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Sawdust and chips falling through dog holes on workbench

8K views 36 replies 31 participants last post by  Andybb 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a fairly typical Roubo workbench with a row of dog holes near the front edge:



When I create wood chips or small shavings on the bench top, many of them fall through the dog holes onto the lower shelf.

Is there any way, short of plugging up the holes, to reduce or eliminate this problem? Thanks.
 
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#3 ·
A friend of mine once complained to me than his teenage son wouldn't tuck in his shirt when he went to school. It really bothered him to see the young man going around with his shirt un-tucked.

I will offer you the same advise I gave him. If that is your biggest problem, then you have it made.
 
#6 ·
Pop up dogs work awesome, if you fill all of your holes with them. I have two in my bench and want to throw them across the room half the time because any hole without a pop up fills with shavings and then you can't use the pop up in it.
 
#7 ·
I installed a piece of 1/4" plywood a couple of inches below my benchtop to catch sawdust and shavings. Turned out to be a bigger pain that cleaning the floor (I'd end up dumping 25% of the shavings taking the dang shelf out).

I don't use it anymore.
 
#14 ·
I suspect you've considered a deflector of some sort that would mount to the underside of the bench, provide clearance for dogs and holdfasts, but still deflect chips that fall through the holes forward enough that they (mostly) clear the lower shelf. Mock something up with cardboard and tape to get the dimensions right.
 
#17 ·
I am about to drill the dog holes in my bench, and am worried about the same problem.

My plan is similar to the solution posted by CharlesA, but instead of a sheet of wood, I plan to hang a sheet of waxed canvas from some hooks, just below the bench top.

I should be able to easily remove it without spillage if I do it right.

HTH,
Rob.
 
#21 ·
I suggest you build a closed cabinet or a chest of drawers to sit at the bottom of your bench across the stretchers. Yes, chips and sawdust will still fall through the dog holes but the tools in your storage area will not gather dust and chips. Its very easy to sweep or blow the dust off the top of the cabinet then clean the shop floor as you normally would. I have a huge dislike for open cabinets or shelves…. really any horizontal surface in a shop is going to be a place that sawdust and/or chips are going to accumulate. Cleaning up after a project involves sweeping or vacuuming all those shelves and nooks or crannies and sometimes having to move stored items around to get at the dust. Long ago I pulled out all of my shelves and built cabinets. On my recent work bench build I put closed cabinet with drawers under my bench top. Just make sure the bench is low enough that bench dogs and hold fasts can still be used on the bench top.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
On a serious note, has anyone ever tried making their entire bench with dog holes into what would amount to one massive down draft table?
Maybe build it with all four sides sloping towards the middle with a 4" hose there? I'm guessing you might even be able to get some storage around the outsides of the setup?

Or, if your bench is against a wall, have just the "sides" to funnel. So everything slopes to the center of the back and down a hose running up the back wall. That should still leave plenty of storage room.
 
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