti.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
why use metal dogs of any shape?
Why not? I find using them no different than the ones I've made out of wood. The risk of hitting one with a plane is fairly small if you're paying attention.
Buster
I suppose it's just a matter of preference, but I make it a habit to have as little metal on the bench as possible. It seems like a small thing to fuss about; however, I have clipped the top on my wood dogs from time to time, and they saved me the trouble of having to regrind an iron. I find that wood does the job just fine and I've never dulled an edge on one.
While you are laminating the top, it's straightforward and efficient to put in holes for square dogs with a shoulder to keep them from going all the way through. If you are adding holes to an existing top, it's a heck of a lot easier to drill them. And if you want to use holdfasts, you need round holes for them.
Alan, these are the arguments for round dogs that have me torn. I guess the only real reason I lean toward rectangular is the traditional look.But I don't see myself as a woodworking poseur; I want something that works and is flexible. I've lived up until now with a beat-up fir bench that I've drilled as I've needed holes for dogs. I've even nailed down stays and blocks to the top as needs dictated.See my response to 'roc'... what do you think of using BOTH? Is this overkill? Schizophrenia?
There's a fairly easy "right" answer to your question. I enclose "right" in quotes because it's really a preference, but:
You can have a bench will all round holes, you can have a bench with both round holes and square holes, but it doesn't make sense to have a bench with only square holes.
The short reason is that a bench without the means to use holdfasts is severely limiting, and those tools require round holes (at least to my knowledge - I've never seen a holdfast with a square shank).
You can buy (or make) round dogs with a square face that will hold a plank between the end vise and bench dog, and there's not much opportunity for the dog to pivot, since the other end is being pinched by another flat surface on the dog in the vise. Moreover, I wouldn't suggest making a bench without a planing stop of some sort - that's where you'll likely do most of your planing, and these generally are a square-sectioned post driven up and down on one end of the bench with a mallet.
The only real advantage I can see to a row of square dog holes as the front row is that they're easy to make with a router or a dado set in a table saw when the bench is being made, and correctly designed, there's not much danger of the dogs being too loose (or too tight) in the hole the way a round dog in a round hole can get. However, solving a loose round dog is usually pretty easy - just apply a bit of sandpaper along one edge, and the problem's solved for as long as the dog lasts.
You can buy (or make) round dogs with a square face that will hold a plank between the end vise and bench dog, and there's not much opportunity for the dog to pivot, since the other end is being pinched by another flat surface on the dog in the vise.
This is an overgeneralization. It all depends. If you are working on a panel of such a size that the available dog spaces are placed at less than ideal spots, and you are doing an operation that would tend to rotate the panel, the round dogs will pivot.
"This is an overgeneralization. It all depends. If you are working on a panel of such a size that the available dog spaces are placed at less than ideal spots, and you are doing an operation that would tend to rotate the panel, the round dogs will pivot."
Well no, that's why I qualified that statement with "boards pinched between an end vise and the bench dog". With two points of contact like that, there's not much opportunity for the board to pivot. You can dislodge such a board by planing across it horizontally, of course, but the same thing will happen with square dogs (and has - my bench has both round and square. I can see no practical advantage either way once the bench is constructed).
Look, I'm not just speculating. I'm relating something that has happened on my own bench top on more than one occassion. But in the end, I don't really care that much.
Well, OK - but I really don't get how a round dog can pivot if the board is pinched between an end vise (with a dog) and a dog on the bench. Does make sense if you're using the dog as a planing stop - in that sense I could see how it would be preferable to have a square dog.
the round dogs will pivot."
Not knocking anything. I like Round dogs! Reason.. They will turn (hopefully) to fit the angle if any to fit the stick's surface presented to it! Within reason whatever that is!
Okay... I've made up my mind. I'm going with round dogs. The pivot factor is what sold me. Thanks to everyone for their feedback... whether you be square or round ;-).Oh, and a side gloat... I just picked up a very clean Emmert K1-U4 vice to hang on it. I'm a happy boy today!
Just to add to the confusion, I prefer square dogs with round tails. ;-)
You don't need many holdfast holes, and if you decide you want more, they are easy to add after the fact. A row of square dog holes in line with whatever you are using for a tail vise, and a few strategically placed round ones for the holdfasts sound perfectly reasonable to me. But I'm not the one you need to convince.
