Dog hole offset distance

[Kevin Hampshire]

I'm finishing my workbench build and not certain about the "best" distance from the front edge for the offset of my tail vise dog holes.

Right now I already have 3/4" Veritas QR Wonder Dog (planned tail vise), Veritas brass Bench dogs and some Kreg dogs to try. My current "cheapo" bench doesn't have 3/4" holes so I haven't worked with any of these yet.

The top on the new bench is 3 5/8" (thick) laminated SYP and I was considering doing a partial lamination that already incorporates the dog holes (drilled out on the drill press). I could also drill those holes into the final laminated top, but not as easily as on the drill press.


My WAG is to offset the holes back from the front edge about 1 3/4" but I was wondering if that is too close to the front.

Any words of wisdom from the experiences of others? Not sure if it matters, but I've already invested in several Veritas fenced planes so that may play into the offset distance.

[Jeff Ranck]

Search is your friend on this topic:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...bout-dog-holes
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ement-question
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...the-front-edge

It mostly depends on your vise. Tail vises seem to like someplace between 3/4" and 2".

Jeff.

[Phil Mueller]

You'll get more experienced answers soon, but seems to me you would want to line them up with the center of your tail vise.

[Prashun Patel]

I did mine @ 2". Never had a regret.

[Rob Luter]

I set mine about 7 1/2" in from the edge to line up with a dog that is in a vise. Its too far. They work fine, but wish they were about 2" from the edge instead. I may put in another set.

[lowell holmes]

My dog holes are on 5" centers, 3 1/2" from the front of the bench. A also have holes on 12" centers on the back side of the bench. I store bench dogs and whatever in them.

I do not have an end vise, I have adjustable dogs for the holes. If I had an end vise, the holes would be in line with it.

[Kevin Hampshire]

I'm not going to have an actual fixed tail vise.

Planning to use a Veritas QR Wonder Dog as the tail vise. The bench is portable and I don't want to mount a permanent tail vise so there will just be the 3/4" holes.
IMG_7046.jpg

I've positioned them on the 1 3/4" centerline.

[Thomas Schneider]

Mind if ask what you do and don't like about them and why 2".

I set mine about 7 1/2" in from the edge to line up with a dog that is in a vise. Its too far. They work fine, but wish they were about 2" from the edge instead. I may put in another set.

[glenn bradley]

My previous bench had QR vises and I spaced them at about 6". The logic there was that they were within about half the travel of the vise carriage. I now have a twin screw that is not QR and I have them a bit under 5" (evenly divided the distance) and this seems fine despite the fact that I have to crank the chop in or out to reach the position I'm after.

[Robert Engel]

2-3" from edge.

Bench4a.jpg

[Rob Luter]

Mind if ask what you do and don't like about them and why 2".

I just prefer the board I'm planing to be closer to the edge of the bench. It lets me establish better mechanical advantage as I can get my body weight over the workpiece. They work OK as is, but after working on this bench for 8 years I've notice a couple things I'd tweak for my next bench build.