Where To Place Your Bench Dogs

Just finished your new bench and wondering where to place your bench dogs ? I had the same struggles. There are so many considerations. What style bench do you have, do you have vises to contend with, what accessories will you be using? These are all the problems i faced and made me apprehensive when it came to drilling holes in my bench. I did a TON of research and watched as many videos as i could find (there weren't many) and read as many articles out there on the subject. Finally, i felt i had a good idea of where to start and began to layout the holes. I used several handy tools to aid me in this task and you can find them on the woodcraft website here: And you can find the individual tools here:
dimensionswood...
You can also check out my work on my website over at dimensionswoodw...
And if you want to see what i'm working on day to day, you can check out my Instagram at / dimensions_woodworks
#workbench #benchdogs

[@JakeThompson]

Awesome as usual Brother!! Jealous of the woodpeckers tools!! 👍👍👊

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Thanks bro! I think you still have a few more dollars worth of tools in your shop than i do in mine, even with my woodpeckers tools 😂 I just started getting one at a time, eventually I’ll have a whole red wall 👍🏻

[@JakeThompson]

Dimensionswoodworks 💪💪💪😄

[@G.I.JeffsWorkbench]

Great overview. Worth thinking about where you want your dog holes (+ how many holes). Well worth watching.

[@aaronwilson9763]

"Wise Words" from the Dimensionalwoodworks... "Add dog holes as you need them"...start with as few as possible. Thanks for sharing!

[@randallthomas5207]

Traditionally the dog hole spacing is based on the range of the vise movement. If the fully closed to fully open reach of your vise is 6-inches, the dog holes should be spaced at about 5.5-inches.

[@YouTuber-mc2el]

My thoughts exactly

[@treemendousdigitalmarketin3353]

Great explanation. I appreciate the clarity and the review of many different options. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and all the research that you did over the months prior to making this video

[@brentfowler2317]

Also when I drilled my dog holes. I went to Home Depot and picked up a plastic 12" by 12" peg board square. And used it to lay out the dog holes. Because the holes on the plastic peg board are all 2" away from each other. So I could space everything according to how I wanted the holes to be. Just a thought for anyone planning to drill dog holes.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

More than one way to skin a cat 👍🏻

[@brentfowler2317]

@@dimensionswoodworks exactly, that's what I love about woodworking. And honestly I just wanted to give other people another idea on how to do what you did. However I really like the method you chose.

[@daveyJ213]

Great video. I know what you mean about drilling holes into your hard earned workbench top. Time to put holes in my top. Thanks for posting.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Thanks for watching! Hopefully you get some useful information.

[@johnmunoz8845]

Thanks for your video. I'm at the place in my workbench where I'm deciding where to place the dog holes and what clamps to use. This info really helped me clarify what I need.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

John Munoz awesome! I hope it helped you!! Thanks for watching!

[@mariorenaud1]

Thanks for the video. I'm ready to drill hole, but not too many. Thanks again

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yeah i have added a few since then but it’s better to see where your workflow takes you, rather than drilling holes everywhere that never get used.

[@davidiand7]

Excellent video, am at the same stage, where should I place dog holes, now I know. 🌟🌟🌟

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Sorry for the feedback in the video. Thanks was learning new equipment. Hopefully you get some useful info from it.

[@DD-lc9jv]

Just a thought but I honestly think you'd made a much better video without the music dubbed in. It made it difficult to hear you at times and was distracting and took away from what you was saying. Dont get me wrong I am a firm believer in that music when properly place adds to the production value of a video but you also have to ask yourself when is the last time you watched a well produced segment that had music playing the entire time at a volume just below that of the person speaking? Otherwise great video and very informative!

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Thanks for the feedback. In this particular video, i was trying to cover up the feedback from my mic that was HORRIBLE without anything else to distract from the noise. I’ve since eliminated this issue and they’ll be better in the future. Thanks for watching and the constructive criticism 👍🏻

[@wb_finewoodworking]

JD this is the best video I’ve seen on drilling bench dog holes and I’ve watched a lot of them. I especially liked the idea of testing out different bits to get the best fit for the bench dogs and hold fasts I plan to use in my bench. Your referral to Shannon’s ideas and video are spot on. I’ve watched his video and your explanation of what he suggests was helpful. Drilling dog holes is the next step in my workbench build and now with what I gained from your video I have more confidence in getting that part of the build done. Thank you. BTW - My bench will also have a Nicolson style “back” to it. I like the added option. Stay safe and healthy.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

WB Fine Woodworking Thanks so much for the feedback! I truly appreciate it and i hope i gave some helpful knowledge on the subject. I love the versatility of having the roubo/Nicholson split top and with the addition of the dog holes in the top, i feel there’s no situation that i can’t have a stable working surface. Thanks again and share for anyone else who may be getting ready to tackle this part of their workbench build. There’s not enough info out there on this subject!

