Advice on Bench Dogs

[NOTW]

So I am finally nearing the end of my workbench build, my Will Myers wagon vise has been delivered and installed and that now brings me to the section I would consider accessories. For holdfast I am ordering the Gramercy holdfast as most people have a high opinion of them and they won't break the bank like some of the ones made from blacksmiths. Now comes the bench dogs and there is the conundrum that I am probably overthinking. I would like to go with a series of wooden round dogs as then I could keep one in every hole but I am confused on the best process of making these dogs. I have seen wooden ones made with a wire as a spring and also with the ball catch to hold them in place, but what is the best method for getting them to a uniform roundness for a 3/4" dowel to fit in the 3/4" dog hole?

So basically two questions of people with round dog holes, are you using homemade wooden dogs or brass/aluminum dogs?

What is the best way to get the 3/4" dowel uniform circumference to fit in the 3/4" holes I have?

 

[Rwe2156]

You can use a dowel plate. Drill a 3/4" hole in a thick (3/16 - 1/4") piece of steel and drive them through.

Will a stock 3/4" hardwood dowel not work?

 

[FredP]

I turn them 3/4 - 1 1/4 on top and flatten one side. Think "T" shape. Turn a hair small on the 3/4 end so they drop right in.

 

[Yelverton]

I made some recently for my new workbench - I made them out of 3/4" oak dowels, which were every bit of the advertised 3/4" diameter and didn't fit into my 3/4" dog holes. I used a block plane to take off a little bit all the way around each one then sanded to final fit size. By fine-tuning them that way they all stay in place without needing a spring or anything like that.

 

[NOTW]

You can use a dowel plate. Drill a 3/4" hole in a thick (3/16 - 1/4") piece of steel and drive them through.

Will a stock 3/4" hardwood dowel not work?

According to my calipers the 3/4" oak dowels i have are 0.764"

 

[Graywolf]

I used 3/4” white oak dowel and actually had to turn them down a little for a good fit. I also used some little spring loaded ball catches to help hold them in the holes. I don’t have any complaints as of yet. I have been using them for a few years now.

 

[bbrown]

Where did you find the ball catches Graywolf?

 

[Mike Davis]

I use the little blue plastic ones. But, I'm frugal...

And some things just really don't matter.

 

[Graywolf]

I ordered some 10mm off of amazon. They were inexpensive, if remember correctly Woodcraft has them as well

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I like to make my own. In the first pic, I start w/ a square blank appx. 1.5", maybe 4-5" long. In the lathe I turn most of it down to a 3/4" cylinder. I have a number of these ranging in size. The cylinder is always 3/4" of course, to fit my dog holes. But the tops are different heights, depending on how much 'dog' I need for each project. I recommend the densest wood you can find for these. I like Elm and White Oak.

The second pic shows side holding dogs. In this case I'm holding a drawer to shave down for the final fit.

 

[Rwe2156]

According to my calipers the 3/4" oak dowels i have are 0.764"

If you’re holes are 3/4, then that’s Perfect!

 

[NOTW]

I like to make my own. In the first pic, I start w/ a square blank appx. 1.5", maybe 4-5" long. In the lathe I turn most of it down to a 3/4" cylinder. I have a number of these ranging in size. The cylinder is always 3/4" of course, to fit my dog holes. But the tops are different heights, depending on how much 'dog' I need for each project. I recommend the densest wood you can find for these. I like Elm and White Oak.

The second pic shows side holding dogs. In this case I'm holding a drawer to shave down for the final fit.

View attachment 197316 View attachment 197317

I really like the side holding dogs

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Just a follow up. Another view of the dogs I like to make. The large one is just a block w/ a 3/4" dowel through it. The 'V' slot helps hold odd shaped pieces. The little one on the right is the one piece, turned down version I mentioned earlier. This one has a 1/4" thick top for holding thin pieces when sanding.

 

[NOTW]

I ordered the bullet catches off Amazon and I apparently didn't read the sizing correctly because I received 5mm bullet catches instead of 10mm so they were tiny, new ones are on order