Forget clamps, handscrews, and even vises - use a holdfast to keep your workpiece perfectly secure. Visit www.blackburnbooks.com for books and to sign up for lessons in Woodstock NY.
Really enjoy your videos. Work Holding information has been the most useful information I have obtained resulting in less danger and better work. This video wasn't new to me, but I have learned stuff from your other videos. I am looking forward to your videos. I previously lived in the Monterey bay area and it is nice to see Santa Cruz on your sign. I live in Germany presently, so I see (and have) continental horned wood planes, joiners, etc. I enjoyed your video on setting, using, and remouthing very much. It was looking for information on how to set/use a knobless leverless wooden plane that started me on my woodworking journey! traditional manual Hand tools also have a distinct advantage in addition to all the others commonly mentioned of not caring if you are 110 or 220 volt. Nice for me as the investment will make the return trip home in the future. Rex Kruger mentioned you recently in a video of his that was heavily influenced by your shooting board video (and books?). I am glad he did!
My first holdfasts were inexpensive cast iron. They worked okay, but I read about some forged steel ones and I ordered a couple. Very impressed with how much better they work.
Absolutely loving your channel Graham, who else watching can imagine Graham busting some rad shapes to the double bass and drums jazz skit at the intro, before walking into camera shot ? 🕺🏻
I don't have a vice on my benches. I use holdfasts and a crochet a deadman alongside stops. Seems to work very well so far. I also have just made a portable moron vice for under £10 on my bench mule. Thanks for the video.
I’d love a couple of 20mm hold fasts for my bench, but if you can find them they’re quite often not the cheapest option. Less and less people use them now so finding blacksmiths that make them is a challenge
I bought a pair of the Gramercy holdfasts, and they worked fine. Then, I'm a total newbie blacksmith so made my own set as well. They may be hard to smith nice ones, but to just smith something that works isn't that complicated.
I had 2 of the cheaper versions with 5/8 dia shafts and drilled 3/4 " holes in my 4 " thick ash work bench. Roughed up the metal shaft and still,.........no hold. I'm thinking with a 4 " thick bench I may need to widen the holes to 7/8 or 15/16 to get the needed angular bind? I hesitate to enlarge the existing holes in my bench. Thoughts anyone?
Quite late to comment, but I think over 3" thick bench is not recommended for holdfasts. You could do a 1-2 inch deep counter bore from bottom of those holes with eg. 1" forstner bit. That would work quite well
I think a couple of inches is fine, but you might always add an extra inch or so below where you bore the hole for the holdfast. One advantage of the screw type is that it comes with its own metal collar - an extra advantage!
yes, even a forked branch can work (I've not tried but I've seen someone working with that). I hesitate to buy one Gramercy holdfast, I have some 16mm steel rod... it will be hard to bend at a right shape so I think it will be easier and quicker to weld a piece of flat steel on top.
