Bench Holddowns

I saw these recently at Rockler for $10.

This one perhaps?

Avoid buying the small, cheap cast iron hold fasts. They break very easily. I bought two, and both broke within a week. The vendor didn't argue when I called to complain. They just refunded my money.

Since then, I bought a pair of handforged ones that are indestructible. Unfortunately, the guy who made them did it as a one time thing, so you I can't tell you where to get one like mine.

David

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Exactly what I was looking for, thanks.

Harbor Freight has cheaply made ones for about $2 when on sale. Get a bunch, every once in a while they will break.

Did you get yours from Tom Holloway? I know his son made some a few years back, and the galoots seemed to be pleased with them.

As for the original question, I don't own any holdfasts. What I use are little Jorgenson and Bessey clamps that I have doctored up so I can slide the lower jaw off. I put the bar through a doghole and slide the lower jaw back on under the benchtop. Tighten the clamp and they'll hold almost anything.

Chuck Vance

Harbor Freight - how bad could they screw one of these up ;)

No, I got mine a year or two before Tom's son started making them. One of the galoots brokered the deal, but I forget his name. As far as I know, Tom's son may still be making them.

David

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The problem is they are cast iron instead of steel. To me, that's a problem. Think about the properties that make cast iron great for tool tables. Stability, lack of elasticity. You will find that the iron ones are one good whack from being two pieces of useless cast iron (DAMHIKT, and yes, it was the Rockler variety). You don't have to get the Veritas type, but I recommend you hold out for steel, even if you have to find a local blacksmith.

Cheers, Eric

Has anyone tried to make one out of wood?

Although it would have to have a much heavier section at the top due to the different properties of wood, I can't imagine that one madenout of hickory wouldn't work.

Yes, two weeks ago.

Mine has a beech stem and a plywood top part, which is like a cam action clamp, so that you not only have the usual holddown feature but additionaly you can increase the clamping force with the lever. It works, but due to a not-so-well designed lever not too good. I still have to figure out the best curvature for the lever, so that it stays put in any position and gives maximum travel.

Pictures follow if/when I get a digital camera.

I love making my own jigs and such but in that size, it is virtually impossible to beat the strength of steel. Especially since you're changing grain directions at a 90 degree bend. Plywood would take care of that and may work but seems like a lot of trouble for something that can be had at Harbor Freight for $2.

Everything Eric said, I've bought some of the cast iron ones and they DO break. Besides, if you do choose to buy them anyway, do not spend $10 with Rockler when the exact same item cost $2 at HF.

seems like something to be carved from a crotch stick rather than milled from dressed lumber... Bridger

Pretty bad. Totally wrong material.

Mine is steel - why is that the wrong material? It doesn't have to be bleeding edge Rockwell 52 xyz moly titatium steel with unobtanium coatings, it is just a hold down.

Dave Hall

Steel is good. Cast iron is bad. Steel will flex. Cast iron is brittle. The cheap holdfasts are cheap sandcastings. You get to understand this pretty quickly when you tap on the top of the holdfast with a mallet, and the mallet procedes all the way down to the benchtop, while a 5/8" thick x 10" long piece of cast iron bounces off the floor 1/8" from your foot.

DAMHIKT.

David

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You sure its steel? The ones they advertise now are cast iron.

Can't say as I tested it, but it is a hard metal, it has been used for a couple of years, it has been beat on harder than is ever necessary for a hold-down (my bad) and it seems none the worse for wear. I guess that they could make the damn things so cheaply that they actually break in normal use, though, but that has not been my experience. I thnk I paid about $2 on sale.

Dave Hall