LumberJocks
DAILY DEALS Pen Press/Drilling Jig  |  Makita Makita Recon LCT203W 10.8 Volt Lithium Ion Impact Driver 2 Pc Kit

dog hole spacing

« back to Woodworking Skill Share forum

Forum topic by Partridge posted 429 days ago 957 views 0 times favorited 8 replies Add to Favorites Watch
View Partridge's profile

Partridge

221 posts in 852 days


429 days ago

I am about to drill dog holes in my soiled core door bench I thought before I do this. I would ask what you all thought about spacing of the holes

-- Do it right the first time. Becuase fixing it is a wast of time.

View sIKE's profile

sIKE

1094 posts in 650 days


429 days ago

2 to 3 inches on center is what I have seen recommended. But I would first try to figure out who/what soiled on your door ;)

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

View gotmarko's profile

gotmarko

13 posts in 1295 days


429 days ago

I made the mistake of laying out the dog holes on my workbench before I knew the distance I could cover with the vise. Make sure your dog spacing is less than the throw of your vise, or you will end up needing a spacer for part of your clamping needs. If your vise has a large opening (say 10-12”), you might want to consider about 1/2 the opening for dog locations

Hope the info helps, I know I’ll not make the same mistake on my next workbench.

View oldandtired's profile

oldandtired

3 posts in 397 days


343 days ago

gotmarko is exactly right. You will also want to take into consideration the location of your vise lead screw and any hardware attached to the top. I just finished what will probably be my last workbench. It has a twin screw vise that I am using as an end vise and hopefully that is the only vise I will be using. I also have a pair of hold fast that have a reach of 6 1/2 inches so that is the spacing I used for a few dog holes. In my opinion the fewer holes you have the better off you are. The spacings mostly depend on personal preference and what you use your bench for. Other than a few holes to get you started I say…..”Drill them as you need them.”

View dsb1829's profile

dsb1829

369 posts in 523 days


342 days ago

The Schwarz recommends 3in. He might know a thing or two about dog holes :)

Personally I think that is a bit too close. My vice has an 11in open capacity, so no issue there except racking. I plan to make mine in accordance with the reach of the Gramercy hold-downs. That will likely be in the 4-5in range.

-- Doug, woodworking in Alabama

View Andraxia's profile

Andraxia

134 posts in 405 days


322 days ago

What do you use to drill the dog holes? I was thinking of using fostner bit. However I want perfectly as possible tangent drill holes so a hand drill wouldn’t be great. I was thinking of a router but they run pretty fast for a fostner bit and I cant think of a simple jig for the spacing.

-- The wood slayer - Yes dear I did plan to make more kindling out of that wood I have been drying for the last year - honest!

View John Gray's profile

John Gray

1753 posts in 781 days


322 days ago

I used a Woodcraft #03K53 Onsrud HSS Bit, 3/4” Cutting Dia., 3-1/4” Overall Length, 1-1/4” Cutting Length, 1/2” Shank at https://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1396&ProductID=03K53. And made a guide/frame for my plunge router to make evenly spaced holes.
And here is a video to show how it is done.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

View Doug S.'s profile

Doug S.

306 posts in 604 days


322 days ago

I used 8” roughly for my twinscrew. My bench has to do double duty as and assembly table and even a finishing table so I didnt want a swiss cheese top. After using it for a while I kind of wish I done 6” but Mr. Schwartz 3” sounds pretty extreme to me, even on a bench dedicated to hand tool use. Lee Valley has a 3/4” 6” bradpoint that powered right through mine.

-- Use the fence Luke

View Partridge's profile

Partridge

221 posts in 852 days


321 days ago

Thanks for comments. I did drill holes and they did turn out out to not be a problem.

i when old school 3/4 spiral bit in a low rpm drill. i found that if i took two 2×4 blocks and fasten them to make a 90, this would give me a good start to making a strait hole. After the screw from the bit was in and the bit started cutting it was a matter of holding on. the long spiral shaft seemed to keep it strait. Foster bits are real good for shallow holes with a drill press not a deep hole by hand. We need to give credit back to old school bits. It was faster, safer and did not the burn wood or bit.
p.s use backup board and a sharp bit….

-- Do it right the first time. Becuase fixing it is a wast of time.

You must be signed in to reply.

  • View all advertisers
  • Advertise with us

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

HomeRefurbers.com

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

GardenTenders.com :: gardening showcase