[@bigpushing7167]

Very helpful! thank you

[@greenville39w]

Please stop the music PLEASE STOP

[@marineman2298]

Just found you JD, an excellent job and great content on bench dog placement as well as the workbench. You and the music are fine, nice and calming,. Whoever is hearing background "interference" needs to have their hearing and/or computer audio checked. Liked, subscribed.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

The interference is definitely there, but it’s far more pronounced in headphones 🎧 I’m so glad you enjoyed the projects/videos and I appreciate the support! Should have another video up in a couple days so stay tuned 😃

[@josetavarez6946]

Very nice in depth review!

[@joshlillpop5595]

Appreciate the info, very helpful.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Glad to be of assistance!

[@Cahsolotree]

Ide cemerlang dan kreatif,salam satu hobi

[@Dunc2222]

Helpful info, but unfortunate the audio was a little poor. The background music is too loud, and there's some interference noise in parts of the vid.

[@Quinteros777]

Question: Can a bench top be too thick which could render these hold fast ineffecttive? Thanks for the vid.

[@dwoody54]

Great information, just got through building bench. Now the holes and finish.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Hope it helps a little!

[@dwoody54]

@@dimensionswoodworks alot

[@YouTuber-mc2el]

I too am building a bench with 5 1/2" material (2x6) then planing down to true the top. Did you find that the excessively deep dog holes gave the hold downs trouble locking in place? I am planning to counterbore a couple of inches from the bottom to eliminate this potential problem.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yes. You need to counter bore the bottom of the dog holes. There’s no way to get the cantilever effect from traditional holdfasts without that process. I typically use my Scandinavian holdfast for most work on the top though so it’s not an issue

[@donbrown3599]

Thank you for the great tips. I have a question. I have a 3/4" piece of hardwood will the Woodcraft bench dogs work in that thickest of wood?

[@dimensionswoodworks]

You mean your bench top is 3/4 ?

[@dcolorado7483]

liked it. maybe think about putting your logo at the top right corner of your screen and make it smaller. couldn't get a good look at the bits.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yeah , i try to be consistent with the location of the logo, unfortunately , sometimes it gets in the way.

[@halfabee]

Going across the bench the holes could be placed a little under the throat of the vice in distance.

[@spokebloke1]

Great video - production, camera work, your commentary are all excellent. On this video though, the audio was terrible - there's a screeching noise over the top of everything that made it so hard to listen to that I couldn't finish watching it! But you do have a new subscriber!

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yeah , sorry about that. I was using a new lav mic and i didn’t know about the feedback until i was editing while wearing headphones 🎧 i haven’t used that one since. Thanks for the kind words and I’ll have a new video out soon !

[@brentfowler2317]

Question, I've always used a Forstner bit for dog holes. Because it was the cleanest, and best fitting. I see you used a paddle bit, it spade bit. Was the reason because the for forstner bit was slower? It was that bit old? Or did it just not give you all clean or as good of a fit? I'm just wondering my friend. Thanks for the awesome video.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

I did the test for that reason. Plus my top is too thick to go all the way through, but the spade bit gave the cleaner hole anyway

[@jamesmac8424]

​@@dimensionswoodworks Forstner bits are widely accepted as the bit that provides the cleanest hole.

[@raizt1596]

Did you consider danish oil instead of linseed? Curious why you chose linseed. I'm building my first workbench now and can't decide what to use.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Danish oil is largely comprised of Linseed oil. Either are fine but danish oil is just a bit more durable.

[@rogerboucher1913]

Good explanation! But plz, cut down the volume of the good music. It should be a background sound ( if you really need it) like ⅓ the volume of your voice. Cheers

[@daisyvandermuur5973]

Are longer screws stronger?

[@DragonEyeOfficial]

i see you change from danish to boiled Linseed Oil, is there a reason for this ? oh and i must confest i buid a whole bench in my basement from all your diy video ! you rock pal !! keep it up !

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Not really a big difference. There is linseed oil in most of the hand rubbed oils including danish oil.

[@DragonEyeOfficial]

@@dimensionswoodworks oh ! dint know ! thx !

[@sreevatsan]

Fantatsic video, JD! This is one of the best videos I've seen on drilling dog holes on your workbench top. I intend to drill dog holes on my newly built workbench. It has a 1-inch thick hardwood Oak butcher block top (countertop from HomeDepot). Would the regular 3/4" Spade bit be okay for this type of wood? Or is it only good for softwoods like Pine? Also since my top is only 1 inch thick, I wonder which dog hole clamp (mentioned your video) would work best with this setup. Should I add thicker hardwood blocks under the hole locations to extend the depth of the holes?

