The Humble Bench Hook

Technique Technique PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL T COLLINS Holding small parts secure A 200mm chamfer Cutting the parts to size The three components between the work piece and the bench hook. Drill two holes through each of the blocks that is slightly larger than the screw used to secure it – we want the blocks to be pulled onto the board tightly. Use a square to align the blocks and drill pilot holes into the board. Then screw the stops in place, this way the base can be replaced while The humble keeping the stops. If you want to make these stops more permanent you can Squaring the stops go ahead and glue them. Easing the edges and adding a chamfer IN USE bench hook Cut list One board – 180 x 305 x 25mm Michael T Collins works his way through One block – 150 x 38 x 25mm cutting a simple, but effective bench hook One block – 180 x 38 x 16mm Note: use a hard wood – in this article I am using hard maple (Acer n the 1970s I attended what was piece construction helps guide the saccharum) then called a ‘building school’ saw, keeping the cuts straight and true. Iand learned all the finer points of Many of my projects have small parts Things you will need woodworking and hand tool usage. and trying to cut these on a table • Block plane To this day, the most useful and most or mitre saw would be asking for • Brace and 3mm twist bit Sawing on a bench hook Planing small pieces Using the bench hook for shooting ends used tool in my toolbox isn’t what trouble, which is why this accessory • Try or combination square you might expect. In fact, it’s more of has been a favourite since my days • Cross cut saw When used for sawing, the bench 19mm thick, so I make this stop use my bench hooks for just about any an accessory than a tool. The bench at building school. hook is positioned with the lower 16mm. Using a downward forward task where a small piece of work needs hook. An implement that has remained hook against the edge of the bench. pressure the piece will stay in place to be held, cut, chiseled or drilled. For unchanged in its design for hundreds MAKING THE BENCH HOOK The work piece is held firm against the as you plane. example, chamfering ends of table legs. of years. No workbench would be stop between the thumb and fingers Bench hooks will make your hand tool complete without at least one bench Construction a full width stop as this allows me to of the non-dominant hand. After all Holding small parts secure work safer, more accurate and your hook, which is essentially a stop that Early bench hooks were made from use the hook as a shooting board when the necessary scribing is done, it is If working with long boards you will rate of production will vastly improve. is held perpendicular to the bench’s a single piece of wood, with more squaring ends. We’ll look at this in then a simple matter of sawing the want to make several bench hooks My trusty bench hook has undergone length. The purpose of a bench hook modern constructions composed of more detail later on. Cut all the pieces joint. Typically you will want to use a and support the free end of your a lot of abuse over the years! But as is to provide a surface against which three pieces of wood – mainly because to their final dimension, making sure cross cut backsaw when working with project with a single narrow bench they are so easy to make they are easily a work piece can be held firmly of the simplicity of construction. that the ends are square. a bench hook as most of the time you hook. Take care to make these using replaced. If you have never used a without the need of a vice or other The development and design of In a traditional bench hook the stops will be cutting across the grain. the exact same dimensions as the bench hook, make one and try it out mechanical means. The simple three- the bench hook has evolved over the are about 25mm shorter than the larger bench hooks. There is no need for a few days. You’ll wonder how you last several centuries and so, for the width of the board and depending on As a shooting board to apply a finish to the bench hook. I ever managed without it! ■ modern hand tool woodworker, there whether you are left or right handed Planing end grain is also easily done is little to change in the basic design you’ll want to off-set the stops towards using a bench hook. The side with and functionality of the accessory. your non-dominant hand. The purpose the full width stop is used to position Variation on a theme However, when I make bench hooks of this is to allow a cut to be made the work piece so that it protrudes a By adding a 45° saw kerf you have made I make two small changes to the without marking the bench surface. fraction of an inch beyond the edge yourself a small but effective mitre traditional design. The first is to add Use a block plane to add a chamfer to and with a heavy plane (I use a jack block. Simply make the stops as per the a 3mm chamfer to the bottom edge the short stop’s lower front edge and plane with a finely honed iron). instructions above, but cut it at 45°. of the shorter stop, so that sawdust ease all other edges with the exception Then secure the two parts with two has a place to go preventing it from of the right hand end of the full width Planing small parts screws either side of the kerf. interfering with the positioning of the stop and the right-hand edge of the The shorter stop on the bench hook work piece. The second change is to board. Since this is going to be used for makes a great surface to plane small Right: Creating a mitre box My go-to accessory the stop on the other side, I make this shooting pieces we want full contact parts against. Most of my stock is 74 www.woodworkersinstitute.com Woodworking Crafts issue 21 75 .

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