I was a remodeling contractor for nearly 40 years, now retired, and it sometimes amazes me how much I can still learn and how many different ways there are to accomplish certain tasks and I have to laugh at how often we don't always think of what can become a most obvious solution. Most of my working life was using power tools and although I'll never give them up, mostly because I still own many, I've had this longing to improve my hand work. It just looks like so much fun and especially rewarding. I recently moved to a new home and soon I will be building a new shop and a new bench etc and I have been almost agonizing over the style of bench and accessories as I've seen so many from elaborate to the most simple. This video made a few of my decisions for me. Thank you Paul! I very much appreciate your wisdom and manner of teaching.
Dear Paul Sellers, the improvisation and the ingenuity that you demonstrate in all your videos is what I absolutely love. Not to mention the old techniques for wood working. As against all the power tools that "power" other woodworkers on RUclips. Thank you for your videos.
I always thought of him as the Bob Ross of Woodworking. He has that same calming, methodical pace and approach to whatever he does. The mark of a Master which Paul truly is.
I like to think Paul is trying to show us who are just beginning that we don't need all the bells and whistles. It's the craft that really matters.. This gets lost nowadays if u ask me bro.. Most of these channels are interested in pushing some kind of Clamping system, the Greg system or the newest gadget on the market and it's supposed to be about woodworking. A lot of these channels push a lot of other crap as well. Yeah I can pay for the ad free shit on YT but why should I..?? I want to use YT to hopefully show my journey into this art form as I like to think of it bcos I believe it is an art form when it's done the right way. Some of the pieces I've seen guys and girls make on their channels using simple tools are phenomenal works of art to me. This dude on YT @Epic UpCycling is a genius imho. This dude make beautiful pieces from all sorts of scrap pallet wood and bit of scrap metal. He's a full blown artist imo. What he has shown us is u can build anything from scrap if u have the ambition and a fair bit of ingenuity and knowhow, oh & ur also prepared to get stuck into the elbow grease side of this craft bcos it's not always easy to shape a piece of wood that needs to be squared, planed, etc. I could watch Paul Sellers explain how to sharpen chisels and saw's and all that good stuff for days on end bro. He's exceptionally great at making this craft accessible to all of us in the easiest way he possibly can and it works for me and lot's of others I guess as well..
Genius!! I bought three of those clamps and quickly replaced them with bar clamps for more torque. Using them in this was is going open up so much more that I can clap to my simple, small bench. Thank you for This!!!
Adam Gabbert my first "lessons" in woodworking was 30ish yrs ago as a 10-12 yr old kid by a gentleman that I use to shovel his drive and walkways in winter and mow his lawn during summers. Paul is bringing back so many simple things that I had long forgotten.
This is a perfect example of knowing your tools, if you have this type of bench it can cover all your needs with just a few jigs. If you have a different bench you'll need different jigs but it can work. You don't need an expensive bench just learn to work with what you've got! Love this method, most of us have bar clamps and a vice!
Thank you Paul! I learn something from every video that you post. I appreciate that you share your lifetime of skills, so that we may learn these trade skills. It's appreciated, thanks!
I had a moment like this a month or so ago, when I visited my turning teacher after 25yrs...some things he does just make me slap my head and say "...of course!" Thanks Paul. Excellent.
Living in an appartment, with very little space and trying not to disturb my neighbors while doing any kind of woodworking is very hard, but Paul's "old school" videos are the way to go. Except for hammering. everything else can be done with very little noise and without huge powertools. This is just amazing.
If you use a hammer with soft materials to cover such as leath, thick cardboard or thick cloth it can really dampen the noise of the impact. Or even get an old book and put it on a surface if you need to hammer it. When it comes to chiseling just put a soft top on the chisel and a soft cover on the hammer. While it will make a noise it will be much reduced from hammering a hard surface.
Hey Paul, simple is often better. Hard to question 50 yrs of experience! You have great content in your videos. I have learned a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Fnished my bench, and nearly drilled holes on the bench, but desidesd to look how Paul Sellers do it, and here you go, use this sistem for two years now, great.
I was agonising over my complex design of a workbench with dogs, bells and whistles etc then I saw this video and everything is so much simpler now that I can actually get on and build my bench. Great advice very well presented.
Two dog holes can allow you to have a rail with dog holes. Alternatively you can also use bench hooks along with the vice and clamps. You can create all manner of bench hooks and jigs that can either work by them self or with the vice. If you have space put a vice on both sides of the bench and that will give you even more power. Your imagination is the only limit really.
I'm kicking myself for not having thought to do this! You have just transformed an annoying and awkward aspect of my work prep room in which I have limited options for changing the layout... Thank you. I'm passing the link to a former colleague at another school to show his students too. Brilliant!
Thank you Mr. Sellers for sharing so much knowledge for so many years. I've learned a great deal from your videos. As a beginner, your patient, well-paced and detailed explanations are immensely helpful.
Thank you paul. I bought an old vice at a car boot sale and simply bolted it to the apron. I then fitted a block over the faceplate (admittedly reducing the effective expance of the jaws) so that the vice protrudes from the apron as yours does. I initially did it this way to save time because I wanted to put it to use quickly. But I saw no reason to change it later yet still felt I was being a bit lazy. Now I can call myself 'wily' instead.
The thing that is so cool about watching Paul Sellers how easy he makes it look and how SHARP is edges are. Regardless what he using--it's like a hot knife through butter. Sweet.
