Holdfast for £49

[kinsella]

Holdfasts at Workshopheaven. £49 for 1 is steep but not sure where else they are available.

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Con ... ml#SID=398

 

[KevM]

Holdfasts at Workshopheaven. £49 for 1 is steep but not sure where else they are available.

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Con ... ml#SID=398

Agreed they seem pretty spendy, but in fairness the £49 is for a pair (plus shipping). You can get the Gramercy holdfasts from Fine Tools in Germany for €20 each; a pair plus shipping will take you to €52, or ~£41

 

[Glynne]

Not the classic ones, but I have a pair of Sjoberg ones which I think are really good. £26.45 from Axminster.

 

[wizard]

I think i will light up the forge :shock:

 

[Graham Orm]

Try Ebay for valve spring compressors, mine cost £7 if memory serves.
Here you go £4.99 with 2 days to go. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clarke-OHV-va ... 259a9943b9

 

[AndyT]

They look very similar to the ones that some of us were fortunate enough to be able to buy from Richard T.

Congrats to Matt at WH for managing to sort out an alternative maker.

They really are so effective and quick to use. I would not want to go back to messing about with screw threaded cramps and suchlike.
£49 for a pair is not unreasonable.

 

[Graham Orm]

Andy the valve spring compressor works the same way as Mole Grips, the handle is a lever with a pivot point, once snapped down its locked. I never use the screw thread, just alter how fat the bar is inserted into the dog hole.

 

[LeeElms]

The link to the WH site given by the OP (now) shows the price as £45.

 

[woodpig]

I think i will light up the forge :shock:

Agreed! I don't have a forge but reckon the propane torch would do. I've got a big hammer and an Anvil...

 

[John15]

I bought just one from Dieter Schmid http://www.fine-tools.com/holdfast.html, 25 euros incl shipping. It's made in the USA by Gramercy. I'm very pleased with it. I'm going to buy a second one.

John

 

[condeesteso]

They look very similar to the ones that some of us were fortunate enough to be able to buy from Richard T.

Congrats to Matt at WH for managing to sort out an alternative maker.

They really are so effective and quick to use. I would not want to go back to messing about with screw threaded cramps and suchlike.
£49 for a pair is not unreasonable.

Totally agree - it is for a pair as said so 49 is fine. They are proper forged, I expect the Gramercy are fine but they are 'cold-forged' due to a severe shortage of hot forges in the States :lol:
I would not get by without my Richard T ones (all 5 of 'em) - the absolute essentil first bench accessory... by far. (Richard's used to be 45 a pair through Richard Maguire's store).

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Not the classic ones, but I have a pair of Sjoberg ones which I think are really good. £26.45 from Axminster.

+ 1, they are excellent.

 

[LeeElms]

+2

 

[kinsella]

Brill, 19.95 euro is a bit more like it.

 

[bugbear]

Brill, 19.95 euro is a bit more like it.

They're all more-or-less the same price, once you notice which ones are sold as pairs.

BugBear

 

[Fromey]

I bough a pair from The English Woodworker a while ago and, although very nicely made, they've never worked. When I whack them down, they contact the wood only on the rear 1/4 of the foot, which means they don't have much grip and my work moves quite easily. This is almost certainly because of the thickness of my bench/diameter of the dog holes (a Sjobergs bench). Unfortunately I don't have the where-with-all to bend the foot down by a couple of degrees so that it will make full contact.

Do you think a standard blacksmith could do this (big hammer and anvil) or is there some sort of trick to fettling them to your bench?

 

[RogerP]

I still don't see how 2 pieces of 20mm round bar with a flattened ends and one bend can almost 50 quid.

20mm Mild Steel Round Bar is about £25 retail for 2 meters delivered (enough for 4?), much less in quantity.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bough a pair from The English Woodworker a while ago and, although very nicely made, they've never worked. When I whack them down, they contact the wood only on the rear 1/4 of the foot, which means they don't have much grip and my work moves quite easily. This is almost certainly because of the thickness of my bench/diameter of the dog holes (a Sjobergs bench). Unfortunately I don't have the where-with-all to bend the foot down by a couple of degrees so that it will make full contact.

Do you think a standard blacksmith could do this (big hammer and anvil) or is there some sort of trick to fettling them to your bench?

I might be wrong, but I seem to remember that the Sjoberg benches have 20mm holes and the Ones from The English Woodworker are meant for 19mm holes, which could explain why yours don't seat properly. You could straighten them slightly in a home fireplace with a log and a lump hammer if you have a friend with an open fire (or a stove, even). A blacksmith would do it easily, or you could probably grind them back with no significant weakening.

 

[morfa]

I bough a pair from The English Woodworker a while ago and, although very nicely made, they've never worked. When I whack them down, they contact the wood only on the rear 1/4 of the foot, which means they don't have much grip and my work moves quite easily. This is almost certainly because of the thickness of my bench/diameter of the dog holes (a Sjobergs bench). Unfortunately I don't have the where-with-all to bend the foot down by a couple of degrees so that it will make full contact.

Do you think a standard blacksmith could do this (big hammer and anvil) or is there some sort of trick to fettling them to your bench?

Have you tried filing the holdfast slightly? I've done that to mine in my thick worktop and they're much better now. I have a pair of the Richard T ones and they cost a similar amount to the ones Matt is selling. They're great.

 

[AndyT]

I bough a pair from The English Woodworker a while ago and, although very nicely made, they've never worked. When I whack them down, they contact the wood only on the rear 1/4 of the foot, which means they don't have much grip and my work moves quite easily. This is almost certainly because of the thickness of my bench/diameter of the dog holes (a Sjobergs bench). Unfortunately I don't have the where-with-all to bend the foot down by a couple of degrees so that it will make full contact.

Do you think a standard blacksmith could do this (big hammer and anvil) or is there some sort of trick to fettling them to your bench?

Fromey

The holdfasts sold by Richard Maguire (The English Woodworker) were made by Richard Tomes, developed in collaboration with forum members and sold by Richard directly. Some time in about 2013 he started supplying them through TEWW, though sadly the two Richards never met; I'm sure they would have got on wonderfully well.

This link should take you to the right page of the very long thread

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums...ay-have-found-a-uk-blacksmith-t42256-120.html

where you will see that they were designed for a bench roughly 2" thick with a 19mm / 3/4" hole.

If your bench is twice that thickness, there won't be enough room for the bar to tilt over in the deep, narrow hole and lock into place. You could fix this by making the hole shallower (ie counterbore from below) or wider. I recommend that you do some experiments on bits of scrap before making any changes on your bench.