Don adds shavings to the dog hole flame wars… 


> I am contemplating a new bench, and noticed Derek Cohen's bench sports both
rectangular and round dog holes. Is there any advantage of one over the other,
or is a combination of both desirable?


I’m agnostic.   I don’t care.  You can add round holes much more easily, but you
can make up square stuff for dogs more readily. My square dogs went in when I
made the bench top up by laminating from 4x2 stuff.  My Alaskan holdfasts work
well in square holes, and I plug them up with oddments of foam offcuts to
prevent items like screws from escaping to the nether regions.  I placed a row
at the back, and find them useful, both as a park for dogs which helps itmes not
flee over the far side, but also so that I can use tall dogs with sometimes a
spreader bar in front of them as an aid to holding largish items in place.  A
couple of folding wedges can do wonders when you can set up dogs and spreaders
at front and back and one end.

I can’t testify to round holes in use - as per Toms post, remember to make them
large enough to give a cocking angle on your holdfasts so they work.



Richard Wilson
in a bright and sunny coastal shelf in Northumberland, away from all the white
stuff at the top of the hill.