Thread: Homemade workbench - dog holes vs. T-track ... ??

Originally Posted by Ozymandiaz

... I'm planning on a leg vice and an tail vice so perhaps I'll only need the square dog holes for the tail vice with the leg vice having round holes perpendicular to the side of the benchtop.

I would only have one type of dog hole - otherwise you will need two sets of dogs.

Originally Posted by Ozymandiaz

Thanks Derek,

Now it makes sense to me. My bench top is a single piece of Himalayan pine 3000 x 500 x 35 I've added one thickness of glued MDF to the underside so the bench top is currently 53mm thick. The only reason I was heading to 125mm thickness is that's the width of some jarrah I've got that I intended to frame the benchtop with after routing a line of square dogholes along both long edges of the benchtop. BTW: what's the normal size of the square/rectangular dog holes ...?? Is two lines overkill .. ?? I'm planning on a leg vice and an tail vice so perhaps I'll only need the square dog holes for the tail vice with the leg vice having round holes perpendicular to the side of the benchtop.

This was my bench after the first re-finishing of the top - one row of rectangular dogs in line with the tail vise.:




The European Oak top is 3 1/2" thick, 22" deep and 78-79" long. The base is solid Jarrah.

These dog holes are 1" wide and 1 1/2" deep across the top. They are angled towards the vise at 2 degrees. The dog in the BC tailvise is the same size, and also angled forward by 2 degrees. There is a write up here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ngaBench2.html

The round dogs are 3/4" and positioned by need over time, based on your needs. I am happy to post pictures of how mine are used.

I built the bench in early 2012, and there is a full write up at the end of this index page: Shop Made Tools

This is a more up-to-date picture ...








Regards from Perth

Derek

It's a beautiful work bench Derek. This will be my first major build since putting down woodworking tools over 40 years ago. I want to build a bench for hand tools. Been reading a lot of Christopher Schwarz's work and boning up on Ruobo. I almost fell off my stool when I saw the price for the Benchcrafted tail vice here in Australia. Where else apart from Timbecon stocks them in your experience ... ?? Neil Paskin's design for a leg vice looks like something I'll try. Have managed to source the large scaffolding metal thread that he uses.

Have you got a link to this Niel Paskin leg vice? It'd be interesting to see.
Building a bench is a great project. Sometimes I feel like doing another just for the fun of it.
Are you drawing this up in the planning stage or building as you go sort of thing?

With dog hole size I use timber ones and they are only about 25 x 25 mm I think , maybe less 19 x 19 possibly. Id have to measure them later. The same as the old steel ones that could be bought or had blacksmith made in the 19th century. Ive got two steel originals for special use but the wood ones work and are not so long so don't get in the way of the drawers underneath. I use bandsaw blade for the spring . That pair in the picture have been going good for the last ten years easy. The holding of that Cab leg is just for the picture. It works good but I have a better clamp that I hold in my face vice for legs that is a sash clamp screwed to a piece of timber for the vice to grab and has 40 grit paper glued to its jaws for grip.
RB1a.png
I like one set of dog holes down the front of the bench. My regret with those is I didn't take them right through on the left side and evenly space then around the vice to the end. Sometimes I need to hold longer pieces but I do have other ways to do it on the work table in front of my bench. I don't think Id ever need ones going back from the vice. I have other options to hold things like that.
Here's a pic of mine not set up when I moved . Mostly Jarrah with Red gum threads .
RB1.jpg

And here it set up all fancy with a shine . RB3.jpg

I saw this a while back . For sale on Facebook . It’s an Ex Vic Railways employee bench that needed restoration . Great size and lay out of the top with a leg and tail vice.

IMG_0510a.jpg


Rob .

Hi Robert,

There's two videos on Pask Makes re the work bench with a leg vise. They're both 6 years old. The first is the complete build and the second is a revisit and a leg vise upgrade ... He strengthens it. I'm basically making the design up as I go along.

Looks like a good economical way to get a bench quickly and the re used grinding disk for the leg vice wheel is cool.

Hey Rob,

I think it would be a good idea for you to make another bench - for the fun of it.....just saying

Complete with wooden vice screws, naturally! Perhaps from a blonde wood this time.

Cheers,
Siggy

Originally Posted by Ozymandiaz

Thanks Derek,

Now it makes sense to me. My bench top is a single piece of Himalayan pine 3000 x 500 x 35 I've added one thickness of glued MDF to the underside so the bench top is currently 53mm thick. The only reason I was heading to 125mm thickness is that's the width of some jarrah I've got that I intended to frame the benchtop with after routing a line of square dogholes along both long edges of the benchtop. BTW: what's the normal size of the square/rectangular dog holes ...?? Is two lines overkill .. ?? I'm planning on a leg vice and an tail vice so perhaps I'll only need the square dog holes for the tail vice with the leg vice having round holes perpendicular to the side of the benchtop.

I wouldn't use MDF for your substrate when using it for dog holes, the dogs will rip the MDF overtime better to use solid timber.

My revamp got it's first coat of oil this morning, I have used Jarrah for the Lipping and it seems to go well with the Oak, I added my 1930's Record 52 vice and will look to install the 52 1/2 next of the same vintage, but I will face mount that one rather than set the back jaw behind the Lipping.

I have added a few pic's for reference, with you saying you are looking to add a Jarrah Lipping to your bench.

Planing Jarrah Lipping.jpg First Coat of Oil.jpg First Coat of Oil 2.jpg

Originally Posted by Camelot

... I wouldn't use MDF for your substrate when using it for dog holes, the dogs will rip the MDF overtime better to use solid timber. ...

Good point.

My assembly bench is MDF and I use Quick Grip Clamps through the dog holes as hold downs. These do not bear against the sides of the dog holes; they clamp against the bottom of the bench.

I would never us my Grammercy Hold Downs on the assembly bench as they would rip the dog holes to pieces (and probably would not hold.

Really nice looking bench top. I note you mention 1st. coat of oil. What sort are you using ... ?? When finished and flattened, I was going to use pure tung oil on my bench.

BTW: the first 33mm of my bench thickness is Himalaya Pine with the MDF underneath. Will stop at two thicknesses of MDF.

Will holdfasts work with this without too much damage, or does it entirely depend on the design of the holdfasts ... ?? I was thinking of trying my hand at making my own out of silver steel (tool grade)

Not much to show at the moment, but attached is the proposed bench-top. All of my reading on the subject leads me to believe my next major decision is how high to make the working surface. Being a short- at 5' 8.5", I think I'll end up in the region of 30" - 32" in height. I do predominantly intend to use hand tools. Getting back into woodworking and seeing all these adverts for CNC driven routing systems leaves me absolutely cold. IMG_0027.jpg

I have used tung oil, it should also leave a film over the Brass & Copper which will help it from tarnishing.

If you have already glued one layer of MDF to the underside of your top, then I would suggest sandwiching the MDF by putting another layer of timber for the bottom of your bench top, this way the dog will grip against the top & bottom timbers of your bench top and not rely on the MDF for friction.

Thanks Camelot, good suggestion with the wood. I'll see what I can dig up by way of planks to use.