Woodworking Tips Index
Woodworking Tips Index |
| Toggle Bolt Hold-Downs |
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My portable workbench gets pressed into service as a stand for several of my benchtop
tools. But instead of breaking out the clamps every time I want to attach a tool
to the workbench, I came up with a shop-made hold-down. It's faster and easier
to use than clamps, and it can be made from a few pieces of commonly available
hardware and a wood dowel. The hold-downs are made using a 1/4" toggle bolt, a washer, and a wing nut, see detail drawing at right. The toggle bolt has a couple of wings that fold up, allowing it be inserted through the holes in the top of the workbench. Once the wings pass through the hole, they spring open. To keep the toggle bolts centered in the holes of the workbench, I made some spacers for the bolts by drilling 1/4"-dia. holes through short lengths of 3/4"-dia. dowel stock. The bolts pass through a plywood base on which the tool is mounted. All you have to do is tighten the wing nuts to hold the tool down to the top of the workbench. |
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