I just loved watching you use the old hand tools rather than power tools. Reminds me of the times working with my Grandfather in his shop when I was a boy. I don't see even one power tool in back ground. Love it.
For those in the US, Harbor Freight sells these clamps. They are pretty cheap. I do recommend putting in the wood like Paul showed in the beginning. 3/4 plywood is the perfect size width. I started off using expensive parallel clamps but I've found these clamps work just as well for most uses and are super light. If the clamps had a higher thread count on the screw, then they'd be perfect.
Just started to build my bench. The thought of bench dogs came across my mind. After watching this I think I just saved my self a few dollars and time trying to figure out what to get. Paul, many thanks. Peace from Los Angeles, CA.
Hi Paul I appreciate your willingness to educate even long-time wood workers. I like the idea of keeping the bench vise away from the bench. I have yet to purchase a vise, so this information is especially helpful. Thank you so much for teaching without shaming my ignorance. Blessings to you and yours.
I already use this concept in a different way--I built FWW "New-Fangled Workbench" which uses two built-in pipe clamps running the length of the bench for clamping long pieces, and two moveable short pipe clamps slide into holes drilled six inches on center along the bench. The long pipe clamps substitute for a tail vise, and the short pipe clamps on the side substitute for a face vise. There is also a board jack built into one side that is height-adjustable for planing the edge grain of boards. I've never found a need for drilling holes in my bench top for dogs. It's a very adaptable system that is both cheap to build and very effective. It's the same basic principle that Paul demonstrated here.
I built my workbench and put in a leg vise, deadman, and dog holes. I bought two holdfasts and 4 really cheap dogs. I wouldn't trade this system for anything and the whole thing cost me about $225. The holdfasts were the priciest thing but I love them and I love the bench. After years of clamping things and having to move the clamps, tighten the clamps, figure out how I want to clamp a piece, I just grab a holdfast and give it a tap and I'm done. Best thing I ever did. Made woodworking so much easier and now I get work done faster than ever because I don't have to work out how to hold the thing. I can hold anything. I used my leg vise and deadman the other day to shave a door that was binding. Was so easy and quick. I was cutting dovetails yesterday and I just used the holdfast to keep the piece down while I chiseled out the material between the tails. Super fast and effective. Seriously, I don't know what Paul is on about here. You really can't beat a couple of holdfasts and some dogs. The holdfasts can be pricey at $23 each, but the dogs cost me all of $12 for four of them.
Thanks for putting the time in for making these videos. I had a friend who was half Japanese, and she had this small box of wood tools: a block plane, a few (2) chisels, hand drill, and a hand saw. Sometimes she would rent a chain saw, and make lumber out of downed trees, no body wanted. Still, she she made all of her own furniture while dressed in her pajamas. It was all beautiful work. Good tools are great, but still you can work around your limitations.
Wow, did I see this in the nick of time! Was just about to make a set of bench cookies and get drilling into my bench... not now. Thanks man, saved me a bunch of work. P.S for anyone, Silverline do box sash cramps like the ones in the video for between £10 and £15 on ebay, (length dependant)
I've been doing this with my general shop vise I bought 35 years ago. Don't know the proper term for the vise, but it's just a big ol' Wilton vise, which I bought copper jaws for. I started using wood clamps clamped in the big ol' vise when the wood wouldn't fit the jaws, and it worked fine, but I thought I was being too weird ( yet again ). Surprised that Paul relies on the same principle. Good timing, too, because I am almost set on the design for my first woodworker's bench. Getting close to a decision about the design. Watching a bunch of these woodworking videos to make certain I'm on the right track. This simplifies the design because I don't have to drill a bunch of holes in the top and legs.
shopping for the clamp, there seems to be only aluminum clamps of the style clamps shown in this video. I am hesitant to buy aluminum clamps, even with a wood insert, it might deform if clamped tightly in a bench vise. I'm thinking of spending about 3 times as much for a Jorgensen bar clamp, that is made of steel with an I-beam shape to the bar.
Hi Paul, Your video was a revelation to me. I have resisted drilling dog holes as I had built in clamping edges all round my bench but I had to resort to a Workmate for most sanding of boards. Thanks. Colin in Northern Ireland
I was watching this video for the second time, and loving every moment of it. I just got through making my benchtop and it is so beautiful I didn't want to put holes for bench dogs. Now I know just what I can do with the vise and square clamps. You are amazing to watch. Thank you for teaching us the correct way to wood working.
I have several of the same clamps you use and find them quite serviceable. Well executed joinery doesn't have to be forced together and well executed joinery is what you excel at. Love your videos and I'm still saving pennies to enroll in your online courses. In the meantime your free offerings are on par with anything I have seen here and I have no doubt the courses that require payment are well worth the price.
I couldn't take my eyes off this episode. All I've got is a wooden desk in my bedroom which I've mounted a non-flush side bench vice to, and some wood clamps. I've been worrying about how to hold my work without bench dogs -trying to plane wide boards and rough lumber for making a real workbench. Before this episode I had been trying to plane with just my vice and a small bench hook, but struggled with wide boards and movement in the pieces. The clamp in the vice will really help me now, this summer. I'm excited to try it.
sWow that is one of he best tips I've ever seen. I have been thinking I would have to build a dogging system to do work. Thank you Paul you're a blessing!
