Thread: Blacksmith made holdfasts

Ian,

Are you looking for holdfasts in general or hand made holdfasts?

I picked up a couple of inexpensive ones from mcjing last year. They've held up well under the work I've put them through.

Regards,

Denim

thanks Denim , I saw the Mcjing ones at the melbourne WW show but was dissuaded by somebody who said they were a bit brittle. Good to know that yours are standing up. I had the chance to use a friends old hand made ones and was amazed at how quick i could set and reset them compared with the screw-down 'Record' one I currently us, So that was why I was after a smithy to make me a pair. As I've got a few projects on this year I'm looking to get faster and more efficient with my work......hopefully!

Ian,

I thrashed around for a few months then went direct to Gramercy in New York. Had two pairs here in a few days. Brilliant tool - well worth the USD29.95 a pair.

BR,

Fraser

Originally Posted by Ian Wells

Has anyone managed to source traditional bench holdfasts in Australia?
I've contacted a few blacksmiths in the Melbourne area to try to get them manufactured, but have been met with a wall of indifference and disinterest.
Not sure if its me or my cologne? Any ideas fellow forumites?
cheers Ian

Here is other Post with some info Ian

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f213/m...e-them-118749/

At a DIY level, I made my first hold downs from bright round bar which I heated and bent round two other pieces of round bar held vertically in the vice. Mild steel is fine for hold downs; they don't need to be made from spring steel.

On a professional level, any spring or wire works (yes, round steel of this diameter is still called wire) could knock out hold downs quickly and cheaply. I've had dozens of springs wound for race cars and 'bikes and they're not expensive if you go to the source.

I have a couple of the Gramercy hold downs and they work very well, however, if I were making, or having some made, then I would prefer a smaller radius bend at the top of the shank which would make them easier to bash into the bench and loosen again.

If you find some, I'd be interested in taking part in a group buy...

I don't drive any more, but if someone else would like to take the helm, I'd be up for a few more hold downs myself! I could pass on the details of a few spring and wire works around Melbourne if anyone's game.

That sounds a better idea than sending money to the us. Where do I get spring steel wire?

Given this video ... perhaps car or truck coil springs could be worked into holdfasts?

We all have a forge and power-hammer, right?

Paul McGee


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJkuh8vbC9o]KA75 Striking Hammer - Knife from coil spring - YouTube[/ame]

As I mentioned above, it's not necessary to use spring steel; ordinary 19mm or 3/4" mild steel round bar would be perfectly suitable, however, I chose to make mine from bright round bar which is the same mild steel, but cold worked to get rid of the blue-black scale and make the bar dimensionally uniform and round.

If approaching a spring works or wire works, I would still request the hold downs be made of mild steel.

If you really want to play around with spring steel on a DIY level, you can find all sorts of diameters of straight spring steel in your local wreckers yard under the fronts of virtually every car built since the seventies – anti-roll bars or 'sway' bars as the Septics call them.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

I don't drive any more, but if someone else would like to take the helm, I'd be up for a few more hold downs myself! I could pass on the details of a few spring and wire works around Melbourne if anyone's game.

WW, if you'd like to pm some of your contacts for the spring works and a few ideas on dimensions, curves etc , I'd be happy to make some enquiries and work out a way to get an order together?
Cheers
Ian

Originally Posted by Ian Wells

WW, if you'd like to pm some of your contacts for the spring works and a few ideas on dimensions, curves etc , I'd be happy to make some enquiries and work out a way to get an order together?
Cheers
Ian

PM sent.

Originally Posted by Ian Wells

WW, if you'd like to pm some of your contacts for the spring works and a few ideas on dimensions, curves etc , I'd be happy to make some enquiries and work out a way to get an order together?
Cheers
Ian

I've done a drawing of one of my hold downs, but as I can't attach PDFs to PMs, I'm posting it here. I have PMed you with several contacts who could produce these items.

Originally Posted by Loco1960

Ian,

I thrashed around for a few months then went direct to Gramercy in New York. Had two pairs here in a few days. Brilliant tool - well worth the USD29.95 a pair.

BR,

Fraser

US$29 a pair is great. The $80 US shipping however...