R,
We've just done this one:
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=43639.1
Lataxe
Thanks Lataxe... believe me, I searched first for a thread on this subject. I figured it was probably covered ad infinitum. But the search feature here on Knots is sorely lacking... all I could find is post after post about Bench Dog (the company).I've been a FW subscriber going on 18 years now, but I'm just now starting to ramp up my woodworking activity again (I just finished building my new "shop in the woods"). So I've started prowling all the message boards on the web to "reconnect". Knots looks like it has representation from a good cross-section of the woodworking community.I'll spend a bit more time digging and reading through old posts next time. I remember hanging out on the usenet alt.woodworking forum years ago and having newbies post the same old questions...How do you do scary sharp?
What's the best table saw?
Can you use PVC for duct collection?
Single or three phase?
Pins or tails first?
and on, and on, over and over."Search the archives!... Read the FAQ!", we'd all scream.It's good to be back. Usenet is now a wasteland of spam; here's hoping Knots will become my new favorite hangout.
Close your eyes. Imagine your bench. Does it have Round or square holes? Do that.
Don't get paralized by the small details. In the end the bench is just another tool, and square or round dog holes make very little difference in practice.
The only issue that really matters is what kind of work you turn out on the bench. It matters not whether the dogs holding it in place, whilst you work, are round, square, octagonal, or even dodecahedron in shape. You should decide on the shape of the dogs based on which ones you produce quicker, and which holes, round or square, are easier for you to quickly add to the bench. The rest is all wasteful rhetoric.
The sooner the bench is built, the sooner you can get to woodworking.........right????
Jeff
flip a coin.
rdasilva,
I see you have decided. I might as well leave my latest observation for you any way perhaps you want to work with holdfasts.
In the latest video about bridal joints by Andy Rae on the home page here at FWW.com you can see his bench in the Frank Klausz style. I note that he has drilled some round holes in the bench. These appear to be for holdfasts since they are only in a couple of places and not spaced down the bench as his rectangular dog holes are.
It is a wonderful thing to have a stout work bench suited to the way you need to work instead of a piece of junk that one has to make due with. You are really going to like your new bench ! Hang in there it can take a lot of time to make it. Let us know how it is going/post pics of major mile stones.
Much has been said... here is a little bit more...
Both round and square have their advantages. If you are building a bench from scratch, square are easy to design in; if you are retrofitting an existing bench, round are easier to do. Since we don't always anticipate where we will need dogs, even a well designed existing bench may need to be retrofitted at a future time.
I prefer wood dogs to brass- if your plane or chisel strikes them, no harm is done.
Square dogs that are angled at 3 degrees make for a pretty strong clamping system. But this depends on always clamping in the same direction. If you rotate the stock 90 degrees (or worse, 180 degrees) this is lost.
I retrofitted a bench with round holes. I made dogs out of 3/4 inch hardwood dowels, and I flattened one face of the dowel on a BS. The face tilts about 4 degrees from top to bottom. I can twist this dog in any direction and still get a pretty solid clamp. If I brush it with my handplane, no worries. Took about 30 minutes to make a bunch of them.
Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
These threads about subjects like the intricacies of bench dogs remind me of the old SNL skit with Phil Hartman (back when SNL was actually funny) titled "the anal retentive chef".
We're not completely anal. If we were, we'd be quibbling over whether the face angle should be 3° or 5°. ;-)
Round holes square dogs. I saw some unusual ones that had a flat side on a round top. I wish I had drilled my holes on a slight angle to compensate for wear Davis I meant square TOP dogs, sorry
Edited 10/22/2008 6:05 pm ET by davisd610
I don't think there's any reason to debate square vs. round dogs. They really can coexist peacefully. The biggest difference between them may be that you can drill round holes any time easily, but square holes are really best done during construction of the bench. Here's how I did mine:
I bought ebony pen blanks at Woodcraft and used them as the dogs. This provided me with a never ending supply to hard wood, perfectly sized for my bench. In use these things can get damaged or lost, so this is something to consider.
I angled my dogs 4 degrees toward the tail vise. I took one pen blank, taped in with teflon tape (so it wouldn't stick to the glue) and used it as a caul to install each block individually (one per night). I designed the dogs to have springs on their sides so I would get a tight fit front to back (in the direction of the load).
Round holes are easy to drill with an auger after the bench is complete. You really don't need holdfasts where the dog holes are. You usually can apply clamps to the edge of the bench. I use hold fasts in the middle of my bench where no clamp can reach. But of course you could leave space between the square holes for future round holes.
Adam
Edited 10/24/2008 7:55 am ET by AdamCherubini
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