I love your setup Paul and I agree you need nothing more. Ibuilt your bench almost 3 years ago and bought the cheap HF clamps like you show and modified them the same way. I have had no problems what so ever in clamping anything, and like you mentioned other than buying a nice Record Vise which I have had for a long time it was very in - expensive. You need nothing more IMO. Thanks for this video ! Steve
Great alternative, thanks. I like the bit about how it has worked for you for 50 years. Also interesting about mounting the stationary jaw of the quick release vice proud of the edge of the bench. A long video but well worth the time to watch.
awesome video. I'm building my first bench now and was originally planning on boring a number of dog holes until i read your blogs on the clamp in vise system. I've also changed my mind on having the vise flush to the work top. thank you for all your content!
Thank you so much for making this video and sharing your extensive knowledge. I had started drilling holes in my bench for dogs, but after trying the system, decided it wasn't for me. I didn't want a bench full of holes as it makes cleaning up a nightmare and the work piece never seemed secure. I couldn't believe it when I saw this video... I have 2 x 3ft sash clamps (exactly the same type as yours) that are hung up in my shed and very rarely get used. As of tomorrow they will be put to work and all the holes in my bench will be filled. Thank you very much for sharing this... I can't thank you enough for all the things I have learned from watching your videos.
Outstanding alternative Paul... The simplicity of this is something I will seriously take into consideration before drilling 3/4" dog holes into my recently built workbench! On a side note here: I have used your method on the almost completed install of my 10" woodworkers vise made by Littlestown Hdwe. & Fdry. Co., Littlestown, PA., USA. I am about to do the inside wooden jaw install across the vises inside fascia plate assy. That assy is screwed & lag bolted in place & is very close to perfectly square to the benchtop. So, in a nutshell, I am now very close to having a ready to use 14" woodworker's vise. Thank again for the many insightful tips on using hand tools on such a wide ranging type of wood working projects... Bill on the Hill, Vermont, USA... :-)
This idea is a huge help. Just used this to clean up (hand planing) a couple of boards I'm using to make another table top. Thanks for showing this technique.
Have to say I converted to bench dogs and holdfasts many years ago. I was taught your method though Paul as my dad was old school and had a face vice and a planing stop that was all. I still use this method for making handles and ploughing draw bottoms.
Brilliant idea , perfect for my needs , thank you very much for your time and effort , and helping poor new wood workers find ways to get things done without big purchases.
Paul I am so glad I came across this video. After watching countless other videos while looking for options for mounting my quick release vise, and trying to figure out what was right, flush or not. I am absolutely sure now that flush mount is not the best option for me. Thank you for sharing a lifetime of knowledge with us. The other convincing video was Matt @Next Level Carpentry when he showed how he does vertical panel clamping using his quick release vise and is able to place bar clamps on the front and back side of the panel because of the space created behind the workpiece created by the quick release rear jaw being spaced out away from the edge of the bench.
Why did this never occur to me???? I see a lot of "tips" and "hacks" on youtube, but none are really that beneficial. This one, though, is going to make a massive difference to me! Thanks Paul! :D
woodworkers need to put their creative genius and ingenuity to work solving some of the world's nasty problems. watching youtube woodworkers never stop amazing me.
Thanks for another great video Mr Sellers. You are an inspiration in all you do. Yep, as with most things, cheap in the UK or the USA... for those who live in Australia... no one sells these... we just make it work with something else.
Just look for a sash clamp with a hollow centre that can allow you to stick something in it to reinforce it. Wood is great. Somebody somewhere in Australia has a cheap hollow aluminum clamp.
Paul, Again you've demonstrated what a Master is, Every time I study your videos I learn just how simple the craft can be when you adapt to the need of the situation, I could never Thanks you enough for sharing your skill, I'm soon to retire and am vigilantly collecting second hand tool as I go, I've used power tool most my life, But after seeing the ease of how you do projects, I'm determined to craft a special Keep Sake for each my Children and Grand Children , Hopefully something they can cherish when my time has come and am called to be with Lord. Wish You all the Best,, Blessings to many more years of Being My Master, Thank You Ever So Much, Zeke from Apple Valley Calif, USA
Personally I have a bench system which I developed myself and it uses not one but TWO benches. You have a traditional style "woodworker's bench" behind you (against the wall most often), and in front of you is an assembly bench. So a "Back Bench" and a "Front Bench". You put the vice on the back bench and have it a little taller than the Front Bench. You can use the vice and dogs for planing etc and for things which need holding in a vice. I also find, very much like having the back jaw of the vice away from the bench edge, like yourself Paul, that setting the top of the vice about an inch ABOVE the the top of the vice allows you to put things in the vice and effectively saw through them without having to bend down to angle the saw up, so you don't chop through your bench. And it gives a lot more access to workpieces, in general, than when the top of the jaws are flush to the bench top. Putting a series of holes in the leg of the bench will allow you to put in a lose dowel at different heights, so you can hold a board at one end in the vice and rest the other on the lose dowel at an appropriate height. The Front Bench is left without a vice, and is as big as your space will comfortably allow (say 2M x 1M) whilst being able to comfortably walk and work all around it 360 degrees. This then allows you to assemble even very large furniture and wardrobes on your Front Bench (assembly bench), made from manufactured boards like chipboard and MDF. A vice on this bench would just get in the way, and snag on things. If you leave the overhangs of the bench nice and wide, you will be able to cramp things down using the edges of the bench. You can also put holes (round or square) in the middle of the Front Bench and use them for steel holdfasts (dogs), or if you make the holes big enough you can pass cramps through the holes, so you can cramp in the middle of the bench. It's also worth noting that if you have a jig or workpiece which you need to work at the front of and cramp to the bench at the back, it's much better to do that a the CORNER of the bench rather than a side, as you can put the cramps far back while the corner naturally projects and supports under the middle of the jig or workpiece. Wouldn't dream of telling you how to suck eggs Paul, you know your onions, and there's some good points in the video for those with a one-bench system. This is just to point out the system I have developed over 30 years for coping with all manner of furniture and luthiery etc.
