Poplar Bench Hook

Beat me to it. I made one almost identical to saw dowells the other day. My son-in-law had never seen one. I think my pencil is under mine.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

I thought lots of people had never seen one, which is why I took the time to post it. The video is worth watching. Some good tips on how to use it.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Thanks Wayne.
I keep forgetting about this tool.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

LOL…I just finished that melamine shooting board we were talking about. That hook looks like it’s working as planned!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

You should have seen the look on Bob’s(son-in-law) face when he cut a dowell on it. It’s just great and safe when you need to cut small parts. We need this “old technology in our shops. It comes in handy.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Your welcome Bob. It is pretty useful.

Mot, are you going to post your shooting board. I do not belive anyone has posted one yet

Tom, did you watch the video. I would have never thoought of using a clamp as a stop to make repeated cuts. It is amazing the things that have been “Forgotten”

I’m going to make a planning stop in the next couple of days. I think I will also make the little fixture that Chris was using in the video to support longer stock.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I’ll go take a pic of it now. It’s nothing fancy.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Thanks. I belive it will be informative.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I just watched the video. The clamp trick is a good one. You can set the stop real easy with a try square. set the blade to the length and hook it on the end of the bench hook. Clamp the stop at the end of the blade. “Swartz” is a good name for Chris, it fits.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

I like his DVDs as well. Some nice hand tool topics.

Also think I will add a bench hook for japanese saws to my project list. Keep me out of trouble.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

How much time did you say you had off? I’m waiting on that smooth plane. I think Chris is a great guy. Never met him except through his work but he seems like the real deal.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Thats an interesting item Wayne, but you can put me on the list of persons never seeing one…dang all these hand tool specific jigs and plane related stuff….I feel like a beginner woodworker..excuse me while I go to Home Depot, I think they are holding a class on birdhouse building I need to attend!

-- Women love me.....trees fear me

Hey. I love building bird houses…..

: ^ )

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I started to build this yesterday! Got my copy of Pop WWing a few days ago and thought I’d find it handy. I’m honestly shocked that you haven’t built this before now. Knowing how much you are into the unplugged world of tools I thought this would be essential. Ironically, I thought Mot would’ve had a shooting board as well. I suppose there are other methods though! I’m interested to see if the hook will be decent for shooting as the article suggests.

-- Jeff, South Carolina

Hey Jeff, I’ve had a couple of shooting boards. I usually knock them off a bench or drop something on them, or they just wear out. I used to make them out of waxed MDF, it was my first stab at the laminate version.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I had just not gotten around to making a bench hook.

This one works fine for shooting, just flip it over. Need to make sure you chamfer the back edge of the stop to keep it from tearing out when your making the first couple of cuts..

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

How’s that saying go, sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions. You cant get much simpler than a bench hook but boy they sure are handy. Thanks for the post, especially the links to the videos.

A handy little project, Wayne.
If you use Japanese saws you might like to add a second fence at the front – you’d be surprised how handy it is.
Hope this helps
Phil

You know Wayne….....you see this bench hook you’ve shown us here and I see (off the top of my head) at least 5 operations I do always oversize because I know I’m going to get alittle tear out. Maybe it’s time to knock out a quick bench hook and break another bad habbit. Although…. I have way too many to break’em all.

Good bench hook-very useful!

-- Spread love with our work

this looks great, what made you use screws instead of dowels to attatch the pieces?

i have been waiting to make one of these ever since i read about them and saw the plans, great job!

-- wood is good

Looks like something I should make. Thanks!

By the way, how many miles do you reckon that back saw has on it, Wayne? <g>

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

after i found the plans for that bench hook online i noticed that some places sell these things around 10$ a pop, and they do not look as nice as yours

-- wood is good

Jeff, I’m just getting into fine saws. I have mainly been using my japanese saws in the vice on my bench.

Phil, I think I will make a second hook for Japanese saws. Thinking it will mount in my bench vice.

Neal, they do work well. Perhaps we will see one in your videos.

Richard, I was going to use Miller dowels and they were too long for the application. Rather than pull out a doweling jig, I said screw it and drove a few screws. These are pretty much throw away jigs. It will wear out before long.

Charlie, I was really pleased to find the saw at the local antique sale. It has more miles on it than I will ever have on me.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

what is the idea for a japanese saw bench hook? i use a dozuki for my dovetails and was wondering other applications for said saw

-- wood is good

You could also “pin” this device to the bench with dowels…this would enable you to turn it around for use with a “pull” type saw. I’d use the existing benchdog holes and 3/4” hardwood dowels.

Or…Using a pro-made maple miterbox, cut the overhang lip off and install the dowels. You could place it anywhere on your bench and use either push or pull type saws. The ends are flat so it would also function as a shooting board too. You could also cut one end at a 45 degree angle so now you’d have a 45 degree shooting board too. Right?

Just a little brainstorming here. The coffee just kicked in.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Dadoo, I think there are lots of options available. I’ve been thinking of using the benchdog holes. If I get in the shop tomorrow, I will try and play around with the idea some.

Richard, basically you need the stop on the other side of the hook and you need to mount it in a vice since your pulling toward the edge of the bench. I belive I saw plans for one in Popular Woodworking. I will see what I can dig up.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I have this on my list of things to make for the shop as well. I have one I use when carving as a “third” hand. But, I need to make one or two dedicated to the shop.

Buckskin, does it have a 45 degree bed?

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Yes Sir, it sure does.

Very nice.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Thank you and the video you posted with this was well worth the watching.

I made a hook similar to the one in the video to support longer stock. It is the same size as the bench hook (6” x 8”). Here is a photo…

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Nice job Wayne!

-- Chris

Wayne , nice job on those little money makers.
Yer done before most adjust the table saw.

bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Thanks Bob. I hear that. Working on a planing stop ATM. Will try to get it posted by this weekend.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov