# Workbench clamping options



## Mattman83 (Jan 3, 2010)

Ok, so I have been browsing workbenches for a few months now trying to settle on a design. This will fit into the wing of my cabinet saw as that is all of the space I can afford (and still be able to get to all sides). Here is the twist: almost all of our work is in composites (building skis, longboards, and other carbon fiber creations) which means the machines are mostly the same but the projects are a little different. I never have to clamp a large flat board for sanding or hand planing. I cant think of any time when I would want to clamp a work piece at its sides and this seems to be the vast majority of how the workbenches are designed to be used. 90% of the time I am clamping a part down to a worksurface with the edge overhanging so that I can jigsaw off flash. I want some more convenient options than a C-clamp at the edge of the table every time. So far I have come up with t-slots (worried about the tear out strength) or Kreg plates (not much range of motion). I cant be the only person that likes to clamp vertically - what am I missing???


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

What does it mean to 'jigsaw off flash?' I may be misreading..


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## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

Matt, most benches use a few different methods of clamping to the surface. There are bench dogs used in collaboration with vises. There are round holes which accept holdfasts, which is a very efficient way to keep things clamped down securely and should work nicely for what you describe your need is for. F clamps (which are much more easier to use over a c-clamp) are another option. Another one to consider is drilling 3/4" holes and using a Veritas holdfast, which could be very useful for what you describe.

Good Luck.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

Gramercy also makes a nice, inexpensive holdfast you could try. Sounds like what you're looking for.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Sounds like a workbench with dog holes and set up to use holdfasts would be ideal for your situation. Amos Tucker makes some nice ones for reasonable cost. He sells them on ebay. and they are very nice and work great.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I have one of these on my workbench and I find that I use it a lot. It is very handy.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004770/24599/Bench-Klamp-System.aspx

Two tips -

(1) You need to mount it flush with your workbench, but you probably already knew that. 
(2) You need a shop vac or an air compressor to clear chips and dust out of the cavity under the plate every once in a while. I find an air compressor does a better job, but it makes a modest mess in the shop.


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## Mattman83 (Jan 3, 2010)

Smitty: when you layup a composite part you end up with excess composite around your part. This is the "flash" that I jigsaw off. Some guys prefer to use a bandsaw but I find it kills blades too quick (if only saws had a "woodworking coolant"). Anyway back to the workbench:

Benchdogs with an end vice is not vertical pressure. Unfortunately I cannot clamp at the edges of my parts because it is just flexy composite flash and I want to be able to cut three sides at once. Holdfasts seems to be what I was missing. It seems like they would slide out. The concept is like an f-clamp, but an f clamp has a short female section (so more angle) and a knurled male section (so more grip). Smooth metal on a deep smooth wood hole seems much less reliable. One place I read said that people often need to hammer in their holdfasts. So here is what I am getting at: what is the advantage of a holdfast over a Kreg bench clamp. It seems like the Kreg holds stronger and allows me to have more shelf space underneath while the holdfast keeps the workbench looking more traditional.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

The holdfasts are not 3/4" thick, so they don't slide in and out of the dog hole like a piston. They are smaller and they wedge into the hole. A tap of a hammer wedges them tight, and a knock on the side loosens them. Very old method that has worked for centuries.

The Kreg is more like a clamp that set into the surface, which would work fine. The Veritas, also has a clamp type head to allow you to fine tune the clamping pressure of the holdfast.


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## oluf (Jan 29, 2010)

Mount a piece of 3/4" plywood to the celing above the work bench. Make up extendable poles the attach to or have location sockets on the plywood and do your clamping from above. You can make this system work very well if you make saddles for under your work below the clamp pole. Trust me you will mot be the furst one to use this system. How do I know?


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## Sylvain (Jul 23, 2011)

Oluf,

If I may… one way to use the system is :
The pole are longer than the distance between the ceiling and the piece and 
the pole are bowed so as to act as a spring to push the piece down.


