Making bench dogs for less than 1$

You just finished building your brand new workbench and now it is time to look for some accessories. Since you have drilled dozens of 3/4" bench dog holes in your workbench, you say to yourself, I should get at least ten of these. This is where my instructable will save you lots of money!

Bench dogs, made of brass are sold for about 15$ each! Who need brass bench dogs? Wood made bench dogs can handle much more force you will ever be able to apply on it. So here is a short instructable on how to build your own bench dogs for almost nothing.

Step 1 Tools and material

Here are the tools and material you need for this project. Of course, if you are used to woodworking, you will find several ways to do the same project. This list is for the beginner woodworker.

Materiel:

• 3/4" diameter, 4" long hardwood dowel
• A street sweeper bristle 
• Glue gun glue stick (optional)

Tools:

• Hand saw
• Hand plane
• Cutters
• Drill with 3/32" cutting bit
• Glue gun (optional)

You can find hardwood dowel in any hardware store for less than 1$ per foot. You need a 4" piece to make this project.

About street sweeper bristles. Hopefully, you live in a town where the street sweeper uses brushes made from steel wires. You will find lost brush wires by looking on the side of the road. 

The glue gun is optional. You can use any kind of glue to make this project. The glue is used only to maintain the metal wire in place when the bench dog is not used.

Comments

[kz1]

More simple, more better! Nice 'ible and super useful. Now if I can just find somewhere they still brush the streets! :>) Got to be an app for that.

[jadronx]

nice ible! if i ever get time/materials/space to build a really nice woodworking bench ill probably use this

[BranchburgJim]

Instead of street sweeper bristles try using the bristles from an old metal rake.

[Larryjaneen]

How many holes and where do you drill them In the top of your table how far apart thanks

[pchretien]

There are 15 1/4" holes. Each group of 3 holes are 8 inches apart. The three rows are aligned with my bench vise so I can squeeze boards between the vise pin and the center bench dog.

[hoffmanjoe]

Very nice, pchretien!

Rather than risk my life searching the gutter downtown for bristles, can I use a piece of, let's say, 16gauge wire?

Thank you.
Joe

[pchretien]

Thanks for the comment! It depends on the material ... What's make bristles perfect for this project is that it is made of hardened steel. You want the wire to spring back to its original position when you pull the bench dog out of the hole.

[oakback]

What is this used for?

[jdege]

You stick it through a bench dog hole, and use it to hold your work.

You can see a brass bench dog (from Veritas), being used in the pictures - along with a Veritas Wonder Dog, which is basically a bench dog with a side-operating screw. Together, they make for a solid clamp.

You can also use a bench dog alone, when planing. But the end work up against the dog, and the pressure of the plane will hold the work solid. Alternatively, woodworker's benches have bench dog holes in their vises, so you can put dogs in the top and in the vise, and use the vise to clamp large, flat pieces.

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[pchretien]

Wow, that was fast! Not much to add ... In the past, square bench dogs were used instead of the round ones. With that type of bench dogs, there was no need for the side spring to secure the piece in the hole. The bench dog was cut a bit larger at one end to make it block in the hole. Some peoples still use these but the square holes in the workbench are more complicated to make. P.

[jdege]

I'd never thought of using my Wonder Dog to clamp dowels. I'd always used my shoulder or tail vise. Using the Wonder Dog clamps on three sides, and looks like it would be a lot more stable. If I'd not already wasted too much money on brass Veritas dogs, I'd be giving your 'ible a try...