Does anyone have a good method for making round bench dogs? I recently finished building a Roubo workbench from plans in Chris Schwartz’s book Workbenches: from Design & Theory to Construction & Use. I didn’t think much about the dogs as I was building the bench and didn’t plan for rectangular dogs as I was building and gluing up the top. So, I think rectangular dogs are basically going to be out of the quesiton.
I have my eye on the brass bench dogs from Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen. My workbench top is 4 inches thick. I noticed that Lee Valley’s dogs are 4 3/8 inches whereas Lie Nielsen’s are 7 inches. But, I was also thinking about making my own. My only concern is that a wood dowel due to swelling and shrinkage won’t simply friction fit well into a 3/4 inch hole.
I would appreciate any methods anyone has for making these dogs. I’ve noticed there’s been numerous posts about bench dogs – but that they are mostly geared toward the virtues between round and rectangular.
Thanks,
Joel
Replies
Wire in the side; peen over the brass or epoxy
I have been holding back but it looks like the round doggers are silent.
Let sleeping (round) dogs lie I say.
Well if you have read some of the endless table pounding about round or square (actually rectangular obviously ) you know that I am a square dog man.
Soooo . . . if it were MY bench I would rip out the round dog section, mill a strip of wood with square dog dadoes, AT THE ADVANTAGEOUS ANGLE TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE BENCH which the round doggers seem to always ignore and glue the bench back together.
Problem solved and a better bench. Then make wooden dogs from super strong wood such as purple heart or bubinga. Mill the side and screw a section of bowed hack saw blade to the side.
Buuuut I am thinking you won't be liking that. Alternatively you can buy solid brass (or steel ) round stock from a metal supply locally or on line. Let me know if you want brass and cannot find it. I will post a supplier.
Brace yourself. Brass bar is astonishingly expensive. Steel they practically pay you to put it in your car and take it home. Seriously cheep. If it isn't go some place else because "they saw you coming".
Now . . . how to keep it from dropping through and falling on the floor ?
If you look at the Veritas, if I remember right, they have drilled the side or cut a slot, I can't remember which, and inserted a bowed or wavy spring steel wire all along the side to keep tension between the round dog and the side of the dog hole. I say the side of the dog because they have milled an angled flat face in the front of the dog. A silly little short area at the top.
This is one of those things that perplex me. It is a short face. Often when gripping tall items on the bench one wants a couple of inches of dog up out of the hole against the stock. The wooden rectangular dog one can use the whole face. The short flat face on the round dog limits the whole situation.
The angled face is kind of a questionable after thought with a non angled round dog. Seems like the whole round non angle dog thing with an angled face on the upper most half or three quarter inch of the dog is just a delusional solution and the whole deal an easy to make but ultimately impractical solution marketed toward those who want to make a bench quick.
I must say "In my opinion".
There . . . got that out of the way . . . now back to the table pounding and preaching . . . sorry I feel very strongly about this . . .
The best long term and most practical solution lies with the rectangular dog.
Take the extra time and create those.
Just get a square drill bit ;-)
Or, drill most of the waste and clean out the corners with a chisel, like making mortises.
For round dogs, dowel with a bit of spring wire on the side, as Roc suggested, is another aproach.
use a square piece of wood on top of the circular part
I'm in the process of building my own workbench and my plan is to use circular dogs that have square heads, getting the best of both worlds... If someone can see a problem with this approach PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! :)
The square heads allow the piece or a clamp not to slip and the round pegs allow them to swivel to any angle... this design also means that the dogs don't slip through like they can do if they are uniformally shaped.
Round bench dogs
I used round bench dogs with a square top. I haven't tried square ones but the round ones with the square top will rotate to align with your work. I used 3/4 in. oak dowels and drilled 3/4 in. holes in oak squares to make the tops. I drilled and tapped the oak dowels through the sides and screwed in ball plungers to keep the bench dogs at what ever height I want. They are almost always are all the way down. I don't remember whether I used 10-32 or 1/4-20 ball plungers. Probably 1/4-20. You might try ENCO part #319-7256 or any other brand. They don't cost much. Wood bench dogs won't damage your plane blade.
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