DCT Bench Holdfast Woodworking Tools – 8in Bench Holdfast Clamps Woodworking Bench Holddown Clamps, 2 Pack

I'm just starting out with hand tool woodworking and needed to save money where I can. I needed a pair of holdfasts, but couldn't justify forged holdfasts. These have worked quite well under daily use carving and general woodwork and I'm quite happy, especially for the price. They hold tight to my dog holes and release when tapped from behind. So far, they show no signs of giving up, as some cast holdfasts do. The only change I've made to them is to glue some leather to the pads to protect the wood, rather than buy slip-on pads that might fall off, but adding pads is common for all holdfasts that don't have them. I'm very happy with this purchase!

Solid and strong. Unlike some similar products this won't shatter off dropped on a concrete floor.

When I first tried these out on my table they felt VERY loose in the hole and wouldn't grab and did not work at all. I measured the shaft diameter (0.67") and was angry because that's way less than the 3/4" that the product listed. I found other people has the same issue with these: way too loose and wouldn't hold.Then I started reading around to see what the deal is. Even the very nice $100 holdfasts have similar shaft diameter for 3/4" dog holes. For me, the problem was not the holdfast diameter, it was the thickness of my table (4"+). You actually need a relatively thin table for these to work. I counter-bored the holes from below down to about 2" and now the holdfasts work perfectly. If that doesn't work for you, you can try roughing up the shaft with some 40 grit sand paper or marring up the surface some how.One other comment: these are cast, rather than forged, and so they don't have the strength you'd expect from a more expensive product. We'll see how long they last...

They work great

Exactly as promised.works great. Arived on time.

The Bench Holdfast Woodworking Tool would not fit into the Bench Dog Hole. One of the Tools was somewhat oblong rather than round so it would not fit into the bench dog hole. They are poorly made. I would not buy again.

I bought these DCT Bench Holdfast Woodworking Tools – 8in Bench Holdfast Clamps Woodworking Bench Holddown Clamps for my first woodworking bench… I have really enjoyed using these clamps and learning their benefits.. These clamps are well made and sturdy, clamp well, easy to use and release properly.. I expect to purchase more of these clamps and the longer ones… Highly recommend these clamps…

A true holdfast is made by a blacksmith at their forge. Wrought iron is really the best material for this. These are advertised as being drop forged. They might be. I suspect they are cast. Cast iron tends to be much more brittle and therefore not as effective as a holdfast. Still, this is what I bought and they're working for now, so I have nothing to complain about. They grab firmly, release on a single tap, and haven't broken after 2 months of pretty consistent use.