What diameter are bench dogs?

The 19 mm diameter, 38 mm long post lets you use it wherever you can drill a suitably sized hole, and is canted to keep the clamp head against the bench top under clamping force. The dog has just over 185 mm of travel.

How thick should a workbench top be for dog holes?

So yes, 3″ – 4″ is a good target. If your bench is too thin, the easiest way is to screw some 2X stock to the underside where you want to bore your holes. Just make sure you mark where you want your holes so you don’t accidentally put a screw there.

Should bench dog holes go all the way through?

The hole minimum depth is the length of the dog. Your call whether you go any deeper. As you stated, this is pro and con. You do not state the length of the dog, so not clear how much extra elbow grease is needed to go all the way through.

Why do woodworking benches have holes?

A bench dog is a removable clamp used on a woodworking workbench to hold an item fast while being worked. Bench dogs may be square or round. Round dog holes are easier to make but do not secure a dog as securely as square. Some woodworkers use round dogs which have been flattened on their rear to bear in square holes.

What are the holes for in a woodworking bench?

Dog holes are arranged in a line perpendicular to the jaws of a vise, typically in intervals of four to six inches. Some workbenches have a second row parallel to the vise jaws, to allow broad or long items to be held fast in two directions, as well as to the benchtop itself when using one or more holdfasts.

What is a dog hole woodworking?

Dog holes are used to secure what are called “bench dogs,” often made of medium-hard woods such as mahogany, cherry, and/or walnut. The wood used to create a bench dog must strong enough to hold your work, but still pliable so as not to damage the wood you’re working with.

How many dog holes should be in a workbench?

You don’t need a lot of holdfast holes to hold most work on your bench. In fact, I’ve found that somewhere between eight and 10 holes is more than enough for most work.

Can I drill 3⁄4″ holes in a bench dog?

I drilled 3⁄4 ” holes for bench dogs in my workbench that, unfortunately, aren’t spot-on perpendicular to the top. As a result, my shopmade dogs—made with 3⁄4 ” dowels—don’t sit flat [Photo above]. How can I fix this?

How to drill a hole in a bench top?

Your bench top should be easier to do using the same method. Drill a pilot hole first to ease the passage of the auger tip, drill about hanf way through every hole on one side, flip the top over and complete each hole. Drilling from both sides cuts the run out in half, and gives a good clean finish to both sides of the hole; no tear-out.

How big of a board can a dog hold?

A dog in this hole can now hold a board from 6″ to 12 1⁄2 “, overlapping the vise capacity just a little. Then bore dog holes in 6” increments from the center of the first hole until you run out of benchtop. For more related content, subscribe to our newsletter!

How big of a board can a vise Dog hold?

But a board larger than that must be secured between the vise dog and a bench dog. So, with the vise jaws closed, locate the first hole 6″ from the vise’s dog—a little less than the vise’s capacity. A dog in this hole can now hold a board from 6″ to 12 1⁄2 “, overlapping the vise capacity just a little.