My Take on a Blacksmith Holdfast 

Glen, thanks for the shout out! My main reason for recent posts is sharing my experience living in Shanghai China during the outbreak. Of course there is other stuff too. Forging and chiseling brass hardware. Stay safe! Thanks again to you for the shoutout!

Nicely done. Thank You for the demo. I could watch you all day...

There is no blacksmith on youtube that comes up with all the great jigs , fixtures and ideas that you do. You my friend are very intelligent ! Not to mention the quality of your work. Fantastic! Thank You

Glen, I'm so constantly impressed by your knowledge, ingenuity, and talent. Thank you for the great videos.

Hey Glen. We used to use hold fasts on cast iron platen tables (we called them dogs and the table hot slabs) that had a grid of holes we used for bending pipe filled with stones around formers. There was a diesel furnace with three burners next to the table to heat the pipe and a capstan rope winch and pulleys to pull the pipe around a former. I think the biggest diameter we did while i was there was 16" pipe. We also used smaller slabs for other hot bending and straightening work. The fitments to hold the pipe end and former and the pulley blocks had pins into the table holes and were nailed down with hold fasts. Large wide wedges were used to hold the pipe in the fitment to hold the pipe end. The pulley block on the hit slab had to be quickly moved as the bend progressed. So the only tools used were sledge hammers and big pry bars. The bend was pulled in one heat as once bent it would not fit back on the furnace. So time was of essence. The dogs or hold fasts were 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" diameter bar from memory and 1 " on the smaller slabs. They were a sloppy fit. Real old tech that all gone to scrap now.

Cool design. Holds very nicely round as well as flat stock👍👍👍👍

My wife is sitting on the couch drinking coffee in her own world I thought until you made the 1/2 inch comment. All these years I thought I was the only one who could make her laugh like that but I see now you can to. Loved the video.

Very awesome design I've only seen traditional hold fast so this one was really interesting to me great video love the content as always

🦜 I was just thinking about that bird last week. Glad to see he still keeps you company.

I like the elephant foot design. You should also make some spacers to keep your post vise jaws from twisting like that. 🍻

Always love your work, you may want to think about making some spacers for your vice so it doesn't rack the jaws so much. I remember all the work you put into getting that vice working! Thanks again.

Making a hold fast was my second ever tool-making endeavor. It was also a study in making a 45 degree bend on the exterior edge of square stock. It worked, although it's not as pretty as yours. I don't use it as often as I should, but it's a functional tool when needed. Thanks for your videos. I look forward to each one!

I like your design. One thing I would have done is not put the depression for round stock in line with the hold fast post that inserts in your pritzle hole. Rotated 90° or even 45° I think would be more useful.

I've been waiting for you to make a holdfast video, enjoyed very much. Can't wait to see the follow ups 👍👍👍👍👍👍

Nice little hold fast, It’s a shame your hole didn’t pass through that semicircle but we work with what we have. If you had made it longer you could not then hold the smaller flat bar. My anvil only has a 7/16 hole so my Holdfast is a bit weedy. Keep up the good work and all the best from North Yorkshire, UK.

A lot fancier and involved than I usually make but I like that straight down hold, it has a lot of potential to work on both side of the pressure point. As always thanks for your time and effort, I learn something every time I see you work.

I love how you always experiment with a new approach to making a common item. Sure freaks the straights out. Roflmbo

Hi thank you for sharing, and my best wishes for you and your family to be safe, with good heath, love and prosperity.

You really are one of my favorite smiths on RU-vid. All of your designs are just so clean. Do you think you'd be willing to make a video on your design philosophy? Sort of how you come up with your ideas? Specifically with your tongs, the designs are so incredibly clean Best wishes from Canada! Stay safe!

You continue to think outside the box, and your results are thought-provoking. Thanks for giving me something more constructive to contemplate!

Your pieces definitely follow your own unique art style, interesting design. Always enjoy your take on traditional proven tools, you always manage to inspire creativity. That sneaky joke...XD

You have a very engineering mind. Great stuff on all your videos. Thx for all your fun videos.

Hi Glen - what I more like on your works, more than your blacksmithing abilities, are your knowledge about distributing resistance to your devices by flatting in corret directions and the incredible anvils you use - my preferable sunday morning watching youtube, Thanks for sharing

As a newbie, have learned a lotta great little tricks from your vids... thx, man!

