Bench Dawg Tables

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:59 am

I'm looking for pics and info from those who have built a bench dawg type table. The goods, the bads and the wish I would-a-dones. What is best for the surface, storage underneith ect and of course measurements. I will have 8' for a length, but height and width.

artfuldodger · Post by **artfuldodger** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:26 pm

No input on design as i'd like to build one also. I was wondering how thick the top would have to be to use dogs and hold down clamps. I guess you could put some holes for dogs and some for hold downs. One big question seems to be square or round dogs.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:36 pm

artfuldodger wrote:No input on design as i'd like to build one also. I was wondering how thick the top would have to be to use dogs and hold down clamps. I guess you could put some holes for dogs and some for hold downs. One big question seems to be square or round dogs.

Have yet to see square ones.

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:44 pm

[quote="JPG40504"]Have yet to see square ones.]

Lots of years back (mid 70's) I shocked our woodworking group when I went with round holes on my workbench... show how things change, almost everything is now round.

Ed

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:03 am

reible wrote:Lots of years back (mid 70's) I shocked our woodworking group when I went with round holes on my workbench... show how things change, almost everything is now round.

Ed

I must have been blind before then!

Ya gonna tell me them dawgs had square shanks then?;)

reible · Post by **reible** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:14 am

Square bench dogs are still around and I'm sure the debate rages on... and a lot of expensive benches are with square holes.

Sample from Veritas:

http://www.veritastools.com/products/Page.aspx?p=175

Another place:

http://www.dilegnosupply.com/Workbenches-Accessories/bench_dogs.htm

The rest you can look up if you are interested.

Ed

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:22 am

reible wrote:Square bench dogs are still around and I'm sure the debate rages on... and a lot of expensive benches are with square holes.

Sample from Veritas:

http://www.veritastools.com/products/Page.aspx?p=175

Another place:

http://www.dilegnosupply.com/Workbenches-Accessories/bench_dogs.htm

The rest you can look up if you are interested.

Ed

Guess I wasn't paying attention(or my memory. . . . )!;)

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:50 am

So - what size be de holes I think 3/4", but I see holdfasts with 7/8" shanks.

reible · Post by **reible** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:08 am

If someone is going square you might want to read here:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 41645&ap=1

And get the instructions:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/html/05g0201ie.pdf

The round stuff is here:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 41645&ap=1

Which ever way you go check the instructions for the hardware before you go to far on the project. Like any other project the hardware dictates a lot of the finer points of the design.

If you are looking for hole patterns check out some of the benches you find on-line, can't hurt to do the research with google.

Ed

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:06 am

reible wrote:Lots of years back (mid 70's) I shocked our woodworking group when I went with round holes on my workbench... show how things change, almost everything is now round.Ed

I put round ones in my bench also in the 1970's. Mostly because of economy... I think the holes are 7/8" and the dogs are a bunch of oak 3/4" dowels. I drilled them clear through and put strips under the bench top to cover one half of each hole to let sawdust out and keep the doweled from falling through. Has always worked for me. Later I added some through holes too so I can use one or two "holdfasts".
[ATTACH]15723[/ATTACH]

I also later added one of these bench stops.

[ATTACH]15724[/ATTACH]

My main vise on that bench is all homemade except for the main screw. That bench has just kept getting modified over the years. The whole bench is getting kind of tired and ratty but then again so am I and we are old friends...

I once had it in a semi-commercial shop in an old sorghum mill building I owned and the floor in that building was often damp and it rotted the bottom inch of its base. That is typical of the kind of repairs I am hoping to find time for by having the shop just a few indoor steps away and always heated and ACed.
I'll try to get a couple of pics of the old bench when I move it. It is just construction lumber, some of it used. I should build a new one but I am used to this one.

I want to repair the base, put some flip down wheels on it and give all of it but the top a coat of paint.

.