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+-- Thread: Adapting a table for holdfasts (/showthread.php?tid=7339336)
Adapting a table for holdfasts - wood2woodknot - 05-03-2018
My work table is a converted 8 ft. draftsman's table on black pipe legs. I have drilled a few 3/4" holes for bench dogs. Occasional use of holdfasts would be helpful. The table has a typical draftsman's top - about 1-1/2" thick. I'm not interested in totally rebuilding the table with a new top and sturdier frame, but I was wondering if I attached some 2" or 3" thick strips under the dog holes and bored them out would this make a functional workaround. The simple addition of a few holdfast points would be a great improvement. Will this work?
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - rectangle618 - 05-03-2018
My bench top is about three inches thick. Holdfasts work just fine. Before you add thickness, try a holdfast in your bench. Too thick a bench top can prevent the holdfast from holding - requiring counter boring from below.
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - Alan S - 05-03-2018
(05-03-2018, 08:18 PM)wood2woodknot Wrote: My work table is a converted 8 ft. draftsman's table on black pipe legs. I have drilled a few 3/4" holes for bench dogs. Occasional use of holdfasts would be helpful. The table has a typical draftsman's top - about 1-1/2" thick. I'm not interested in totally rebuilding the table with a new top and sturdier frame, but I was wondering if I attached some 2" or 3" thick strips under the dog holes and bored them out would this make a functional workaround. The simple addition of a few holdfast points would be a great improvement. Will this work?
Holdfasts can work in a 1 1/2" thick benchtop, and you might as well give it a shot. But it is quite standard to add some extra thickness below the holes to make a holdfast more effective. Screwing on some 2x4 stock to bring the total to 3" thick is plenty.
Mike Siemsen's bench in the linked video is made that way, and as he shows, works well.
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - Joe Bailey - 05-04-2018
(05-03-2018, 08:18 PM)wood2woodknot Wrote: My work table is a converted 8 ft. draftsman's table on black pipe legs. I have drilled a few 3/4" holes for bench dogs. Occasional use of holdfasts would be helpful. The table has a typical draftsman's top - about 1-1/2" thick. I'm not interested in totally rebuilding the table with a new top and sturdier frame, but I was wondering if I attached some 2" or 3" thick strips under the dog holes and bored them out would this make a functional workaround. The simple addition of a few holdfast points would be a great improvement. Will this work?
One of my workbenches has a 1½" thick, maple top.
Never had an issue using ¾" holdfasts.
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - Jim Waldron - 05-04-2018
(05-04-2018, 12:27 PM)Joe Bailey Wrote: One of my workbenches has a 1½" thick, maple top.
Never had an issue using ¾" holdfasts.
Mine too.
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - wood2woodknot - 05-04-2018
Thanks for all your replies. I tried just one holdfast that didn't work well. Maybe I'll have to try a few different ones and play with them for a while. Will hold off on adding extra depth for the time being.
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - Alan S - 05-08-2018
(05-04-2018, 09:49 PM)wood2woodknot Wrote: I tried just one holdfast that didn't work well.
Assuming it was the TFWW holdfast (a good choice) did you rough it up a little with coarse sandpaper going around (not along) the shaft?
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - wood2woodknot - 05-08-2018
(05-08-2018, 08:15 PM)Alan S Wrote: Assuming it was the TFWW holdfast (a good choice) did you rough it up a little with coarse sandpaper going around (not along) the shaft?
If I remember right it was from Woodcraft (the shorter of the two they offer) and no, I did not rough it up with sandpaper. I was not aware of that "fix" at the time. I have not really played with it since.
RE: Adapting a table for holdfasts - rwe2156 - 05-09-2018
There's a difference between a work table and a work bench.
You can use the latter as the former, but you can't make a work table into a work bench.
You can either build a ww'ing bench or keep struggling with ideas that won't work.