None of the ones I see listed on Amazon seem to get decent reviews. So I was hoping my fellow BT3Central members might have a favorite bench dog and holdfast for 3/4" round dog holes... What are you folks using?
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Have you looked at the Lee Valley lineup?
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...&cat=1&p=41637
not cheap but probably well made and thought out like most LV stuff.Last edited by LCHIEN; 10-01-2009, 06:14 AM.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
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I have some of the LV's and like them, although they are pricey. Get some of the "muzzles" to avoid marring the surfaces of your workpiece.
I also have some non-metallic ones that I'm pretty sure I got from Woodcraft, although I don't see them there now. I very much like them, too. They are shaped just like the metal ones (rather than the cheap clip-type plastic ones), but are made from hard plastic, and won't bugger up the surface of the work. They also use spring-loaded ball bearings instead of the more common leaf springs found on the metal dogs. If I can find a source for these, I'll edit this post and let you know.Comment
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Another vote for Lee Valley. I have four of their brass bench dogs, which probably are not significantly more expensive than other quality brands.
I also have two of their hold-downs. The price will take your breath away but the suckers WORK. Absolute top quality, superb workholding; an investment for a lifetime.LarryComment
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I have several of these and they work great. You may need to rough up the shaft with some sandpaper to improve holding. The cast iron stuff is junk compared to these (IMHO).
Gramercy Tools HoldfastDon't ever ask a barber if you need a haircut.Comment
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Har, dee har har. You are a riot.
At least the Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers for my Harbor Freight tools are succeeding in business and sticking around. Unlike my Saturn...Last edited by dbhost; 10-01-2009, 07:52 AM.Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.Comment
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I don't mind paying that much IF it buys me something extra, that the competition doesn't do / have... That Veritas holdfast looks easy to break... That's a bunch 'o bucks for something that you hit with a hammer... Any sort of warranty on that?
As far as the Bench Dogs are concerned, is there any reason to get the longer ones? My bench top is 1.5" lamination, not sure a longer dog would do me any good...Last edited by dbhost; 10-01-2009, 07:55 AM.Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.Comment
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Um, you don't hit the Veritas hold-down with a hammer. You turn the knob on top, which levers the horizontal arm down onto your workpiece. This makes them a little slower to use than a whack-and-go holdfast; however, they are immune to the problems many holdfasts have with different bench top thicknesses and/or variations in dog hole sizes.
Holdfasts usually work best with thicker bench tops, so your 1-1/2" top may give many of them trouble.Last edited by LarryG; 10-01-2009, 08:11 AM.LarryComment
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The LV hold-downs work right. You can fasten down a board using two of them and grab hold of the board and drag the workbench around the shop. I've done it (as a test).
None of this is to suggest that conventional forged holdfasts WON'T work, but they can be fussy. OTOH the LVs work every time, with no fuss whatsoever.
As for the cost, well, yeah, there is that. Lee Valley has never been accused of selling anything cheap. But these do have five major pieces, and there's quite a lot of machining and finishing involved. They are a robust, well-thought-out design.LarryComment
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Do they ever go on sale? They do look really nice, if a bit pricey... Yeah LV / Veritas isn't known for low $ stuff... But there is a good reason I got my blast gates from them... Reputation for quality. So far I am not disappointed...Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.Comment
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The LV / Veritas wonder dog is pretty handy too. I'd like to get the LV ones, but the price has been holding me back.
I picked up a couple Jorgenson Iron holddowns from Peachtree http://www.ptreeusa.com/holdDown_clamps.htm. They work, but the finish isn't very consistant. Sometimes it doesn't move easily in my 3/4" dogholes. The 8" holddown doesn't fit 3/4" holes either.ErikComment
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Yup, that is what I use. A HF F clamp slipped up through the hole from the bottom. Easy to clamp and remove, just have to have access to the under side of the bench at that location.
Bill, on the Sunny Oregon CoastComment
LCHIEN
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