Woodworking Tips Index

Workmate© Extension Dogs I often use a portable, folding workbench (Workmate) in my shop. It can be really handy when I'm short on space and need an extra work surface. But occasionally I run into a problem. I find that larger workpieces won't fit between the bench dogs. After a little thought, I came up with a simple solution.

My answer was to make a set of auxiliary bench dogs that extend beyond the surface of the bench and expand its capacity (see photo). As you can see in the drawings, each dog is made from a strip of 1/2"-thick hardwood. A 3/4" hole drilled in one end holds a short dowel that fits into the holes in the top of the bench.

On the opposite end a small wedge-shaped stop is glued and screwed in place. The dogs can be made to any length to add as much or little capacity as needed.