Idea for workbench top design...

[LancsRick]

I'm going to sort myself out with a proper workbench since I've just had a load of mismatched but sound timbers passed my way. Now since I don't have any help in my workshop, holding things in place requires the abundant use of clamps. To make this simpler, I was wondering about making the top of the workbench almost like "heavy duty pegboard".

If I was to drill a 1cm hole every 50cm or so, with a captive nut underneath, and have a selection of "blocks" to pick and choose from sit on the top surface, with an M10 bolt poking through the underside, I'd have a way of rapidly reconfiguring the top of the workbench to stop things sliding around, or jig them in an arrangement.

I imagine this has been done before, so I guess I'm hoping to hear whether the idea is useful in practice, and any design tips.

Thanks!

 

[No skills]

One of the well written members will be along shortly, but in the mean time try and google bench dogs as this is pretty much what your after.

hth

 

[marcros]

also have a look at:

veritas products- i think that they may be wonder dogs or something like that. Not sure how many people use them on here, but somebody will.
holdfasts- search the forum

 

[Alf]

Veritas appear to think it's a very useful idea indeed, and have developed it. A lot. To a dizzying degree, in fact: most of these products, for instance. Although most woodworkers opt for a less Swiss Cheese approach and might have, say, a single row of dogs along the front and three or four additional holes in a more widely spaced line towards the back of the bench for holdfasts and maybe additional dogs for wider work as needed. The only limit is your imagination and what you need to hold really.

On a more power tool note, doesn't Festool have a table system with a grid of holes? Someone had a thread about making a homebrew version, I think? Might have some different ideas.

 

[jack55]

Hi, This is a variation on your peg board idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG0_pb_t ... re=related