Holdfast question

Re: Holdfast question

David Miller from Iowa

>It might work - you could always make the holes slightly smaller. Or put a board underneath the bench to make it thicker.

Re: Holdfast question

Joel

>Should work no problem. Our portable bench is 1 7/8" and they work fine and I know people have used them on thinner benches. If not send them back on our nickel.

Re: Holdfast question

Warren in Lancaster, PA

>A holdfast will work in thin material, even less than an inch thick, but the hole will wear to the point where the hold stops working. There just isn't enough bearing surface to work from. Since a hardwood benchtop is less vulnerable to crushing than softwood, you can get away with a somewhat thinner bench. If your bench is pine I would be somewhat worried.

I have used a holfast for many years on a hardwood bench that has a thickness similar to yours. The holes are worn, but still serviceable. A big factor is how hard that you pound them in. If you constantly overdo it the holes will wear faster. If you have a choice, I would choose holdfasts on the light and springy side.

Re: Holdfast question

Verne in Northeast NJ

>Thanks guys...my benchtop is a salvaged oak desktop. Sounds like they'll work without a problem.

Using mine in 1.5" spruce

Steve Kubien

>I have used mine with decent results in 1.5" constrcution grade spruce lumber, which is what my saw horses are made of. Not as firm a hold as in my 3.5" spruce bench top, but serviceable.

Steve Kubien

Ajax, Ontario

Re: Using mine in 1.5" spruce

Edward in Vancouver

>Actually I don't use holdfasts, I use a "customized" drill-press-type vicegrip-style clamp that I thread through my 3/4" holes on the benchtop

Re: Holdfast question

Bob Lang

>"Just" under will probably work. When we did the tests in "Woodworking" Magazine, we started out at 1-3/4" because that is the thickness of the most common commercial benches. We went thicker from that point, but didn't go thinner.

I collared Chris out in the shop yesterday afternoon, and we tried some thinner surfaces to see what worked. Our conclusion is that in a top thinner than 1-3/4" it's a real iffy proposition, the odds are against any holdfast working consistently and reliably. Of course, in defiance of science and logic, we were able to get some to work, some of the time, in some holes but not others, pointing one way but not the other, etc.

That being said, Joel's holdfasts are the best of the bunch unless you have one custom forged. If I had a thinner top and went with a hand forged one, I would want to have the blacksmith handy for tweaking. Gluing a block of something at the hole location would effectively give you a thicker top, wouldn't be a big deal, and would guarantee success.

Bob Lang

Re: Holdfast question

Verne in Northeast NJ

>Tbanks for trying them out in thinner surfaces Bob -

I ordered a pair yesterday (my wife says they arrived already) so I'll post back when I've had a chance to try them. My benchtop is 1 5/8" thick. It wouldn't be too hard to attach a strip of wood under the holes in my benchtop to make it thicker in those locations, should I have a hard time with setting them.

I think the holdfasts are going to be extremely handy, so I'm willing to do some tweaking to my bench if necessary.