Woodworkers understand how the simplest tools often make biggest difference. This is especially true at the workbench, where dog hole clamps and accessories are instrumental at holding working pieces steady.
Dogs are removable posts or similar devices that are inserted into pre-drilled workbench holes and used to hold working pieces in position while they’re being worked on. They’re the equivalent of having a few spare vise clamps available when working on large, or irregularly shaped projects. They can also be used in conjunction with other simple workbench components like holdfasts, rails, and measuring tools, thereby transforming even the most ordinary workbench into a highly adjustable, multi-purpose woodworking tool that’s worth its weight in gold.
UJK Bench Dogs Give Woodworkers Standardised Benchtop Precision
Let’s be honest: at some point, every woodworker wishes they had a few extra clamps to work with, along with an extra set of hands to set them. The combination of a pre-drilled workbench, and a high quality selection of multi-purpose 20 mm diameter woodworking dogs and dog hole accessories can, however, be the ideal solution to their handling dilemma.
Dogs provide the stable grip that’s needed to support unwieldy and troublesome working pieces while they’re on the bench. And woodworkers don’t have to be master craftsmen to recognise just how much, in spite of their simplicity, premium quality dogs have to offer.
CNC-machined bench dogs like the ones manufactured by UJK are constructed from both 303-grade stainless steel and corrosion-resistant aluminium billet, and are on the leading edge of precision-crafted innovation. Their specialised bench dog tool devices embody versatility in every way, and are engineered to perform a full array of benchtop-essential tasks and functions that include:
- Supporting guide rails. UJK’s guide rail dogs extend 50 mm above the workbench, and are designed to hold guide rails, squares, and hook and length stops for setting up squared joints, or for perfectly straight line and 45° angle cuts.
- Repetitive precision. Precision is crucial in woodworking; and with heights up to 60 mm, UJK’s twist-expanding dogs are crucial for maintaining tight workbench tolerances, even when dog hole diameters have begun to wear out of round.
- Spot-on clamping capacity. With UJK’s ratchet-type, screw-type, and adjustable hold down clamps, woodworkers are able to produce added holding power effortless at any location on the workbench where there’s a dog hole, ensuring maximum workpiece stability at all times.
- Elevating work pieces. Split-collared UJK guard rail dogs with 75 mm laser-etched metric scales are designed specifically for elevating working pieces and guide rails, giving woodworkers the added clearance they need to cut above the bench without cutting into it.
- Additional workbenches. UJK makes a 30 mm top-diameter, height adjustable dog that’s designed to increase the usable surface of a woodworker’s own workbench by allowing to be quickly and securely connected to one of their custom tabletops.
Make no mistake: the standard 20 mm diameter of bench dog holes makes it possible for UJK dogs to be used for everything from clamping working pieces to the bench, to increasing the area of the bench to handle even the largest working pieces. They can even support heavy vibrating power-tools, effectively extending their functionality, while ultimately increasing the operator’s safety.
Unparalleled UJK Bench Dog Anatomy Takes Performance to the Limit
With companies like UJK designing workbench dogs to perform increasingly wider ranges of more precise woodworking functions, it’s important to recognise how much dogs have had to evolve beyond their round peg origins. From their standardised dog hole diameters, to their job-specific chamfering and threading, modern bench dogs are precision instruments, which is why an understanding of the three main parts of their anatomy is so important:
- The shaft. The shaft is the portion of a dog that sits above the workbench. And not only can shaft lengths vary according to their design, they can also be tapped to accommodate a full range of precision machined anti-slip caps, height adjustable knurl supports, locking knobs, and tee-bolts.
- The collar. Adjustable split-stop collars prevent dogs from falling through workbenches. They’re machined from billet aluminium, and are engineered to provide an adjustable, but wobble-free base for holding working pieces and reinforcing shaft-supported accessories.
- The body. A dog’s body consists of the part that passes through the dog hole. From below the workbench, however, variable length work bench dogs can be chamfered or tapped to support a host of underside accessories, to include additional tables to expand the bench’s working area.
With their unparalleled craftsmanship and reliability, UJK woodworking dogs are built to allow woodworkers to perform their craft more accurately, and more confidently than ever. UJK even takes the lead on professional-fit dog hole accessories, as their lineup of CNC-machined assistance devices offer more advantages than ever when it comes to woodworkers’ planing, scraping, and carving.
Dog Hole Accessories Meant for the Toughest Woodworking Tasks
Whether it’s evidenced by their multi-functional bench and benchtop systems, or their premium fence and stop kits, UJK understands the importance of versatility. And as dog holes are perfectly suited for such a wide range of complex woodworking tasks, UJK also produces some of the highest quality accessories and hole restoration tools on the market, including:
- Surface cam clamps. Low profile surface cams are CNC-machined from phenolic resin laminate, and are designed to prevent working pieces from moving by supplying secure side clamping pressure to them.
- Anchor dogs. Variable length 20 mm and 32 mm anchor dogs are chamfered to sit flush with workbench tops, and are tapped and drilled with an M8 threaded hole for attaching accessories onto the benchtop.
- Work supporting dogs. Chamfered anti-slip supporting dogs feature adjustable/lockable pads, and are the right choice for levelling uneven working pieces.
- Paint points. Minimum contact area paint points are machined from solid aluminium and are designed to lift working pieces clear of the benchtop while being painted, as well as allowing for easy edge finishing and drying.
- Hole reamers and combination reamer/chamfer tools. Reamers and chamfer tools are essential for restoring the precision of 20 mm dog holes that have gone out of round due to use or moisture, and for creating new chamfers around their edges.
UJK bench dogs are also compatible with a wide range of guides, triangles, and fences from woodworking product manufacturers like TSO. It typifies how, when it comes to premium workbench tools, they’re committed to ensuring that woodworkers are able to get the fullest benefit from their dog holes at all times.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, while woodworkers have been using bench dogs on their benchtop for millennia, modern bench dogs are in a league all their own. And not only are they more capable than ever, so are the accessories that are used with them. UJK’s premium quality, multi-purpose dogs and dog hole accessories allow woodworkers to turn their workbenches into fully functional workstations. They help ensure that woodworkers have everything they need to always put their best works forward.
