# Work holding for plow plane



## galooticus (Dec 7, 2015)

Last night I was cutting a groove on the edge of a narrow board-18"L 1-1/2"W 3/4"T, and had some trouble with holding such that I could use the plow plane well. I ended up doing what you see in the picture below-a long scrap held behind the piece with holdfasts, then another scrap against dogs (and wedged with yet more scrap against a holdfast shaft). This sort of worked but was irritating, my nice piece kept falling off the bench and hitting the ground every couple passes.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to hold a piece like this for plowing a groove?

It's too narrow to just stand it on the middle of the bench against a dog; the plow's fence hits the bench surface. Similarly, I can't put it in a leg vise, the chop gets in the way of the fence too.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Add a strip of wood along the edge of the bench, to support the part. Add an end on each end of that strip to keep the part from sliding around. 
Part goes over the edge of the bench, and onto the support strip. Add a sharpened screwhead to the ends to hold the part in place. Head of the screws would be about center of the parts thickness. Go in at an angle, so they tighten up to hold the part in place, and be out of the way.

Jig can be made to attach to the bench without screwing to the bench, IF you want. Make it an "L" shape, clamp to the benchtop. Add the screwed on holders to the jig. Holders can be as high or low as you need, depending on the width of the parts.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Pictures to make things clearer….as I do this sort of thing a lot..









Once you make the "L" shaped base, you can add a stock rest. A screw to act as a stop..









Then a small block of scrap wood to hold things..









You can add one at each end, just angle the screws to draw the blocks towards the part..









And plough a way.

What I use for on top of the bench…









Couple of notched sticks….one is secured to the end vise..









Then the vise tightens the jig. A second screw to keep things from moving around.

Your "L" shaped holder can be just 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood scrap, screwed together. Leave enough for the holdfasts to grab onto. Then add the stock rests to the jig as needed.


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## corelz125 (Sep 23, 2015)

Can try using a wooden hand screw clamp to hold the piece then clamp down the clamp to the bench


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Put the wood in a bar clamp.
Clamp the bar clamp in the leg vice.


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## Firewood (Dec 4, 2013)

You could put the piece in hand screw clamps like this


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## DavePolaschek (Oct 21, 2016)

I was going to say "hand screw clamps" but it appears a few people beat me to it.


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## BlasterStumps (Mar 13, 2017)

Andy, it looks like you have it worked out except for the piece getting away and falling off the bench. How about some good double face tape to keep the workpiece from moving off bench. The rest of what you are using works right? 
Mike


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## galooticus (Dec 7, 2015)

Blaster, it worked but wasn't too solid.

I'm having trouble visualizing how hand screws would work? But would love an excuse to buy some hand screws.

The bar clamp is so simple, I'll try that next time. Bandit, I like that idea, I wonder if it could be built out into a 'plowing' board, sort like a long shooting board.


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## CL810 (Mar 21, 2010)

Not sure if this would be a solution for the board you posted about, but this is what I did recently. I had some scraps from fitting set up for some sliding dovetails and it made a perfect wedge for a narrow board that I couldn't lock down with my 203 clamp. If you don't have a sliding deadman and 203, a clamp run under the top of the bench would do the same.


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## Ottosan (Mar 2, 2015)

I've not tried it myself but this seems like a good idea to me and I find the simplicity of it appealing:

https://ticovogt.com/?p=2172

While searching for it I came across a workbench build by Stefang which is kind of a similar solution but uses the dog holes instead of the vice. Scroll down a bit and you'll see it. Looks very clever to me:

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/102772


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## corelz125 (Sep 23, 2015)

hand screw clamps are usually dirt cheap also people seem to always get rid of them. firewoods link shows exactly how to use it


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

> Blaster, it worked but wasn't too solid.
> 
> I'm having trouble visualizing how hand screws would work? But would love an excuse to buy some hand screws.
> 
> ...


Just 2 pieces of wood, joined into an "L" shape. Hang whichever leg you want over the edge of the bench, and clamp it in place to the bench. Dogholes? Add a couple dowels to fit into the dogholes.

Then add the supports needed for the job. Then a couple thin cleats to swivel around and onto the part. As long as they clear the plane's fence.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

>


Great idea for long boards.


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## DavePolaschek (Oct 21, 2016)

Andy, here's a couple pictures of me using hand-screws to gang-plane three pieces of wood at once. You would set them up in a similar manner.



















Note that I use hand-tools for just about everything now, and my low roman workbench turns out to be very handy for a lot of hand-tool work-holding. The other method for holding boards on edge is to put them against one stop, and then have dogs on alternating sides of the piece to hold it upright. Then I sit with one thigh over the workpiece to hold it securely as I plane the edge.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

Dave's post reminded me of a solution I'd seen but I can't recall enough details about right now. They were sort of tear drop shaped ends on two dogs and when a board was pushed between them, they tightened, then pulling the board releases them. Worked like a cam on each side. Hopefully someone will know what i'm talking about or I can find it again.

Simple way is to clamp the board on edge from one end, plow up to that clamp, then clamp the other end and plow away from it.


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## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

I know he's not the only one, he's just the first one I found, but Dave Bardin has a bloog post about what you're talking about Tim

http://lumberjocks.com/superdav721/blog/30092

I have also seen it on an episode of The Woodwrights Shop


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## knockknock (Jun 13, 2012)

I frequently use twin screw cabinet clamps as in Dave's post. Depending on the width of the boards, I sometimes lay the board across the screw rods.

Another thing, if the width of the board you are going to groove is narrow. Plow the groove before you rip the narrow piece off of a wider board. That gives room for the fence of the plow. Sometimes for styles and rails, I will prep my rough pieces for twice the width, plow a groove on each edge, then rip down the middle for two pieces.

Edit: You can also use 2 twin screw cabinet clamps as a moxon vise, just clamp them so they are hanging off the side of the bench.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

That's the one I was thinking, Mos, thanks. I probably saw it on the The Woodright's Shop.

Knockknock, I like it, ripping after grooving is a simple solution.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

It's not just the fence that needs to clear the jig….there be fingers down there that will get hit…DAMHIKT..

Making a groove in the bottom edge of drawer sides is another such task. Best the edge is off the edge of the bench, saves fingertips while guiding the fence.


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