Your Input Needed. Bar Clamps Instead Of Expensive Threaded Hold Fast.

Drilling or making holes in my newly built workbench is a big step for me.

Reviews of an oddball traditional holdfast said drill 11/16" hole others said 3/4" I tried both in oak scrap the same thickness as my bench top with little to no holding power.

A few days went by.....

I recently had what I think may be a brilliant or good idea to save money and add clamping capacity and clamping pressure.

As an experiment I recently ground the end retaining pin off a smaller 12" x 3/4" x 1/4" Jorg brand bar clamp rail and tested it vertically on scrap imitating a forged hold down.

It seemed to work better than the odd ball 11/16" diameter imported traditional hold fast on the imitation bench top.

My options are spend $79 x 2 for big name brand hold fast with knob.

Or maybe use 2 heavier bar clamps with 1" - 1 1/8" wide x 1/4" thick rails 12" - 24" length.

The question is should I use round holes or rout mortises for the bar clamps if I use them instead of hold downs?

My butcher block red oak workbench top is 24" x 60" x 1 3/8"



Thanks all.