Shopsmith Forums

Did anyone catch the show today on the WoodWright's Shop where Roy visits a blacksmith and they made some Hold Fasts for the work bench? It was very interesting show.

I never used one but Roy gave a demo of how tight they hold. He was able to pick the whole bench up with holdfast, that had one hammer rap to hold down a piece of wood. One hammer rap on the top locks it down and one on the back releases it.

Then they showed an old drawing of about 7 workers at benches and the different ways they used the hold fast to hold their wood. In fact in the drawing none of the benches had a vise and the hold fast was used instead.

I wonder do any of you use a holdfast?

I've had and used one for years. Very handy. My bench top is only 1.25" thick so it doesn't hold quite as well.

Ed in Tampa wrote:Did anyone catch the show today on the WoodWright's Shop where Roy visits a blacksmith and they made some Hold Fasts for the work bench? It was very interesting show.

I never used one but Roy gave a demo of how tight they hold. He was able to pick the whole bench up with holdfast, that had one hammer rap to hold down a piece of wood. One hammer rap on the top locks it down and one on the back releases it.

Then they showed an old drawing of about 7 workers at benches and the different ways they used the hold fast to hold their wood. In fact in the drawing none of the benches had a vise and the hold fast was used instead.

I wonder do any of you use a holdfast?

I watched it with some interest, but I’m not quite up to that level of activity just yet. Still, it was informative regarding how useful various versions of the holdfast can be. Informative enough to even suggest that one might be able to design a holdfast to suit particular purposes of their own.

Roy lives 5 miles down the road from me. He gives workshops in Pittsboro, good fellow.

http://www.woodwrightschool.com

I had two that were given to me that I have since given away. I had a thin bench top with drawers underneath. The drawers stopped the tang from going in as far as it should, so I had to open or remove a drawer to use it on boards thinner than 1" and I found out later that the thicker the top, the more the tang has to press against, making it more reliable / stable.

I saw the episode you watched, last year and was fascinated by the work! Got a kick out of the styles adapted by countries.

Be well,
Ben

Roy did an episode on Thomas Day that was one of my favorites. The NC Museum of History had many pieces of his work on display. Some of it has been moved to the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., but Day can still be seen at the North Carolina museum – his statue is on the steps outside.

benush26 wrote:I had two that were given to me that I have since given away. I had a thin bench top with drawers underneath. The drawers stopped the tang from going in as far as it should, so I had to open or remove a drawer to use it on boards thinner than 1" and I found out later that the thicker the top, the more the tang has to press against, making it more reliable / stable.

I saw the episode you watched, last year and was fascinated by the work! Got a kick out of the styles adapted by countries.

Be well,
Ben

Thanks Ben I hadn't thought of the drawer problem. I really don't like vises on my work bench they seem to snag me every time I walk by. I was thinking the hold fast may be a solution but I have drawers and storage under my bench top.

I have two of the Grammercy hold fasts from tools for working wood. These are excellent work holding devices. Currently I use them on my saw bench as I don't have a traditional woodworkers bench (yet, It's in progress.)

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Top will be 3 1/4" or so laminated Doug Fir 2x4

terrydowning wrote:I have two of the Grammercy hold fasts from tools for working wood. These are excellent work holding devices. Currently I use them on my saw bench as I don't have a traditional woodworkers bench (yet, It's in progress.)

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Top will be 3 1/4" or so laminated Doug Fir 2x4

Actually you do have a very nice traditional woodworkers bench. The one with a front vice and shoulder vice is more ad hype than traditional bench.

I love the way you can rip cut on your bench. I'm really starting to think about redoing my shop again for the twenty fifth time at least and this time incorporate a nice bench such as yours instead of getting all caught up in the ad hype telling what I really need.

Yes; nice bench and an interesting site to boot.