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Thanks! I’m glad you got some useful information from it and I apologize for the audio in that one, i had technical difficulties. The spade bit should do just fine with the hardwood. If i had a choice of any accessories in the video it would hands down be the larger of the sjobergs holdfasts and it will grip in your 1” top. As for traditional dogs, they won’t. You can get around this a few ways but the easiest would be to make some dogs from 3/4” dowels. There’s another video on the channel going through the process of making them yourself.

[@fredmeyer3063]

One thing I'm not sure about is how close to the edge I can drill 3/4" holdfast/dog holes. I notice that your holes are 2" or farther from edges. Is that a good rule of thumb? Thanks

[@dimensionswoodworks]

I would go any closer to the edge with that large of a hole for fear of blowing it out. There’s plenty other ways to hold work on the edge of the bench.

[@charlieodom9107]

I see that one line of holes goes through a glue joint. Should I try to avoid this or does it not matter? I'm trying to design a bench and might need one set of holes to do just that.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

It won’t matter, there is so much glue surface that a few gaps in that amount of length, won’t significantly weaken the joint.

[@charlieodom9107]

@@dimensionswoodworks thank you for the response. This makes buying the lumber a LOT easier and cheaper knowing this. I plan to make the top from Pine, then add a hardwood down the length where the holes will be cut on the edges, but wanted to glue up thinner hardwood boards instead of buying one thick board for each row of holes.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Each situation is unique and honestly, at the end of the day it’s YOUR bench. That’s the upside of building it rather than buying one(and it’s way cheaper) hope you got some ideas and the video helps, even if only a little. Thanks for watching!

[@williequinlan4946]

Thank You 👍✅

[@cerberus2881]

You don't want to screw it up, Exactly!

[@COYO-T]

I have a question,If your using your bench dog to set your spacing after your first hole then why did you waste time laying out all the others?

[@dimensionswoodworks]

I’m anal retentive. It’s not necessary.

[@antoniotizen8413]

This is a great woodworking book, t.co/z6o0f8z2H4 . I took several classes as well as completed a one year diploma in carpentry at a local tech college; this is better than any book I worked out of during those lessons. It includes helpful pictures and goes over just about everything.?

[@DeeegerD]

Yes the last thing is usually the dog holes ;)

[@allenhess6583]

Do you see any problems with having so much heartwood in your top. I don’t think it would create any problems, just asking. Nice explanation. Thanks for review of commercial holdfasts. Be safe.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

No Sir , no issues at all. Thank for watching!

[@redslover5293]

I really like everything about this video EXCEPT, music volume is too high & your "Dimensions" logo gets in the way of what I want to see.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yeah we all learn every time we do things repeatedly. I have not committed those violations again… check out some of my more recent videos and let me know what you think

[@luvpostrock69]

Watched this video and found the background music annoying and very distracting. Great instructional video though.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yeah not too many of us start out perfect. I’ve tried to learn a bit more with every video and correct previous mistakes, kind of similar to my woodworking journey. Thanks for taking the time to check it out!

[@khindmanatc]

logo block image of drill bits

[@Mr_Rick]

Nice bench. I question two things: 1) why such a thick bench. 2x4 would work nicely. 2) why BLO down the dog hole. It reduces the friction needed to secure dogs. I would think it best to leave as is without finish.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

The bench is too thick. I should’ve made it 3” thick. And I’ve had no issues with the finish in the holes.

[@Mr_Rick]

@@dimensionswoodworks Thanks for replying back and sharing. I like that you tested the various bits. I did mine with a Forstner bit thinking a Spade bit would be sloppier. I had no problem. I guess the kind of wood makes a difference too. Cheers!

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Thanks for watching and I hope you got something useful from the video.

[@Mr_Rick]

@@dimensionswoodworks Definitely a pleasure to watch. Just watched your "Sliding Deadman". Never heard of this before. Good on ya!

[@kennnva551]

Woodcraft is a sponsor and they sell WoodRiver products, so your choice of holdfasts is understood. (I buy from Woodcraft and have had a couple undesirable experiences with Rockler ... plus Woodcraft has a retail store nearby in Norfolk.) I've heard that cast holdfasts are too stiff and often brittle, and that forged holdfasts are preferred. However, forged pieces can be quite expensive and are difficult to locate. I've come to really like the Gramercy holdfasts formed from heavy wire. Just offering up that option for those seeking holdfasts that work well. toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/MS-HOLDFAST.XX?searchterm=holdfast

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yeah you gotta go with what works for you in your shop. I’ve actually come to prefer the Sjobergs Scandinavian style holdfasts over the WR.

[@danielu1763]

Interesting in that the speedbore was tighter than the spade bit for me.

[@phooesnax]

Is that southern yellow pine ? Do you like it. Any issues.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yeah it’s syp. I like it for everything i do. There’s folks who say it should be hardwood but most of my furniture is hardwood and I’d rather dent my bench than my furniture. Only thing i would change is not do the through tenons on the legs. As the wood dried it left small gaps around the top of where the legs joint to the top.

