Veritas Hold-Down: On Steroids

[Philip1231]

The Veritas hold-down has been a great addition to my bench.  There have been times however when I wished I could apply more torque than was comfortably possible with the brass knob alone. Solution: a 1-3/4" service wrench:  lets you crank down as much as you need to to positively hold work.  $18 and change on ebay (brand new).  

[Peter Tremblay]

The Veritas hold-down has been a great addition to my bench.  There have been times however when I wished I could apply more torque than was comfortably possible with the brass knob alone. Solution: a 1-3/4" service wrench:  lets you crank down as much as you need to to positively hold work.  $18 and change on ebay (brand new).  

Wow, I never used mine because of the low holding power that resulted from the lack of torque that I could generate.

I had considered using some channel lock pliers to do just this but was worried that the thin pin/axle would not be up to the task of handling that pressure.

Any issues?

[Philip1231]

Not yet, but its relatively new to me. It it fails, i will be sure to come back and provide a full report!

Wow, I never used mine because of the low holding power that resulted from the lack of torque that I could generate.

I had considered using some channel lock pliers to do just this but was worried that the thin pin/axle would not be up to the task of handling that pressure.

Any issues?

[mongo]

Wow, I never used mine because of the low holding power that resulted from the lack of torque that I could generate.

I had considered using some channel lock pliers to do just this but was worried that the thin pin/axle would not be up to the task of handling that pressure.

Any issues?

Strange I find mine has lots of holding power as long as I reset the screw.  more so than my gramercy. Wonder what the difference is?

[AgGEM]

Strange I find mine has lots of holding power as long as I reset the screw.  more so than my gramercy.

I have been impressed with the hold - down as is. A rubber grip that fits over the brass knob would be a nice touch, I think. Also, I consider it a quick action tool, so a wrench would just slow me down.

[Peter Tremblay]

Strange I find mine has lots of holding power as long as I reset the screw.  more so than my gramercy. Wonder what the difference is?

What is the thickness of your bench?

Mine is 3"

Also I roughed up the shaft of my Gramercy hold downs with coarse sandpaper when I got them.

I love how well they hold.

[mvflaim]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the benefit of having this over a traditional holdfast you whack with a mallet?

[AgGEM]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the benefit of having this over a traditional holdfast you whack with a mallet?

It is most useful if you are sitting and chopping or whatever and need to reverse or change the work frequently. You do not have to get up, reach for and hammer a traditional holdfast, and sit back down only to rise again and again... It is a quick change tool that allows my getting older bones to remain seated and I do not have to reach. No comparison to a traditional holdfast. I use them too.
I have one, don't need two.
Worth every penny.
Ag

[Stwood_]

Nice solution. But I see that a wooden knob could also be made to just slip over the brass knob.

[Derek Cohen]

Philip, I believe that you are looking for a solution for the wrong problem. Plus you may damage the hold-down with the extra down force.

I rarely ... never ... need to crank down a hold-fast, whether it is this Veritas or the Gramercy (which some complain about slipping in the bench hole). In both cases there is usually a simple explanation, and it is about set up, not the tool.

In the case of the Veritas, I see two possible issues that can affect the holding power. The first is whether there is something under the foot (that section clamping the tool) acting as a non-slip? I glue on leather. The second is whether the bench top is too slippery to prevent the work piece from sliding? Many smooth plane or sand their tops and then add a thick finish, and even wax it. My bench top, after surfacing, was finished with a toothing blade to avoid a smooth surface. This adds a little grip. It was finished with a single coat of Danish Oil - just enough to not to permit glue, etc to sink into the wood. For my bench, work holding requires very little down force.

I recently made a very brief video of using a Gramercy. It is not the Veritas, but you can see the low down force needed ...



Regards from Perth

Derek