# acorn work bench



## reds_21 (Dec 24, 2004)

Could someone please explain to me what an acorn work bench is, where the name comes from??? also in a lot of the plans that i see for the workbench there are a lot of notches along the edge of them, what are these for?

reds_21


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

Are you talking about the "dogholes".... the double row of holes in the top? They work with the vise at the end..... and bench dogs go in the holes for clamping.

I can't remember about the name.... sorry......

Ed


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## reds_21 (Dec 24, 2004)

dog holes, yes thats it. could you explain how they work and what they are for?


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

reds_21 said:


> dog holes, yes thats it. could you explain how they work and what they are for?


 A workbench has a vice mounted on the end. The capacity of the vice might be say 6". A lot of times you might want to be working a long piece let's say a sign that is 3 feet long. Hard to clamp in the vice right? No not at all, the vice has either slides or holes or ?? that come above the surface of the bench top, then by placing "dogs" in the holes and having one side of the sign against the dogs the vice is tightned to clamp the wood. You can also use two sets of dogs and wedges to hold things, the dogs can also hold circular items....... These holes might be square/rectangular or simply holes, the dogs can be metal or wood. Maybe some else can do a better job of explaining this but that is the general idea.

Ed


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Reds, the dog's are simply put, pegs that fit into the holes. They act as a stop on one end. Woodworking vices have a little pop up device or a hole to put a dog into. As you close your vice your wood is held captive between these dogs. With a longer board you simply move your dog to a different hole. I would highly recommend that everyone read the December 2004 issue of The Woodworkers Journal. There is an article on creative clamping that is priceless. This is the annual router issue as well and is loaded with good information.


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## reds_21 (Dec 24, 2004)

i was reading a book that i recently purchased through the wood workers book club, i don't remember the exact name but it was along the lines of making your first wood working shop. and with this book came a plan to make one of these acorn benches. im sure that if i start making this bench with these "dogholes" i'll understand what the heck they are for but right now im lost!!!! anyways, i was looking through the book and i must say it's quite interesting and gives a lot of details for the people like myself who are just beginning. the plan they give looks very detailed but would anyone happen to know how hard it is to make a workbench? in one of my latest posts "laminated pine defect" i mentioned how when i made dados, the wood warped due to not gluing the project right away, i let it sit over night without gluing. if i were to start a workbench, im guessing that i will not have the time to finish it in one day and would have to break it up into days. heres my question, now that i have created one project that bowed, how do you keep a project like the workbench pieces from bowing if they can't be glued right away? HOW DO YOU MAKE A BIG PROJECT THAT OBVIUOUSLY WON'T GET DONE IN ONE DAY AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE WARPING???????


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Reds, you saw how your wood bowed towards the side with the cuts, right? By placing the cut side down and putting some weight on it you should be ok. What I was trying to suggest is the ideal situation. Also hard wood moves less than soft wood since it is denser.


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