Haven't thought about alternatives yet, but i get your point. As of the process of creating things, you have to be creative to get your result :-) I've watched some of your videos lately, because the "wood working fever" got me again after several decades. You definitely get a like and a subscription !
I totally agree with leaving vise jaw proud of workbench and not flush, try it and you won’t ever ask “why would you do that”, I’ve learned almost everything I know about woodworking from Saint Paul Sellers, but I have and love bench dogs, and I also love holdfasts...
These clamps aren't terribly easy to find in the US. Finally found a "Shop Fox" branded one to try out. It appears to be the same clamp. Just finished fitting the wooden innards. I ripped a 2x4 and then planed square and to size. Now to attend to the pads, but only if I can quit using the darned thing. I had been using a similar solid steel bar clamp, but it left much to be desired. This is 10X better! Thank You!
Wow Paul, thank you so much for sharing this. you solved a bunch of issues that had with clamping. and I don't really need a board jack / dead man anymore.
Brilliant video! Great timing for me. As I just built my bench and have the vice fitted. But no jaws added yet. Glad I saw this as I now know how to set my jaws up. Was going to do the flush thing. But this is much easier. I have been using sash clamps with my B&D workmate for a long time now. So this technique is not unfamiliar, But good to see this explained in such detail. And I thought I was cheating! I won't be bothering with dog holes this is just simpler, easier and quicker. I've just ordered a few extra sash clamps. I am almost ready to start making things now, other than tools.
This looks like a very versatile method of workholding, and without the bench hold down being in the way, the one thing that makes planning a large flat surface easy, is having the board firmly clamped, non of this skating around, and this method is a very effective solution. Interesting to see how the subtitle translator picked up the Lancashire accent for "Clamp", as "Clump".
Hi Paul, just discovered you and your channel, what a find! Really enjoy your videos, you are a great teacher. looking forward to learning more from you here, thanks very much for your time, it's truly appreciated. Tony
I'm about to buld my first workbench and I will apply this method to that. Feels much smoother than bench dogs. Thanks Paul (+ team!) for being generous with your outstanding knowledge!
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w7Wf0h1Q8a4/mqdefault.jpg)
It's really hard to comment on Paul's videos. It's all done so well. There's nothing left to say.
It's almost like getting a free apprenticeship by watching his videos.Thanks Paul.
+
You are very wise and your comment is outstanding.
Yes it is. This all you need if you are a self learner. Thanks Paul
I had this video in my Watch Later list for so long and now I regret not having watched it earlier. I love a simple solution like this!
I was a remodeling contractor for nearly 40 years, now retired, and it sometimes amazes me how much I can still learn and how many different ways there are to accomplish certain tasks and I have to laugh at how often we don't always think of what can become a most obvious solution. Most of my working life was using power tools and although I'll never give them up, mostly because I still own many, I've had this longing to improve my hand work. It just looks like so much fun and especially rewarding. I recently moved to a new home and soon I will be building a new shop and a new bench etc and I have been almost agonizing over the style of bench and accessories as I've seen so many from elaborate to the most simple. This video made a few of my decisions for me. Thank you Paul! I very much appreciate your wisdom and manner of teaching.
You just wrote my life story. Ditto here in NH. Sellers and RUclips are essential for us.
Dear Paul Sellers, the improvisation and the ingenuity that you demonstrate in all your videos is what I absolutely love. Not to mention the old techniques for wood working. As against all the power tools that "power" other woodworkers on RUclips. Thank you for your videos.
of all the great videos Paul has made, this one is seriously helpful.
Turns out Paul Sellers is so awesome he even planes his fire wood. He is the Chuck Norris of hand tools.
Haha, have you seen the artisanal firewood video?
"It's not what you make, it's how you make it".
I always thought of him as the Bob Ross of Woodworking. He has that same calming, methodical pace and approach to whatever he does. The mark of a Master which Paul truly is.
I like how Paul makes woodworking accessible to those of us without a fancy setup.
Its already there.
I like to think Paul is trying to show us who are just beginning that we don't need all the bells and whistles. It's the craft that really matters.. This gets lost nowadays if u ask me bro.. Most of these channels are interested in pushing some kind of Clamping system, the Greg system or the newest gadget on the market and it's supposed to be about woodworking. A lot of these channels push a lot of other crap as well. Yeah I can pay for the ad free shit on YT but why should I..??
I want to use YT to hopefully show my journey into this art form as I like to think of it bcos I believe it is an art form when it's done the right way.
Some of the pieces I've seen guys and girls make on their channels using simple tools are phenomenal works of art to me.