[@phooesnax]

@@dimensionswoodworks Thank You very much for your answer! Great job!

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Thanks for watching!

[@BDL090754]

Why is there music playing in the background...? cannot hear anything,...uh

[@kevinmain5727]

Video is awesome, but leave the music out next time. It’s distracting. Thanks for sharing

[@dimensionswoodworks]

I was trying to cover up the HORRIBLE feedback whine from my microphone. Trust me, it was MUCH worse.

[@doolinmoranphotography4461]

@@dimensionswoodworks I loved the music!

[@danaparish1644]

What bench is that? Did you make it or buy it?

[@dimensionswoodworks]

I built it. It’s a hybrid Nicholson/Roubo Best Wood Working Workbench Ever...?

[@TheFirebrew]

Your “Dimensions “ logo in the right lower corner is very distracting. It’s too big and it covers up things you’re trying to show.

[@iangardener3464]

YOUR LOGO JUST BLOCKS THE VIEW

[@DvlDawg]

That was my biggest critique on this, only have the logo maybe at beginning and end.

[@tnabbott]

Difficult to hear with the music in the background.

[@TinMan1954]

Kill the background music but otherwise good information.

[@FrankJohnson-ye8lt]

Drop the background music. It doesn't help those (like me) with partial deafness.

[@MikeAG333]

Nordic IS Scandinavian.

[@kknickerbocker2812]

Interested in your project, but had to leave. Hard to hear your voice over the 'music'.

[@enderuslu7535]

Thanks your video but your logo on video is too big. I dont see detail under the logo

[@dimensionswoodworks]

It’s a mistake i no longer repeat

[@frankhouck4446]

Plunge rout it

[@mikeking7470]

The music in the background is a huge distraction, I couldn't finish the video.

[@mroozendaal]

Good content but boy that music and beep is annoying!

[@cristofacar]

I am sure this is very interesting, but I couldn't watch it because the music was too loud to clearly hear what you were saying. What does music add to a video - surely the content is the most important?

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Unfortunately in this video i shot it all with a new wireless microphone that had terrible feedback. I tried to use the music to cover the annoying hissing and popping that came through and i couldn’t redo it because it was all shot talking to the camera and not voiceover. It was a mistake that was not repeated.

[@danhusker1413]

Great job. I have a laminated Roubo bench top I made several years ago but have no holes in it. Your design gave me several good insights. No thumbs up though. That background music was real annoying. Please drop it for future videos. And I do look forward to them.

[@jkelectrical]

logo too big at bottom right

[@MarcusRefusius]

$400 worth of Squares and a $25.99 Drill guide.

[@michaelgregson5165]

Great video but you need to loose the music, it's very off-putting.

[@rem45acp]

The logo covers approximately 1/8 of the viewable video footage, and it's kind of annoying as it covers up your tools in the beginning and details as you're working. Maybe shrink it a bit for next time?

[@dimensionswoodworks]

I’ve quit adding it altogether

[@businessenglishlessonseslf8492]

Please turn off the music when you're talking. It's the only thing that spoils this otherwise great video.

[@MrSeminole77]

not too helpful if you have not bought holdfasts prior to drilling- but thanks. Peas out

[@majinkakashi20]

Dude....music... cmon. Wtf

[@dalejensen4402]

You could lose that music it's annoying

[@davidbroadfoot1864]

Very annoyig music makes it hard to concentrate on what you are saying.

[@marcclarke01]

The completely unnecessary music track is extremely distracting.

[@dimensionswoodworks]

I was trying to reduce the terrible feedback noise from my mic 🎙

[@osmondwong508]

your logo block your contents

[@robertharper8702]

Using spade bits, as by name are more suited for digging wholes than drilling.The drilling jig he is using also is not accurate by any means.

[@OldBastardOnaHarley]

What's with all those speeded-up parts? Trying to listen for critical measurements, and he goes Alvin and the Chipmunks. I think the guy is a salesman for Woodcraft, Woodpecker and a few others anyway. This video is a waste of time.

[@usedcarsokinawa]

Poor placement of your logo. Get rid of the background music and some electrical sounding sound.

[@bernhardflueckiger2364]

Am I he only one hearyng the absolutely annoying interference noise?? Content of the video is great, but i was sooo disrtracted by that constant noise in the background to the point I almost couldn't follow your speech. Maybe you should check your equipment!

[@dimensionswoodworks]

Yes it was a malfunction in my wireless lav mic. It had interference in this video for some odd reason, but i couldn’t hear it in camera, i only discovered it in post , once everything was done and i couldn’t go back and do voiceover 😢 I tried to fix it the best i could, but it’s still there. My apologies. ALL videos where i use that mic in the future, i will test before completion to ensure there’s no feedback! Thanks for watching!