Bench hold

[Dennis Taylor]

I just picked up a Workmate from a flea market, and would like to use it to hold my carvings, both round & flat, can someone show a picture of a bench hold?...I can figure out holding the round, but on the square is the piece just held in with pressure into a corner?...tks..Dennis

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

put the dogs in the holes in the workbench and crank it closed on the piece you are working on

[mark yundt]

The piece you are working on will really determine the clamping situation,,but what I have done is to simply screw a "cleat" on to the back of the carving and clamp that in the jaws of the workmate. One thing to watch for is the aluminum jaws are a bit above the surface and can allow the piece to rock a bit. Simply shim up the difference and the piece will remain solid after clamping.

[Kenny_S]

Both Dave's and Mark's method of holding a carving, Round or square, will work. On Daves, The dogs shouldn't be higher than the surface of the carving (square). I this work mate has the medal jaws, put shims in the between the jaws and the carving piece so as not to mar the carving surface.

[Eddy-Smiles]

You can make replacement or additional dogs by buying a dowel the same size as the existing dog holes, cutting 1x4 or 2x4 sections to size and drilling and inserting and gluing lengths of dowels in place. Going along with what Kenny said the wood dogs will not marr your carving like the metal or plastic ones will.