This dude on YT @Epic UpCycling is a genius imho. This dude make beautiful pieces from all sorts of scrap pallet wood and bit of scrap metal. He's a full blown artist imo. What he has shown us is u can build anything from scrap if u have the ambition and a fair bit of ingenuity and knowhow, oh & ur also prepared to get stuck into the elbow grease side of this craft bcos it's not always easy to shape a piece of wood that needs to be squared, planed, etc.
I could watch Paul Sellers explain how to sharpen chisels and saw's and all that good stuff for days on end bro. He's exceptionally great at making this craft accessible to all of us in the easiest way he possibly can and it works for me and lot's of others I guess as well..
Genius!! I bought three of those clamps and quickly replaced them with bar clamps for more torque. Using them in this was is going open up so much more that I can clap to my simple, small bench. Thank you for This!!!
That clamp in the vise trick just changed my life.
and mine! so simple... why did I never think of it.... bet you thought the same
Adam Gabbert my first "lessons" in woodworking was 30ish yrs ago as a 10-12 yr old kid by a gentleman that I use to shovel his drive and walkways in winter and mow his lawn during summers. Paul is bringing back so many simple things that I had long forgotten.
This is a perfect example of knowing your tools, if you have this type of bench it can cover all your needs with just a few jigs.
If you have a different bench you'll need different jigs but it can work. You don't need an expensive bench just learn to work with what you've got!
Love this method, most of us have bar clamps and a vice!
Thanks Paul, your channel change my way of work. Long live to you.
Thank you Paul! I learn something from every video that you post. I appreciate that you share your lifetime of skills, so that we may learn these trade skills. It's appreciated, thanks!
I had a moment like this a month or so ago, when I visited my turning teacher after 25yrs...some things he does just make me slap my head and say "...of course!"
Thanks Paul.
Excellent.
Living in an appartment, with very little space and trying not to disturb my neighbors while doing any kind of woodworking is very hard, but Paul's "old school" videos are the way to go. Except for hammering. everything else can be done with very little noise and without huge powertools. This is just amazing.
If you use a hammer with soft materials to cover such as leath, thick cardboard or thick cloth it can really dampen the noise of the impact.
Or even get an old book and put it on a surface if you need to hammer it. When it comes to chiseling just put a soft top on the chisel and a soft cover on the hammer. While it will make a noise it will be much reduced from hammering a hard surface.
Hey Paul, simple is often better. Hard to question 50 yrs of experience! You have great content in your videos. I have learned a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Fnished my bench, and nearly drilled holes on the bench, but desidesd to look how Paul Sellers do it, and here you go, use this sistem for two years now, great.
Two great tips here. Saw these clamps at my local cheap box store and thought they were a joke, but adding the wood strip in the core is genius.
I was agonising over my complex design of a workbench with dogs, bells and whistles etc then I saw this video and everything is so much simpler now that I can actually get on and build my bench. Great advice very well presented.
Two dog holes can allow you to have a rail with dog holes. Alternatively you can also use bench hooks along with the vice and clamps.
You can create all manner of bench hooks and jigs that can either work by them self or with the vice.
If you have space put a vice on both sides of the bench and that will give you even more power.
Your imagination is the only limit really.
This is an incredibly helpful video amongst many. Thanks for all your hard work and speedy recovery.
I'm kicking myself for not having thought to do this! You have just transformed an annoying and awkward aspect of my work prep room in which I have limited options for changing the layout... Thank you. I'm passing the link to a former colleague at another school to show his students too. Brilliant!
All of Paul’s videos have changed my life as a beginner woodworker
A pleasure to watch and learn from, as always 👏 Thank you for your continued efforts to educate and empower woodworkers🙏
Thank you Mr. Sellers for sharing so much knowledge for so many years. I've learned a great deal from your videos. As a beginner, your patient, well-paced and detailed explanations are immensely helpful.
So many questions, watch another 60 seconds, questions answered! I could watch your videos all day, oh! hang on I just did. Brilliant thankyou.
I was just about to drill holes for bench dogs in my workbench - after seeing this I won't bother, this is a great idea!
Wow. I am so impressed how Mr. Seller makes the commercially complicated, into down to earth simple.
Thank you paul. I bought an old vice at a car boot sale and simply bolted it to the apron. I then fitted a block over the faceplate (admittedly reducing the effective expance of the jaws) so that the vice protrudes from the apron as yours does. I initially did it this way to save time because I wanted to put it to use quickly. But I saw no reason to change it later yet still felt I was being a bit lazy. Now I can call myself 'wily' instead.
The thing that is so cool about watching Paul Sellers how easy he makes it look and how SHARP is edges are. Regardless what he using--it's like a hot knife through butter. Sweet.
Brilliant video, inspirational for new and old woodworkers. I could watch you all day. Thanks.
I just loved watching you use the old hand tools rather than power tools. Reminds me of the times working with my Grandfather in his shop when I was a boy. I don't see even one power tool in back ground. Love it.
For those in the US, Harbor Freight sells these clamps. They are pretty cheap. I do recommend putting in the wood like Paul showed in the beginning. 3/4 plywood is the perfect size width. I started off using expensive parallel clamps but I've found these clamps work just as well for most uses and are super light. If the clamps had a higher thread count on the screw, then they'd be perfect.
And for those in Canada, Princess Auto has them
Thank you much.
