# Sawdust and chips falling through dog holes on workbench



## Smile_n_Nod (Jan 20, 2011)

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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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

No.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

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.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Otherwise get this bench sweep and about 50 corks!


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Pop up dogs maybe.


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## KelleyCrafts (May 17, 2016)

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.


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

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.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

As above, and it's definitely better that they fall through than not being through holes and plug them up so you have to clean them every time you want to put a dog in.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Buy a Roomba.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Bondo's short and to-the-point answer is correct.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

I have to disagree with my friends Fred and Bondo. There is a very simple way to keep saw dust and chips from falling thru your dog holes. Avoid making sawdust and wood chips!


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## MrSmith670 (Jan 26, 2014)

You can try mounting the bench on the ceiling…


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## Bob5103 (Feb 13, 2016)

Make a dog for each hole, push them down to bench level, when you don't need them, up when you do.


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## BobAnderton (Oct 5, 2010)

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.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Yes. Stop woodworking and take up golf.


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## 01ntrain (Jun 21, 2015)

Wow….I'm glad I'm not paying for the bandwidth on this site. I smell a troll…..


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## Rob263 (Jan 23, 2017)

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.


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## Fthis (Feb 11, 2018)

> Yes. Stop woodworking and take up golf.
> 
> - Smitty_Cabinetshop


Exactly. I am NOT trying to be an ass but this is a serious complaint?

Make a mess, clean up afterwards. Wash and repeat. Jeebus.


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## Rob263 (Jan 23, 2017)

> Exactly. I am NOT trying to be an ass but this is a serious complaint?
> 
> Make a mess, clean up afterwards. Wash and repeat. Jeebus.
> 
> - Fthis


If you store things on the shelf at the bottom of your workbench, out in the open, then yeah, it's a serious complaint.


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## BFamous (Jan 26, 2018)

You could install mini fans in each hole to blow the chips back up.


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## MrWolfe (Jan 23, 2018)

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.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

The only thing worse than chips and sawdust falling through the dog holes is chips and sawdust not falling through the dog holes and thereby plugging them up. The only solution is to put a dog in every hole.


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## BFamous (Jan 26, 2018)

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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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I have round dog holes and I often drop 
small metal parts through them.

I've considered making some dowels with
a sort of spring in the side to plug some
of the holes.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

> I have round dog holes and I often drop
> small metal parts through them.
> 
> I ve considered making some dowels with
> ...


You mean dogs Loren?


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

> I have to disagree with my friends Fred and Bondo. There is a very simple way to keep saw dust and chips from falling thru your dog holes. Avoid making sawdust and wood chips!
> 
> - BurlyBob


Agree!


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## BikerDad (Jul 16, 2008)

Put a dog in every dog hole. This has the advantage of saving you the trouble of hunting around for a dog to put into any given hole when you need it. It has the disadvantage of you having to a) make a whole bunch of dogs, and b) having to pull the dog when you want to put a hold down or other appliance in the hole.

me, I just vacuum the shelf under the bench occasionally.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

I avoid this problem completely by never cleaning the shelf.

I don't even notice when sawdust and shavings fall through anymore!


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## BlasterStumps (Mar 13, 2017)

What?


> Wow….I m glad I m not paying for the bandwidth on this site. I smell a troll…..
> 
> - 01ntrain


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

if you think that chips and other stuff falling onto the bottom shelf is a pain,
try to imagine the work benches that have DRAWERS under the table that
collects EVERYTHING !!! I finally put clear packing tape over the holes not in use
because I got tired of vacuuming the crap out of the drawers. (not my drawers - the workbench drawers)









.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> Yes. Stop woodworking and take up golf.
> 
> - Smitty_Cabinetshop


ROFLMAO


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

> if you think that chips and other stuff falling onto the bottom shelf is a pain,
> try to imagine the work benches that have DRAWERS under the table that
> collects EVERYTHING !!! I finally put clear packing tape over the holes not in use
> because I got tired of vacuuming the crap out of the drawers. (not my drawers - the workbench drawers)
> ...


Chips in your drawers can be a pain in the a$$ lol


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

My dogs are 3/4" oak dowels with bullet catches in the sides. It would only take a couple hours and cost $20 or so to fill all my dog holes. That's what I'd do… if I was worried about it.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

This is actually a very funny thread to me. 
I never considered someone would care where chips and sawdust went.
It's almost like a short order chef complaining about having to break eggs to make a omelet.


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## RobHannon (Dec 12, 2016)

Turn the bench into a downdraft table.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

Aj2 - if you had woodchips and sawdust in your drawers, you wouldn't think it was funny. ( ;-)


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Why not just put painters tape over the holes, (easy to peel off or push through) then either peel it off or just push the dogs thru them. Unless you have drawers that the chips are falling into not sure why it's an issue to just vacuum them up when you clean up after a project.


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