How thick should holdfasts be?
One is 1 7/8″ thick, the other is 3″ thick. The holdfasts work fine in both benches. With much thinner or much thicker benches you might have an issue but in the years selling holdfasts I think we have never had a case where they could not be made to work. Maybe once.
How many holdfasts do I need?
Once refreshed by the idea of holdfasts, it’s tempting to want to over do it. But generally we’ll only need one. Two tops. In terms of priority, I’d sooner have one holdfast, than the most fancy tail vice.
What is a holdfast clamp?
A holdfast or hold fast is a form of temporary clamp used to hold a workpiece firmly to the top or side of a wooden workbench or the top of an anvil. Scrap pieces of wood or leather are often used between the holdfast and the workpiece to prevent marring it.
Where should holdfast holes be placed?
It is 4” from the back edge of the bench and about 8” from the left end of the workbench. This hole is positioned so that the tip of the holdfast reaches to the right so that it is just in front of your planing stop.
Do bench dog holes go all the way through?
All the way through. Mine are rectangular, and stepped, to prevent the dog sliding down through. Dogs have spring-loaded front tongues to allow for height-adjustment. The holes were formed by cutting dadoes in the 2″-thick front face before gluing it to the benchtop.
How deep should bench dog holes be?
So yes, 3″ – 4″ is a good target. If your bench is too thin, the easiest way is to screw some 2X stock to the underside where you want to bore your holes. Just make sure you mark where you want your holes so you don’t accidentally put a screw there.
What is Holdfasts in science?
A holdfast is a root-like structure that anchors aquatic sessile organisms, such as seaweed, other sessile algae, stalked crinoids, benthic cnidarians, and sponges, to the substrate. Holdfasts vary in shape and form depending on both the species and the substrate type.
What is a crucible Holdfast?
The Crucible holdfast. This holdfast works consistently in benches from 2″ to 8″ thick for three reasons: a tight fit between the shaft and hole, a rough surface finish and the fact that its shaft isn’t tapered. And because of these qualities, it also will clamp objects as much as 8″ off the benchtop.
How far apart should bench dog holes be?
Get your layout tools together and take time to thing about where you want your holes to be along the bench. I chose a spacing of 8 inches between holes because the holdfasts i had with the shortest reach were 4 inches so i knew that my other holdfast would reach at that distance.
What size should bench dog holes be?
3/4″
There’s no standard size for bench dogs, but I’ve found that 3/4″ or 1″ to be the most common size for round dogs. I had drilled 3/4″ openings in my workbench, so that’s the size of dowel I’ll need. The strip of metal used for the spring of the dogs can be any thin piece of steel.
Is the Gramercy holdfast a real value?
This tool performs as well as blacksmith made holdfasts, better than any other manufactured holdfast, and the price makes it a real value. We reviewed this version of the Gramercy holdfast in print in the December 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Here is what then editor Christopher Schwarz had to say:
How big are the holes in a Gramercy bench?
It works well in thick benchtops (which is always a challenge) and in holes 3⁄4″ and 11⁄16″ in diameter. Buy a pair. It will change your workholding for the better – instantly. Fast forward seven years and you will find Gramercy holdfasts on our benches here at the magazine shop and our benches at home.
Who was the editor of the Gramercy holdfast?
Here is what then editor Christopher Schwarz had to say: Holdfasts are something of an obsession of mine. They’re an almost-vanished tool that does an amazing job of quickly securing your work with just a mallet tap. Sadly, the only ones that really work these days are those made by blacksmiths.
What kind of steel is a Gramercy holdfast made of?
Dissatisfied with brittle cast holdfasts that crack when struck, Gramercy developed a way to form them from steel bar stock, with strength and resilience comparable to traditional forged versions.