Just started to build my bench. The thought of bench dogs came across my mind. After watching this I think I just saved my self a few dollars and time trying to figure out what to get. Paul, many thanks. Peace from Los Angeles, CA.
Hi Paul
I appreciate your willingness to educate even long-time wood workers. I like the idea of keeping the bench vise away from the bench. I have yet to purchase a vise, so this information is especially helpful. Thank you so much for teaching without shaming my ignorance. Blessings to you and yours.
I already use this concept in a different way--I built FWW "New-Fangled Workbench" which uses two built-in pipe clamps running the length of the bench for clamping long pieces, and two moveable short pipe clamps slide into holes drilled six inches on center along the bench. The long pipe clamps substitute for a tail vise, and the short pipe clamps on the side substitute for a face vise. There is also a board jack built into one side that is height-adjustable for planing the edge grain of boards. I've never found a need for drilling holes in my bench top for dogs. It's a very adaptable system that is both cheap to build and very effective. It's the same basic principle that Paul demonstrated here.
I like the sound of your idea. Would you care to share a photo?
Google what he put in quotes.
It was featured in Fine Woodworking, the magazine.
It's interesting.
@@michaelkulman7095 issue 139, also in their book: Fine Woodworking Best Workbenches
I built my workbench and put in a leg vise, deadman, and dog holes. I bought two holdfasts and 4 really cheap dogs. I wouldn't trade this system for anything and the whole thing cost me about $225. The holdfasts were the priciest thing but I love them and I love the bench. After years of clamping things and having to move the clamps, tighten the clamps, figure out how I want to clamp a piece, I just grab a holdfast and give it a tap and I'm done. Best thing I ever did. Made woodworking so much easier and now I get work done faster than ever because I don't have to work out how to hold the thing. I can hold anything. I used my leg vise and deadman the other day to shave a door that was binding. Was so easy and quick. I was cutting dovetails yesterday and I just used the holdfast to keep the piece down while I chiseled out the material between the tails. Super fast and effective. Seriously, I don't know what Paul is on about here. You really can't beat a couple of holdfasts and some dogs. The holdfasts can be pricey at $23 each, but the dogs cost me all of $12 for four of them.
Thanks for putting the time in for making these videos. I had a friend who was half Japanese, and she had this small box of wood tools: a block plane, a few (2) chisels, hand drill, and a hand saw. Sometimes she would rent a chain saw, and make lumber out of downed trees, no body wanted. Still, she she made all of her own furniture while dressed in her pajamas. It was all beautiful work. Good tools are great, but still you can work around your limitations.
Paul you're ideas absolutely among the best. Thanks from way across the pond in So Cal ( near Los Angeles ) in the USA.
Wow, did I see this in the nick of time! Was just about to make a set of bench cookies and get drilling into my bench... not now. Thanks man, saved me a bunch of work. P.S for anyone, Silverline do box sash cramps like the ones in the video for between £10 and £15 on ebay, (length dependant)
I like the way of working and teaching of Paul Sellers, he is the best!!..
I love the way this man works,simple and precise.great clamping idea.
I've been doing this with my general shop vise I bought 35 years ago. Don't know the proper term for the vise, but it's just a big ol'
Wilton vise, which I bought copper jaws for. I started using wood clamps clamped in the big ol' vise when the wood wouldn't fit the jaws,
and it worked fine, but I thought I was being too weird ( yet again ). Surprised that Paul relies on the same principle. Good timing,
too, because I am almost set on the design for my first woodworker's bench. Getting close to a decision about the design. Watching
a bunch of these woodworking videos to make certain I'm on the right track. This simplifies the design because I don't have to drill
a bunch of holes in the top and legs.
shopping for the clamp, there seems to be only aluminum clamps of the style clamps shown in this video.
I am hesitant to buy aluminum clamps, even with a wood insert, it might deform if clamped tightly in a bench vise.
I'm thinking of spending about 3 times as much for a Jorgensen bar clamp, that is made of steel with an I-beam shape to the bar.
I really enjoy learning from someone who has already made the mistakes most of us are about to make. Thanks Paul.
26 minutes of clamping methods. This is the best video I have ever seen. Thank you Paul!
Hi Paul, Your video was a revelation to me. I have resisted drilling dog holes as I had built in clamping edges all round my bench but I had to resort to a Workmate for most sanding of boards. Thanks. Colin in Northern Ireland
I was watching this video for the second time, and loving every moment of it. I just got through making my benchtop and it is so beautiful I didn't want to put holes for bench dogs. Now I know just what I can do with the vise and square clamps. You are amazing to watch. Thank you for teaching us the correct way to wood working.
The clamp and vise combination will change some things for me and I have been at this for a long time! Thanks.😊😊😊😊😊👌👍
I have several of the same clamps you use and find them quite serviceable. Well executed joinery doesn't have to be forced together and well executed joinery is what you excel at. Love your videos and I'm still saving pennies to enroll in your online courses. In the meantime your free offerings are on par with anything I have seen here and I have no doubt the courses that require payment are well worth the price.
A lovely practical idea--they say the best ideas are always simple--- you have proven that to be right..Thumbs up old chap..
I am so new to this way of doing wood working. I am so glad that you made a video for height and clamping. This is extremely helpful, thanks.
This man deserves a medal
I couldn't take my eyes off this episode. All I've got is a wooden desk in my bedroom which I've mounted a non-flush side bench vice to, and some wood clamps.
