A woodworking holdfast—also called a hold-down—presses a workpiece against a bench through a shaft fitted into a suitable bench hole. A published metal shop-made design uses a cut-down bolt and bent steel bar; a separate maker-built version uses wood and threaded hardware. The right choice depends on your materials, tools, bench-hole fit, and the clearance the job requires.
What a holdfast does
A holdfast is a bench clamp for securing stock away from the bench edge. Its arm bears down on the work while its shaft engages a hole in the bench. That makes it useful for operations such as planing, chiseling, and carving, where the piece needs to stay put without relying on an edge-mounted clamp. Fine Woodworking describes holdfasts as arms with shafts that attach to the bench by a screw or wedged peg; the exact interface depends on the design.
Bench dogs are related, but they work differently: they fit into bench holes to support or stop stock, often in combination with a vise. They do not themselves press down on the work in the way a holdfast does. See Fine Woodworking’s guide to holdfasts and its explanation of bench dogs.
Choose a design that suits your bench and tools
| Option | What it involves | Fit and trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Bolt-and-bar metal holdfast | A 3/4 × 8-inch grade-5 bolt and 1/4-inch hot-rolled steel bar stock; the bar is bent to an illustrated profile, drilled, and attached to the bolt with nuts. WOOD Magazine’s shop tip, published June 29, 2017, gives these specifications. | Requires cutting the bolt head off and shaping and drilling steel. The article’s bend profile is in an illustration, not a complete written bend template. Check that the shaft suits your bench holes. |
| Wooden threaded clamp | A maker-built design using beech components, a steel rod, threaded hardware, washers, and a shaped pressure pad. Paoson’s tutorial, dated April 11, 2019, documents one version. | Construction depends on the maker’s design and its pad and hardware arrangement; it is not a universal specification. Confirm that its shaft and reach work with your bench and task. |
| Commercial post-style holdfast | A ready-made clamp whose post enters a dog hole and whose lever secures the clamp, as described in Woodcraft’s comparison. | Check the specific product’s hole interface, adjustment method, clearance, and bench-thickness guidance. Woodcraft says the commercial systems it discusses need a thick top and advises adding MDF or a dog bracket when the top is less than 1 1/2 inches; this is not a universal rule for homemade designs. |
How to make the bolt-and-bar version
WOOD Magazine’s published shop tip specifies the materials and assembly sequence, but relies on an illustration for the bar’s shape. Do not treat the written instructions alone as a full bending template.
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- EASY-TO-USE: Drill a 3/4" hole in your workbench top, put the shank in place, and simply tap it (once or twice) with a mallet to firmly secure it in place. To disengage, tap the backside of the vertical head to unwedge the hold fast and release your work stock
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- Start with a 3/4 × 8-inch grade-5 bolt and 1/4-inch-thick hot-rolled steel bar stock.
- Use a hacksaw to cut the head off the bolt.
- Bend the steel bar to match the profile shown in the source illustration.
- Drill a 13/16-inch hole in one end of the bar.
- Slide the bar onto the bolt and lock it in place with nuts, as shown in the published design.
The shop tip is credited to Ray Elashewich of Winchester, Virginia, and suggests making half a dozen for convenience. That quantity is the author’s recommendation, not a requirement for the design. The source does not provide a tested load rating or measured safe clamping force.
What the wooden version documents
Paoson’s tutorial presents an individual wooden design rather than a standard plan. It describes cutting beech parts, using a steel rod, adding a threaded insert or T-nut, and making a pressure pad from washers and a cap nut; the assembly also includes a knob. Follow the tutorial’s own drawings and dimensions for that specific version rather than combining its parts with the bolt-and-bar design. The same page shows bench dogs made with steel pipe and wood pieces to keep them from falling through and to protect workpieces; those dogs are separate accessories, not part of the holdfast.
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Check compatibility before building or buying
A holdfast can only work as intended if its post engages the bench appropriately and its arm reaches the stock without colliding with the bench or nearby hardware. Before committing to a design, check:
- Hole dimensions and shape: Compare the post with the holes already in the bench. Do not assume every holdfast or homemade shaft fits every dog hole.
- Bench thickness: Confirm that the shaft and fastening arrangement suit the thickness of your top. Commercial-system guidance may not transfer to a homemade design.
- Arm reach and clearance: Make sure the arm can land on the workpiece and that the clamp clears vises, aprons, and other obstructions.
- The operation: Planing, chiseling, and carving place the work differently; position the holdfast so it secures the stock without obstructing the tool path.
- How the stock is supported: If you need an end stop or support in combination with a vise, bench dogs may suit that setup better than a holdfast alone.
Limits of the available designs
The cited descriptions do not establish a tested load rating or measured safe clamping force for either homemade design. They also do not show that one design is universally best. Treat the dimensions as construction details for their respective plans, not as proof of capacity; suitability depends on the particular build, the bench interface, and how the work is held.
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