I'm having some inconsistent experiences getting my holdfasts to grip securely on my workbench. The top is made of three layers of 3/4-inch plywood, and I'm using Gramercy holdfasts. I've already scuffed the shafts to enhance their gripping ability and have tried both a rubber mallet and a framing hammer to drive them down, but it's still not working well. I'm looking for suggestions on what I might be doing wrong, and I'm also curious about what kind of mallet or hammer you all use for this. Anyone have advice?
1 Answer
It sounds like the plywood could be part of the problem. Assuming your holdfasts aren't super smooth, plywood might not hold up well under pressure, and you could end up damaging the holes over time. Have you tried drilling a new hole to see if that improves the grip? It could be worth checking!
Yeah, I agree with this! If the plywood isn’t high-quality like Baltic birch, that could really make gripping tougher. A fix could be to line the hole with a drill bushing or use a hardwood patch to give a better surface for gripping.