Bench vise jaw - a dog question?

[Alan in Little Washington]

As long as I'm asking bench questions-

I will be using Lee Valley round dogs (and the shorter pups) on my bench. Unlike the top, the vise jaws and aprons are thicker than the length of the dogs/pups. Which kind of dog hole do you prefer in the vise jaw:

• Blind, limited-depth holes. Dog/pup doesn't recess fully and must be pulled up to remove if from the jaw when not needed. (can only be used with dogs or pups, not both)

or

• Through-holes deep enough so dog/pup can be totally recessed and stored out of the way. Will the springs keep the dog/pup from falling through?

Right now I am leaning towards a modified second option. I would drill a dual diameter hole- smaller on the bottom so the dog can't slip all the way through the jaw. If I can't push the dog/pup up because my fingers are too fat or short, I will install little dowel pistons that protrude from the bottom of the jaw so I don't need to insert a stick, screw driver, etc. to push them up. I will know if I can use my fingers once I drill a couple test holes.

 

[Ozzie-x]

I have the Lee Valley round brass dogs and pups also, they're great. The holes in my bench top go all the way through to simplify using the dogs/pups. You can push them up with your fingers or push down and out. The springs hold them in place fine on my bench but I'm sure that is a fundtion of hole diameter vs dog/pup diameter. I mostly use the dogs in the vise head and the holes also go all the way through. Through holes also allow shavings, sawdust and debris to fall on through to the floor - stopped holes would fill up and be a PIA to keep clean.

 

[Planedesign]

The Veritas dogs and pups are great; work fine in a standard 3/4" hole. The springs will keep them at whatever location they are positioned. I have a bench that has some non-through holes on the vise jaw. Since a dog is almost always in them, it doesn't tend to need cleaning out often, although that can be an issue if the dog is out. I have thru holes in other areas, but some of them are hard to reach underneath to push the dogs back up when they accidentally get pushed below the bench surface. I can usually use a finger, screwdriver, or awl to press on the flat surface of the dog to get it raised back up above bench level. The easiest/best dog holes I have used (round or square) are those that go all the way through the bench top and are relatively easy to access from below.

 

[flatheadfisher]

I have the same LV dogs & pups. My vises are too wide for through holes so I made sure I didn't drill the holes so deep that they could go below the surface. I drilled one of the holes in the bench over the bench let (6" x 6") and it was a pain to get out without scratching everything up. The holes aren't too bad to clean out - just a blast of air or the vac.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Thanks guys.

I think I will use "captured pistons" hidden in the vise jaws so I can push either dogs or pups up from the bottom of the jaw. I'll post pics, SketchUp drawings, etc. when I do this.

If anyone is interested I will also post my method for attaching the end aprons so no bolts or plugged bolt holes are visible.