I've been worrying about how to hold my work without bench dogs -trying to plane wide boards and rough lumber for making a real workbench.
Before this episode I had been trying to plane with just my vice and a small bench hook, but struggled with wide boards and movement in the pieces.
The clamp in the vice will really help me now, this summer. I'm excited to try it.
Once again we have a out of breath Paul Sellers. Thank you for this great tip and ideas.
sWow that is one of he best tips I've ever seen. I have been thinking I would have to build a dogging system to do work. Thank you Paul you're a blessing!
I love your setup Paul and I agree you need nothing more. Ibuilt your bench almost 3 years ago and bought the cheap HF clamps like you show and modified them the same way. I have had no problems what so ever in clamping anything, and like you mentioned other than buying a nice Record Vise which I have had for a long time it was very in - expensive. You need nothing more IMO.
Thanks for this video !
Steve
Great alternative, thanks. I like the bit about how it has worked for you for 50 years. Also interesting about mounting the stationary jaw of the quick release vice proud of the edge of the bench. A long video but well worth the time to watch.
awesome video. I'm building my first bench now and was originally planning on boring a number of dog holes until i read your blogs on the clamp in vise system. I've also changed my mind on having the vise flush to the work top. thank you for all your content!
I really like how you show great and simple techniques that don't need expensive equipment but rely on smart solutions and skill. Thanks for sharing!
Arguably the best woodworking videos on you tube; real experience showing through. Great stuff.
Excellent video. I always learn so much when I watch your stuff and I have been woodworking for 30 years.
Thank you so much for making this video and sharing your extensive knowledge.
I had started drilling holes in my bench for dogs, but after trying the system, decided it wasn't for me. I didn't want a bench full of holes as it makes cleaning up a nightmare and the work piece never seemed secure.
I couldn't believe it when I saw this video... I have 2 x 3ft sash clamps (exactly the same type as yours) that are hung up in my shed and very rarely get used. As of tomorrow they will be put to work and all the holes in my bench will be filled.
Thank you very much for sharing this... I can't thank you enough for all the things I have learned from watching your videos.
Outstanding alternative Paul... The simplicity of this is something I will seriously take into consideration before drilling 3/4" dog holes into my recently built workbench!
On a side note here: I have used your method on the almost completed install of my 10" woodworkers vise made by Littlestown Hdwe. & Fdry. Co., Littlestown, PA., USA. I am about to do the inside wooden jaw install across the vises inside fascia plate assy. That assy is screwed & lag bolted in place & is very close to perfectly square to the benchtop. So, in a nutshell, I am now very close to having a ready to use 14" woodworker's vise.
Thank again for the many insightful tips on using hand tools on such a wide ranging type of wood working projects...
Bill on the Hill,
Vermont, USA... :-)
This idea is a huge help.
Just used this to clean up (hand planing) a couple of boards I'm using to make another table top. Thanks for showing this technique.
It is always pleasure watching you , so much to learn so much to appreciate. Thank you.
I'm planning my first real work bench and this video is simplifying everything. Thanks!
Thank you for another great video. I love that you show these techniques, that allow people like me to get started without a ton of fancy equipment.
Damn, I spent ages recessing my woodworking vices on my bench. Going to go back and look to see if I can remount them. What you say makes total sense.
Have to say I converted to bench dogs and holdfasts many years ago. I was taught your method though Paul as my dad was old school and had a face vice and a planing stop that was all. I still use this method for making handles and ploughing draw bottoms.
Thank you for sharing this Paul! I was in a dilemma about drilling holes in my workbench or not, but this method should work a lot better for me.
This has changed everything for me! I need to change my design. Good thing I haven't started building my work bench! I need it simple and effective.
Me too!
This video came at the very best time for me. I needed something and Paul provided it. Thanks.
Brilliant idea , perfect for my needs , thank you very much for your time and effort , and helping poor new wood workers find ways to get things done without big purchases.
Paul I am so glad I came across this video. After watching countless other videos while looking for options for mounting my quick release vise, and trying to figure out what was right, flush or not. I am absolutely sure now that flush mount is not the best option for me. Thank you for sharing a lifetime of knowledge with us. The other convincing video was Matt @Next Level Carpentry when he showed how he does vertical panel clamping using his quick release vise and is able to place bar clamps on the front and back side of the panel because of the space created behind the workpiece created by the quick release rear jaw being spaced out away from the edge of the bench.
Why did this never occur to me???? I see a lot of "tips" and "hacks" on youtube, but none are really that beneficial. This one, though, is going to make a massive difference to me! Thanks Paul! :D
woodworkers need to put their creative genius and ingenuity to work solving some of the world's nasty problems. watching youtube woodworkers never stop amazing me.
Thanks for another great video Mr Sellers. You are an inspiration in all you do. Yep, as with most things, cheap in the UK or the USA... for those who live in Australia... no one sells these... we just make it work with something else.
Just look for a sash clamp with a hollow centre that can allow you to stick something in it to reinforce it. Wood is great.
Somebody somewhere in Australia has a cheap hollow aluminum clamp.
