[Beginner] Chamfering dog holes

[BodgerM_497]

Hello all. This is my inaugural post on UKWorkshop!

I recently taken up woodwork, having moved from metalwork. I'm planning to drill a few 19mm dog holes in my newly built beech topped work bench for hold fasts amongst other things. The hold fast retailer recommended a little chamfer around the top of the hole greatly reduces the chance of breakout when I bang the holdfasts in.
...how can I achieve a consistent chamfer around the entire circumference?

Would this be a job for a router with special bit? Is there a manual tool to achieve the same result?

 

[Spectric]

You can buy the tool from Axminster

https://www.axminstertools.com/ujk-...utm_content=1792&tagrid=53633656&glCountry=GB

 

[MikeK]

The tool Roy referenced works great with MDF or similar tops. I chamfered the 200 holes in my 19mm thick Valchromat top in a few minutes with this tool.

I don't know how well it would work with your beech top, but I think there are negative reviews for some using it with plywood tops. I think you might have better success with a 45-degree chamfer cutter in a router.

 

[G S Haydon]

Just use a chisel, carefully riding the bevel. You'll learn about grain direction quickly.

If you want a clinical look use a roundover cutter in a small router.

 

[Argus]

I have never done anything like that myself, but whatever you do to the dog-holes, you can minimise any movement of your holdfasts in use by roughing the steel with a series of light centre-punch marks or judicious filing marks in a line downwards on the shank below the hook and in a line downwards on the opposite side of the shank.....

It is in a line with the bits of the shank that are in contact with the insides of the dog-holes.

This sounds like sacrilege, but in time these contact points will polish the wood inside the dog-holes and the hooks may tend to slip. Roughing the metal gives a better grip.

 

[TRITON]

As above with the Axminster chamfering tool. I know its expensive for what it is, but im also going to get one because even using a router its going to likely take longer, and theres a chance of something going amiss(unlikely yeah) but as Scotty says " The right tool for the right job"

I was watching a vid on YT last night on the Parf system mk2 - and the chap used one explaining that its only a matter of a few turns, and when the chamfer is done, the tool moves down so you know its complete.
As explained on Ax advert for it. Expensive for what it is, but its got a 4 sided cutter and its unlikely to ever need replaced, so like the system itself, you'll have it in use for a very long time. That to me is a good sign of a well designed something that does its job proper wise.

 

[Doug71]

The OP mentions 19mm holes and the Axminster tool is for 20mm holes, I'm guessing it won't fit

I used a bearing guided cutter in my router similar to what Mike linked to.

 

[MikeK]

The OP mentions 19mm holes and the Axminster tool is for 20mm holes, I'm guessing it won't fit

Doh! I missed that completely.

 

[rogxwhit]

Funny how straight away it turns into the shopping channel. You don't have to BUY anything to chamfer a few holes. For heaven's sake, use a knife! Four cuts and a bit of trimming per hole.

 

[D_W]

These are tough questions to answer. Two variables make it that way:
1) we have a beginner - success breeds coming back into the shop
2) the desire is for perfection on a bench.

Before I bought anything, I'd grab a large coin and twist it around in the dog hole to chamfer the edge.

But on an ash bench, I've never even thought about this and am not aware of anything splintering out.

 

[HOJ]

a few 19mm dog holes

How many is a few, I've got 2 in my bench.

The hold fast retailer recommended a little chamfer around the top of the hole greatly reduces the chance of breakout when I bang the holdfasts in.

Piece of sandpaper! maybe more of a problem when your knocking them out.

Funny how straight away it turns into the shopping channel

I'm with you, spent my working life working out how to do something without a spending spree involved

 

[TheUnicorn]

... I think you might have better success with a 45-degree chamfer cutter in a router.

just out of interest, why would a chamfer be better than a roundover? is in not just a case of taking off the crisp edge to make the insertion easier

 

[MikeK]

just out of interest, why would a chamfer be better than a roundover? is in not just a case of taking off the crisp edge to make the insertion easier

I can't answer for the OP, but in my case all of my 20mm dogs have a 45-degree angle on the bottom of the flush stop collar. These fit perfectly into the chamfer. A roundover, or no chamfer at all would make the stop collars proud of the work surface. If the dogs didn't have the flush collars, I wouldn't bother with a chamfer or roundover at all.

 

[TheUnicorn]

I can't answer for the OP, but in my case all of my 20mm dogs have a 45-degree angle on the bottom of the flush stop collar. These fit perfectly into the chamfer. A roundover, or no chamfer at all would make the stop collars proud of the worksurface.

Thanks mike, I think I'd misunderstood the purpose of the chamfer

 

[D_W]

I can't answer for the OP, but in my case all of my 20mm dogs have a 45-degree angle on the bottom of the flush stop collar. These fit perfectly into the chamfer. A roundover, or no chamfer at all would make the stop collars proud of the work surface. If the dogs didn't have the flush collars, I wouldn't bother with a chamfer or roundover at all.

what are these dogs made of? I'm guessing they're not hard enough to squash right into the surface, or maybe designed for benches where you wouldn't want to do that?

I'd still use a coin.

 

[MikeK]

what are these dogs made of? I'm guessing they're not hard enough to squash right into the surface, or maybe designed for benches where you wouldn't want to do that?

I'd still use a coin.

They are the UJK dogs and are 303 grade stainless steel. I don't smash them into anything.

 

[D_W]

I'd probably use them to "fireform" my bench, even if I had to hit them with wood in between and a heavy hammer.

But my bench has two key features - it's really heavy, and it's not very neat.



I looked up the brand of dog that you mentioned, but there are so many that I can't guess at the application or what type of bench surface you might have.

Mine has been on notice since day one - anything is fair game. But we all work differently. Organization and cleanliness will literally confuse me trying to achieve it - to the point of triggering headaches. That's a foreign concept to people who are really neat and tidy or they get the same feeling from not being that.

 

[MikeK]

I looked up the brand of dog that you mentioned, but there are so many that I can't guess at the application or what type of bench surface you might have.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/mft-style-workbench.126832/

 

[D_W]

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/mft-style-workbench.126832/

Got it. That doesn't look like a surface that I'd "fireform".

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A small bearing guiding rounding over cutter in a router (which most of possess) will do the job in seconds.

Yes, there are other ways (or not bothering at all).