Bench dogs: Round or square?

[John Carlson]

I'm building my first real workbench and trying to decide on round vs. square dogs. I've gone through the archives and found a number of posts on the subject but nothing definitive. It seems like both have their pros and cons, and those who chose square dogs like square dogs and those who chose round like round.

I don't want to re-hash all the discussions that have gone on before, but I would like to ask one question: Is there anybody who chose one way or the other and later regretted it?

I'm leaning toward round, so I'd be especially interested in hearing from anybody who used round dogs and later wished he'd gone with square.

-- jc Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection. If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

[Wilson]

[Rob V]

Round dogs w/ a rectangle that fits over the top of it. Helps prevent little marks in the side of your boards when you hold it w/ your vise.

[Pounds on Wood]

That is what I use too. Start with a 1" x 1-1/4" rectangle about 5" long, mount in the lathe between centers and turn down all but 1" to slip fit the dog holes. Saw a split in the round lengthwise at 1/3 the diameter up to a half inch of the rectangular head. The split should be positioned closest to the side that will be the face of the dog. This ensures the dog will always slip fit even when the dog holes have a bit of crud. The whole thing takes about 5 minutes each. Cut the 1" head down to whatever height you need when working with thin stock. Angle the face of the rectangle a bit if you like the effect of pulling stock down to the bench.

Rob, your description sounds like you make little rectangles with a hole that slips over the top end of a dog dowel. That works too and is easier for the non-turner.

[Alan Squires]

Made mine from 3/4" diameter and simply cut a piece out of the top to give a flat bearing surface. Been using them for nigh on 25 years with out any problems. Did it this way as it was all I had at the time and I couldn't afford the flat ones. This philosophy also meant that the end vice on my bench was made with a 1 1/4" left hand threaded piece of stainless steel. I must be the only person that knows which way to open it without thinking!

Alan

[joe]

I have dozens of oddly shaped blocks I drop on my round dogs . Some with rubber sides for gripping that slippery stuff.

[Dave Balderstone]

The latest Woodsmith has a neat tip involving a dowel to fit the round dog hole and a stove bolt. Cut a kerf in the dowel and use a wing knob to tighten the bolt, causing the dowel to expand and lock into the hole for holding a variety of jigs.

I'm going to build a few.

[John Carlson]

I figure square holes won't be hard to make if I make 'em as I'm putting the top together, so that wasn't a deciding factor

That's what I'm thinking. If I needed to clamp something on an angle, or something that wasn't rectangular, it would be easier with round dogs.

-- jc Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection. If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

[John Carlson]

I was thinking I could do that if for some reason I needed a square-faced dog. But I hadn't thought about the round ones making dimples in the wood. Thanks for the tip.

-- jc Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection. If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Check out the bench dogs at Lee Valley. Round, but have a flat face. They also have a wonder dog clamp and hold downs. Ed [e-mail]

[conehead]

My dogs are all turned from square stock. The heads are straight/square so they don't mark the work, and the tails are round to fit in round holes, and so that the square head can fit angled work.

I'm trying to figure out why any other shapes would be contemplated.

-- Conehead

[John Flatley]

I have a Garden Way bench purchased a zillion years ago. It has 2-inch long dog pegs that are 3/4-inch round steel, that fit in 1-inch deep holes in the maple top. The dogs can be used as a bench stop. In addition to the dogs, there are square maple blocks that fit over the dog pegs and are free to swivel to hold various shapes. The bench has two wooden vises; one end vise and one side vise. The top of the wooden vises are flush with the bench top. Optionally, the vise faces can be rotated 180 degrees so the vise face is proud of the bench top and clamp work between the vise face and the dogs/blocks.

I keep telling myself I need to add more round hole locations. Since I'm able hold stuff without drilling more holes, adding holes is not high on my To-Do list. I call the round holes that I may add someday 'round tuits'

Anyone else have a Garden Way Maple Woodworking Workbench?

Jack Flatley

[Jeffrey Thunder]

So put a round dog in the square hole. I never did buy this argument for round dog holes.

You can put a round dog in a square hole just fine. It's possible to put a square dog in a round hole, though the corners (if it's wood) will get scrunched, and of course, you don't have the usual advantages of a square dog.

The best reason to make round dog holes is because the bench is already built. During construction, it's just as simple to make square/rectangular dog holes.

BTW, it's simpler to make your own square/rectangular dogs than round.

[Ian Dodd]

I haven't built a bench yet, hoping to this summer. But my Dad built his way back just before the last Ice Age when he was just starting out and didn't have much in the way of tools or skills yet. He made his dog holes round. For his dogs he used corresponding diameter dowel rod (1" or 1 1/4" if memory serves). Then he drilled out a matching hole in a 3/4" thick square (2" on a side maybe) which he attached to the top of the dog by cutting a kerf in the dowel and wedging it tight to the hole in the square. All sharp edges and corners were eased with a dose of sandpaper. The flat surface doesn't leave any dimples and the round shape allows the dog to rotate and grab the work at an odd angle if need be. I'm planning to do mine the same way.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Exactly the reason I'm going with round. I finally took step one to convert my bench to resemble somthing closer to a woodworker bench. I removed the

4" machinist vise from the right end where it has been for the past 30+ years. I'm going to mount it to a piece of plywood with protruding dowels to makie it sort of portable. It will work for light use. I have to do a little modification to the end support to mount the woodworker's vice nce I get it, then i"ll poke some holes for dogs.

[Conan The Librarian]

[e-mail] (Jeffrey Thunder) makes the cast:

[He waits for the rings to settle and gives the lure a twitch]:

[Another pause, then two twitches]:

[And finally, he starts walking-the-dog back to the boat]:

Excuse me ... Perfesser Thunder ... over here ... er, sir ... what could be simpler than to take a length of 3/4" dowel and cut a flat on it? Or if you wanted to really make it complicated, you could take a small square of wood, drill a hole in it and glue a dowel in the hole.

I mean ... when I registered, they told me this class was for woodworkers ...

Chuck Vance Just say (tmPL) Now excuse me while I try to extract that treble hook from my lip.