In fact the bent steel bar variants are probably the best thing to come to holdfasts since they were invented.
Woodworking gramercy holdfast. Holdfasts that really work. Recently added two of joel s holdfasts to my bench because i wasn t pleased with the cast holdfasts i ve used for a long time. When hand mortising the edge of a board for example the holdfasts tend to work loose as the piece is manipulated. Here is what then editor christopher schwarz had to say.
Tools for working wood tools is a brooklyn based manufacturer and supplier of quality woodworking tools. Professional splinter removal kit. 4 4 out of 5 stars 56. The gramercy holdfasts referred to in this article were prototypes not the current production models.
As a third hand i prefer the light weight ones. By garrett hack aug 10 2006 often used in pairs or in conjunction with benchdogs or clamps the venerable holdfast is like having a third hand to help hold a workpiece against a bench for tasks such as planing chiseling and carving. The holdfast was sufficiently important to rate almost half a page in moxon s mechanicks exercises 1678 the first book on woodworking in english. Craftsman auto adjust push peg clamp 949808.
Holdfasts by gramercy tools. Hey it s still faster than f clamps. Dissatisfied with brittle cast holdfasts that crack when struck gramercy developed a way to form them from steel. Types of holdfasts for woodworking because of the way i incorporate holdfasts in to my work.
But by the middle of the 19th century as regular vices of all sorts of designs became more popular the holdfast disappeared from view. If you aren t already using holdfasts i can t recommend them highly enough. The best features are incorporated into hybrids produced with modern materials and manufacturing processes. Gramercy were the first to do this that i m aware of.
3 7 out of 5 stars 17. This article was originally published in issue 4 of woodworking magazine which was published in the fall of 2005. Gramercy tools 12 bow saw blades. The gramercy holdfast is excellent which is not a surprise.
These holdfasts from gramercy tools are made from forged steel and fit 3 4 in dia. Using two holdfasts helps with this but keep your mallet handy for a quick cinch down. Gramercy tools of brooklyn new york develops hand tools that are based on historical examples but are not reproductions. Sjobergs sjo 33635 elite 1 inch holdfast.
Gramercy tools large leather tool bag made in new york state. And there s other small. The surprise is that by a simple workaround it also works beautifully in my sjoberg bench which has 1 holes.