&sq=&lang=&file=File:Holdfast.jpg) A carpenter using a holdfast | |
| Other names | Hold fast, hold-down |
|---|---|
| Used with | Woodworking workbench or anvil |
A holdfast or hold fast is a form of temporary clamp used to hold a workpiece firmly to the top or side of a wooden workbench or the top of an anvil.[1]
A form of bench dog, a traditional holdfast has either a curved or flat top. Its shank is slid loosely into a “dog” hole in the bench or anvil until the tip of its hook touches the work. It is set by hitting its top with a mallet or hammer, which causes the shaft to wedge tightly against the sides of the hole. A tap of its back side near the top releases it.
Contemporary holdfasts are commonly designed to fit in 3⁄4 inch (19 mm) holes, somewhat narrower than had been traditional.[2] Scrap pieces of wood or leather are often used between the holdfast and the workpiece to prevent marring it.
An adaptation of the holdfast is threaded, sometimes known as a “screwdown”, which is tightened rather than tapped in place.[3]
- ^ Bealer, Alex (1989). Old Ways of Working Wood: The Techniques and Tools of a Time-Honored Craft. New York: Bonanza Books. p. 73. ISBN 0-517-69313-5.
- ^ "Why a 1" Holdfast Hole?". Lost Art Press. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ The Complete woodworker. Jones, Bernard E. (Bernard Edward), 1879-1965. (New ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press. 1980. pp. 50–52. ISBN 0-89815-022-1. OCLC 7283260.
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