Pop Up Bench Dogs

I wanted to add a bench dog to my work table. Why not make it a pop up bench dog? I picked up a cheap IKEA push latch. Please observe this is not my original idea - I adapted it and made my version of it described here.

Here is a short video of all the steps!

If you want a great instructable and build of this I warmly recommends John Zhu

https://www.instructables.com/id/2-Pop-Up-Woodwork...

Mine differs a bit with the mounting, size, shape and... well... the spring action that was a bit too strong. :-) This turned out to be a useful and fun project.

For this project I used

• Pallet wood (white oak) for the bench dogs
• IKEA push latch (art nr: 802.302.24) for around 5 bucks (for 2 pieces).
• Scrap pieces of construction plywood.
• Wood glue
• Nails

Tools used

• Belt sander
• Palm sander
• Bandsaw
• Mitre saw
• Chisels and files
• Drill

Step 1: Making Some Bench Dogs

I wanted to make the bench dogs in hard wood. I had some pallet wood that happens to be white oak. I want to use this for a long time and then move it to another workbench in the future.

I cut the pieces to length and split it (square) on my band saw.

I squared it to final size with a belt sander and hand sanded it too with finer grit (120). You can make this the shape and size you want.

Step 2: Making the Mount/holder

I use the bench dog that I made to set the size of the case. I just cut some plywood pieces square and fasten in like a box around the "dog". Not to snug. Not to loose. It needs to move freely. I leave one of the sides longer, so I can fasten the push latch there.

I wont show the cutting and glue up here in this instructable. Hopefully that is OK with you guys?

Before I fasten the push latch I make sure I take in account the thickness of the table. I make the bench dog a bit proud, so I can later make the perfect size.

Step 3: Fasten the Push Latch

When I'm happy with the position of the latch holder, I put some screws in. Dont glue it, because you might want to make adjustments later. Or move it to another bench with another thickness of the table.

Now the case/holder for the bench dog is finished and I can mount it to my work bench of choice.

Step 4: Fitting the Holder to the Table

Now I need to make a hole in my work table. Please meassure twice or more. I only have single plywood here. But if you have a fancy hardwood workbench, it will be a sad day if you put that hole in the wrong spot.

Workbenches dont need extra venting holes...

I made a square bench dog. I like that shape and I have better use of the square surface for my projects. But you could also use round dowels. Then you only need to drill a round hole with the correct size.

I squared my hole with chisels and files. Snug fit, but not too snug.

I used some screws to fasten the latch holder under the table.

Step 5: Final Adjustments

I make sure that everything is working. As I described before, I made the bench dog a bit proud just to make sure I could do any adjustments if needed.

I used a belt sander and a palm sander to grind the bench dog flat to the surface of the workbench.

Step 6: Final Thoughts

So the push latch I used is too long (and strong). If I would make this again, I would maybe find shorter push latches - but I figured I made a cut out on the bench dog to turn it over, so it wont rise too high.

Mostly I will not need it, but its nice when I work with thinner pieces like plywood or anything like that.

The function is really nice, and I had to admit I played way too long with this. It makes me smile when I use it.

A bit of warning. The quality and size of this push latch is very good. If you let it go when you release the bench dog, it will shoot right up. It's not very practically, but super fun.

Now I'm thinking of other things to spring load... like sharp chisels or a saw?

Thank you so much for checking this instructable out! Hope you like it - please let me know in the comments. :-)

I entered the "Make it move" contest so if you like this, please consider giving me a vote down below.

Check out my other instructables here:

https://www.instructables.com/member/dekeros/instr...

Or my YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCizkOEx_0EOqWDZu5...

Or maybe my blog over here:

www.dekeros.com

Thanks a million again!

Comments

[jackreno11]

I can't see for certain from the pictures, but I'd bet that there's a way to non-permanently attach your dogs to the latch so that the dogs do not jump out, but you can still change them when necessary. This would make the dogs come out by a fixed amount (the length of the latch) but it could make the system more seamless and quick... what do you think?

Also, what's your opinion on round vs. square dogs? I see you've opted for square in this case.

[r-philp]

Maybe magnets would allow you to easily remove a dog and pop a new one in.

[dekeros]

Hello there! Thanks for checking it out and for your question! I love that they jumps out from the bench, but totally agree - not very practical. :-) I think you are on to something. Maybe a strong magnet would be usuable... Hmm...

And yes, the old round vs square dogs question. :-) Here are my thoughts on the subject. Round dog holes are much easier to produce. Just drill a hole and your done! But the dogs themselves are actually a bit more complicated to produce vs square dogs. Square dogs would be super easy on the table saw.
If the round dogs arent fixed you can turn your work piece if needed to really get a better reach too. Round bench dogs are better and easier imho...
But. I will use square bench dogs on my next workbench. Just because I like how they look. :-)

Thanks again - cheers!

[diggoryrush]

Nicely done!

[dekeros]

Thank you very much! Much appreciated! :-)

[JustinR138]

What the heck is a bench dog?

[dekeros]

Hi! Thanks for your question. A bench dog is an accessory used on a workbench (during woodworking). It's something to clamp or stop your work piece when working with it. You could find more information here :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bench_dog

Have a great day! and thanks for stopping by! :-)

[YaronShemesh]

Very nice table hack!

[dekeros]

Thank you very much! Not my original idea, but it was a fun project and I'mhappy with the result. Thank you for watching and commenting!! :-)

[Cliffsclips]

This could be handy form myself thank you for the inspiration.

[dekeros]

My pleasure! Thank you so much for checking out this instructable and commenting! Much appreciated!

[RuffittDesign]

I appreciate that the bench dog dowel isn't permanently attached to the spring- obviously this means you can swap it out in future for taller /shorter pegs as and when you need to without having to take everything apart!

[dekeros]

Good point! And yes - I'm not really sure yet about the design and shape of the bench dog yet. I have a few idéas that I will try out, so its a good thing they are easy to change/replace. Thank you so much for checking this out and commenting. Much appreciated!

[Kink Jarfold]

This was so entertaining. Even if I'll never build this in my shop, just watching you put this together, especially the dual height thingy was great.

KJ

[dekeros]

Thank you for your kind words! I means a lot! And yes - these are just nice (and fun) to have but absolutly not a necessity. :-)