# Holdfast recommendations?



## ynathans (Sep 12, 2013)

Hi,

I recently finished my first workbench (woohoo!). The top is 2×4's turned on end.

I am getting ready to drill holes for the benchdogs and was looking at holdfasts. I was thinking about getting a few of the classic metal ones that you whack with a mallet. The benchdogs I ordered need a 3/4" inch hole and I wanted to get holdfasts that require the same hole. I found a : small one on woodcraft, it says the shank is 11/16" but that you should drill a 3/4" hole but a lot of the reviews say they drilled a 3/4" hole and it doesnt fit right. They also carry a large one but it wants a 15/16" hole.

Am I wrong to hope to drill one set of 3/4" holes that will fit both my benchdogs and hold fasts? Does anyone have a link to a quality hold fast that will fit a 3/4" hole?

Thanks,

Nathan


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

These are the best and they fit 3/4" holes. Click the image.


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## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

I will second the Gramercy holdfasts. They are great.
You can glue a leather pad to the end if you want some dent protection.

Steve


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

I have them, use them, highly recommended.

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Jorgensen-16-in-Bench-Hold-Down-Clamp-1716/202688746?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cG%7cBase%7cPLA%7cD25T%7cTools&gclid=CODLxOD8o8QCFYgdgQodIDoAsA&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## Mykos (Jun 27, 2013)

The grammercy ones are the best you'll get without having an actual blacksmith make some for you. At least the best striking ones. I'm sure the Veritas ones with the screw knob work well too.


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## 85497 (Apr 3, 2013)

Nathan, I have the Veritas surface clamps, they fit in 3/4" holes and work great in place of a holdfast, though not as fast as a holdfast.

Question for Steve & Paul: Does that Gramercy Holdfast work in a bench top that is 6" thick?


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## WaylonWillie (Dec 20, 2014)

Those grammercys work great, and take 3/4 holes, as others have said.

Go ahead and get the pair, it is really handy to have two.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Black Bear Forge makes some nice ones.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

*Pat3*, my benches are 4 1/2" and 5" and they work well in both of those. 
Your bench is a beast but at worst you might have to counterbore the bottoms of the holes a bit. My guess is that if they work in 5" , they will work in 6".


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

+1 to a pair of the Gramercy holdfasts. Love 'em. I put some leather pads on them to help prevent marring of workpieces.


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## ynathans (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks guys, the Gramercy holdfasts it is. I came across the Jorgensen ones in my research but there were several complaints on Amazon that they shattered with the first blow of the mallet.

Thanks again.

Nathan


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## 85497 (Apr 3, 2013)

Thanks Paul, appreciate the feedback.


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## BikerDad (Jul 16, 2008)

Another vote for Gramercy. I don't know about the Jorgies (love their clamps), but my experience with cast iron holdfasts was "subpar". The one I had *would not hold*. Period. I ended up getting so angry with it that I shattered it attempting to drive it through my bench.

After that, I swore would never get another cast iron holdfast. I've got the big honking Veritas holdfast, and two of the Gramercy holdfasts. Both types work well in my 3/4" holes, the Gramercy's are simpler to use. (They weren't available back when I got the Veritas.)


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## Oughtsix (Mar 9, 2015)

Not a holdfast per se but I use these a lot and love them! No mallet required.


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## WoodNSawdust (Mar 7, 2015)

Popular Woodworking had a positive review of the Gramercy holdfasts here


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

Yeah there are still hand forged options like the one Bondo mentioned if you like the hand crafted thing. Also if you need more holding power you can use a punch to create indents on the holdfast as in this video:
http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/?p=1329


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## Krissy333 (Feb 17, 2016)

If your looking for hand forged ones check out https://www.etsy.com/listing/249943840/holdfast-pair-of-hand-forged-holdfast


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Another Grammercy vote!

Keep in mind, these are really simple devices but for some reason seem ridiculously hard to make correctly. If I bought something hand forged without a recommendation from someone I trusted, I'd insist on them being returnable.

The Grammercy's set solid in one tap, release with another. Many, many other examples don't hold, get stuck, crack, bend, you name it… Knob and clamp type holdfasts just slow me down.

I use mine as much with power tools, like a Domino, routers, plate joiner, even to hold a pocket screw setup to the bench… as I do with hand tools. I glued leather pads to the holding surface on mine so I could skip padding blocks on material that's already surfaced.


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

I have both the Grammercy and LN holdfasts. My experience with them is that they are equally as good as the other. The Grammercy ones are not better than the LN. In fact, I actually like that the LN ones have a more acute angle to accommodate mallet strikes which makes loosening them a little easier. But all said and done, they both work fine. I think the Grammercy holdfasts are a little less expensive, which I guess would be a financial advantage. Below is the review I did on the LN ones.

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/3302


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## MrSmith670 (Jan 26, 2014)

I have the gramercy holdfasts. They work great. My wife got me a pair of forged holdfast from black bear forge for christmas. They work great and look so much cooler than the gramercy. I also have a veritas hold down. I use that in my deadman. It works very well also. Good luck.


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