I like the idea of your design. Works well.

You have the cleanest used daily anvils I have ever seen

Really nice job Glen.

Superb Glen.

Thanks Glen. I have a small anvil (110#) and this configuration will work well. Thanks for the tutorial.

Just checked out Eric’s channel. Very cool stuff! Subscribed and looking forward to seeing more! Great hold down!

I put my groove in at a slight angle so that if I'm holding round stock with some length, it will pass by the hold fast and still be straight in the groove. I love your anvil shapes. I'm stuck with my london pattern and double horn. They seem boring next to yours....

Very good, got two or three new ideas on how to make my holdfast hold fast.

Hope these times are treating you and yours well. I always enjoy your channels and content. Ooch! China shout-out.

Fuller for round. There is brilliance in simple functionality

Rather interesting design. Works and that's all that counts. Meant in the best way. I like the way it contacts the anvil and item at 90deg. In theory I should put equal pressure on both sides...or would that be radially 360 around the contact foot. Really interesting. Thank you for sharing. Hello Birdy. Looking forward to seeing your take and ideas on the other ones you forge. 🙏 Blessed be now and y'all stay well over there. No covid cuddies lol Crawford out ⚒️🧙‍♂️

That anvil wow is probably the best I have seen. Where can I get one like it? Awesome work too. Thanks for sharing.

Buen video, ágil, instructivo y útil

hi very nice work looking good

The bird is really cool!

Yours is the only holdfast I've seen with the fuller for holding rod. Not sure how often that'll be useful but it's an easy modification with no drawback I can see.

You should make a spacer for your leg vice when you’re using stock that’s offset like that. So you don’t wrack your jaws and wear out the screw.

Love this idea

Well done!

Nice, neat looking holdfast. I really like the upsetting block you used. My upsets usually go all wonky and I spend a lot of heat time keeping them straight. I have a block that size that I will try to drill a hole through (depending on my most used upset size). I have made monkey tools, but not any upsetting blocks.

"i wish it was just a half inch longer. I probably go to bed saying that every night. " absolute gold 10:50

Very interesting I’ve only made a tradition holdfast

I probably go to bed saying that every night, lol ha

i like the design

This is the video that made me a subscriber...I frickin love that anvil where can I get one

Glad to see you made you a hold fast, was afraid you was setting yourself up for a nutcracker 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 nice job sir!!!

좋은영상 감사합니다,

I hear ya buddy!

Looks good..

Hi Glen, brilliant work. What kind of steel is this? Only iron or Springsteel? Greetings from Germany.

Looks like it will work, would pulling that front leg out on a 45° angle give you that extra length in the hardie to hold larger stock?

Glen Hope all is well for you and yours. Have you ever tried to make a lock? just thinking since were all stuck inside why not right? God Bless you and yours from me and mine..... Martin

These must be great when working alone.

I really wanna know where you bought those anvils... Love the vids Glen

I actually prefer a small dia. as it tends to not get stuck in the hole as bad. .........................Jeezus, I just read what I typed........... Anyway........... The hold down tends not to get overly jammed too tight in the pritchel hole and pops out fast with less of a beating...... OK, I give up...........XD

i really have to get making a set of tongs. where are you and why. a couple of your hammers gave me a hint you were in asia

I just found your channel...where did you get that anvil?

Since that one isn't as long as you want it to be, make a couple more, for your exact needs, like a pair of tongs, one for each task.

Do you make personalized dies for forging and marking your work?

Glen, what is the dimension across the top of the hold down? Thanks

Nice work, why Thailand?

Also,all you had to do was put a slight bend in the rod where it sits inside the pritchel

👍👍👍👍 Mild steel is what your using ?

I like how you pronounce Pérez. ¿Hablas español?

Maybe fold over to fit Hardie hole

What in the world kind of anvil is that??? Can't say that I've ever seen one like it, but it is an interesting design. Nice video!

You hold fast is supposed to be smaller that you hold. It works by lock against the top and bottom of the hole. Not by force fitting it.

Like

You finally made it! I I'm surprised, lol jk

2nd place. Now i can rest.

Eric Māoris and co

Haha... oh for another half inch...