Paul, Again you've demonstrated what a Master is, Every time I study your videos I learn just how simple the craft can be when you adapt to the need of the situation, I could never Thanks you enough for sharing your skill, I'm soon to retire and am vigilantly collecting second hand tool as I go, I've used power tool most my life, But after seeing the ease of how you do projects, I'm determined to craft a special Keep Sake for each my Children and Grand Children , Hopefully something they can cherish when my time has come and am called to be with Lord. Wish You all the Best,, Blessings to many more years of Being My Master, Thank You Ever So Much, Zeke from Apple Valley Calif, USA
Personally I have a bench system which I developed myself and it uses not one but TWO benches. You have a traditional style "woodworker's bench" behind you (against the wall most often), and in front of you is an assembly bench. So a "Back Bench" and a "Front Bench". You put the vice on the back bench and have it a little taller than the Front Bench. You can use the vice and dogs for planing etc and for things which need holding in a vice. I also find, very much like having the back jaw of the vice away from the bench edge, like yourself Paul, that setting the top of the vice about an inch ABOVE the the top of the vice allows you to put things in the vice and effectively saw through them without having to bend down to angle the saw up, so you don't chop through your bench. And it gives a lot more access to workpieces, in general, than when the top of the jaws are flush to the bench top. Putting a series of holes in the leg of the bench will allow you to put in a lose dowel at different heights, so you can hold a board at one end in the vice and rest the other on the lose dowel at an appropriate height. The Front Bench is left without a vice, and is as big as your space will comfortably allow (say 2M x 1M) whilst being able to comfortably walk and work all around it 360 degrees. This then allows you to assemble even very large furniture and wardrobes on your Front Bench (assembly bench), made from manufactured boards like chipboard and MDF. A vice on this bench would just get in the way, and snag on things. If you leave the overhangs of the bench nice and wide, you will be able to cramp things down using the edges of the bench. You can also put holes (round or square) in the middle of the Front Bench and use them for steel holdfasts (dogs), or if you make the holes big enough you can pass cramps through the holes, so you can cramp in the middle of the bench. It's also worth noting that if you have a jig or workpiece which you need to work at the front of and cramp to the bench at the back, it's much better to do that a the CORNER of the bench rather than a side, as you can put the cramps far back while the corner naturally projects and supports under the middle of the jig or workpiece. Wouldn't dream of telling you how to suck eggs Paul, you know your onions, and there's some good points in the video for those with a one-bench system. This is just to point out the system I have developed over 30 years for coping with all manner of furniture and luthiery etc.
Haven't thought about alternatives yet, but i get your point. As of the process of creating things, you have to be creative to get your result :-)
I've watched some of your videos lately, because the "wood working fever" got me again after several decades. You definitely get a like and a subscription !
I totally agree with leaving vise jaw proud of workbench and not flush, try it and you won’t ever ask “why would you do that”, I’ve learned almost everything I know about woodworking from Saint Paul Sellers, but I have and love bench dogs, and I also love holdfasts...
These clamps aren't terribly easy to find in the US. Finally found a "Shop Fox" branded one to try out. It appears to be the same clamp.
Just finished fitting the wooden innards. I ripped a 2x4 and then planed square and to size.
Now to attend to the pads, but only if I can quit using the darned thing.
I had been using a similar solid steel bar clamp, but it left much to be desired. This is 10X better! Thank You!
Wow Paul, thank you so much for sharing this. you solved a bunch of issues that had with clamping. and I don't really need a board jack / dead man anymore.
Brilliant video! Great timing for me. As I just built my bench and have the vice fitted. But no jaws added yet. Glad I saw this as I now know how to set my jaws up. Was going to do the flush thing. But this is much easier. I have been using sash clamps with my B&D workmate for a long time now. So this technique is not unfamiliar, But good to see this explained in such detail. And I thought I was cheating! I won't be bothering with dog holes this is just simpler, easier and quicker. I've just ordered a few extra sash clamps. I am almost ready to start making things now, other than tools.
Terrific Paul. I always struggled with dogs, I assumed I didn't know how to use them properly. Now with your help, I don't have to learn!
What a refreshing look at work holding.
Love this channel, Paul you always make things simple for the average man.
This is an amazing help Paul. Thank you for sharing this with me. So simple yet so so efficient.
Thank you, Thank you. Used it today and it worked fine.
Yet another idea I will utilize in my shop. Thanks again Paul Sellers.
Really good thinking. I don't want to bother with the dogs (other than my assistant). I will use these ideas straight away. Thank You.
This looks like a very versatile method of workholding, and without the bench hold down being in the way, the one thing that makes planning a large flat surface easy, is having the board firmly clamped, non of this skating around, and this method is a very effective solution. Interesting to see how the subtitle translator picked up the Lancashire accent for "Clamp", as "Clump".
So simple and you solved 100 of my problems!
Hi Paul, just discovered you and your channel, what a find! Really enjoy your videos, you are a great teacher. looking forward to learning more
from you here, thanks very much for your time, it's truly appreciated.
Tony
This is a great video, Paul! Very helpful and informative. Lots of useful tricks and tips that will make things quite a bit easier in my shop!
Wow... Now that's what you call experience, well done sir, for a very excellent and very informative video
I'm about to buld my first workbench and I will apply this method to that. Feels much smoother than bench dogs. Thanks Paul (+ team!) for being generous with your outstanding knowledge!
What a sensationally simple and smart system.
fantastic, im about to build a new bench and this tip has just changed my design idea for the better
....YOU are a sooooo good and friendli Instructor !!!! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH !!!! kind regards from Switzerland !!!
What a wonderfully simple, effective and inexpensive system! I love it!