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## anobium (Dec 25, 2011)

Adopt the Festool MFT principle and add a bunch of holes to the surface.
The guy who did the to the fullest extend is ron paulk.




I am not saying you should build this bench but look at his videos and ideas for a universal use.
Or check this guy out:
http://www.woodworker.de/forum/eigenbau-werkbank-t53533.html
I like the clamping slot up front that could be on the side of your extended table


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## WoodyWooderson (May 3, 2011)

Atelier Du Bricoleur is a great blog which has an amazing amount of unique shop tips.

He had made a sort of bench on bench I-beam design that looks extremely useful. 
 
Another post using the same jig with a jigsaw


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## bbjjj (Jan 7, 2012)

You might consider mounting your jigsaw into the table or maybe a Blade Runner might be the ticket.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Veritas Surface Clamps. At $79.99 each, they are not cheap but they work extremely well. I have two and would love to have two more. They work by wedging in your dog hole(s) and then the clamp itself can rotate 360 before activating the hold-down. I also use them to hold down my mortising machine to the bench.


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## LukieB (Jan 8, 2012)

I would recommend the Kreg bench clamp system, besides the clamp plate that some other posters have mentioned, they also have the "Klamp Trak" (that fits the 1 sided kreg clamp) which is just a t-track beefed up for extreme vertical clamping pressure. I have one going each way on my bench and I love them. With my face vice and tail vice in line with them(the one's with the "sliding steel dogs") the clamping possibilities are endless, vertical or horizontal. I can post some pics if you want.

http://www.amazon.com/Kreg-KKS1020-Klamp-Trak/dp/B000SRI4JE/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326995033&sr=8-1-fkmr1


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Those veritas clamps are things of beauty… Wish I had a couple, period…


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## Mattman83 (Jan 3, 2010)

Wow, so there are a lot of good options. At this point it seems like the festool clamps are the best choice. They dont require the extra hardware of the Kreg clamps and they go into standard dog holes like veritas - at 1/4 of the price. The only advantage I can find of the veritas clamps (other than killer looks) is that they dont require empty space below the benchtop…but I would need that space their if I wanted to option of using holdfasts (although I dont think that will be necessary if I have the festool clamps).

LukieB: I would be interested in seeing a picture of your setup…the extrusion looks like its designed to slide a nut into the lower tracks and then bolt the track down from below. Is this correct?


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## cuttwice (Jan 18, 2011)

Matt, I'm drooling over those Veritas clamps too, but I think you're right that the Festool clamps might be your best bet. Alternatively, you could try one of these, or these, which are cheaper and should work at least as well. You didn't mention what your saw wing table is made of, but unless it's really soft, I'd be surprised if a t-bolt tore out of it, and you can get longer t-bolts from McMaster-Carr if the ones supplied aren't long enough (or just use a regular 5/16 hex bolt with a big fender washer on the bottom end - not sure whether the thread count is coarse or fine for the Rockler hold-down, but just take the t-bolt to the hardware store).

In any case, you're right that there are lots of hold down options. It's not the cheapest place to buy them, but you might want to take a look at this page for a review of possible ideas.

I'm not sure what sort of composite pieces you're working with, but if you're doing really thin, light layups, I'd avoid using a standard woodworking holdfast. The holdfast basically works by being wedged into the dog hole enough to make the head flex, and I'm not sure the resins on the stuff I've worked with would take the "tapping" it took to make the holdfast stick (You may be working with thicker layups, but some of the assemblies I've worked on are very light and pretty fragile with regard to absorbing blows). If you do use a standard holdfast, you'll probably want to use a soft wood caul or pad to cushion the surface. and prevent the epoxy from getting marred or fracturing.

As you've observed, the other clamps avoid the tapping, have rubber feet, and allow the application of gentler pressure, which may be kinder to the resin surface.

Hope this helps…good luck!
- John


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