Pony Jorgensen1716 16" Bench Hold-Down Clamp (2)

Just got this in the last few days. Played with it a little bit in 2 different benches. Seemed to work quite well. This is a very heavy duty piece of hardware. The first thing that I noticed was the shaft was a hexagon instead of round. It did leave marks in the dog holes in my bench but it didn’t seem like that was a detriment, other than cosmetically.It held every workpiece pretty securely. This is kind of a specialty tool and is best utilized with tall or thicker workpieces where an 8” or 12” holdfast might not get through the bench top.2 relatively minor issues. One, as with all cast/painted iron holdfasts, you’ll need to sand the painted shaft to get rid of the gloss and rough up the surface. Didn’t hold at all until I did this but then held very well. The second issue is with the face. It’s not flat. Might not sound like a big deal but it reduces the surface area that contacts the workpiece and thus diminishes the hold. Not the end of the world. I’ll glue a leather pad to the face and that should eliminate that issue.Overall this is a solid if somewhat specialized tool. If you work with larger components and if you have enough room under the bench top for a 16” shaft, this is pretty hard to beat at a little over $20.

I recently bought this holdfast together with its 4 1/2" counterpart ( 4 1/2" REACH BENCH HOLD-DOWN CLAMP - JORGENSEN # 1708 ) for use on my new work bench. For me, this clamp is totally unsuitable, and I don't plan to use it. Giving it one star would be unfair, because the clamp does work as advertised. It has a nice powder coat finish, and it is easy to set and release with a just a single, appropriately directed firm tap from a rubber mallet. My biggest complaint about this clamp is that the vertical post has a hexagonal cross-section, and the angles of the hexagon dig into and damage the sides of my 3/4" diameter bench dog holes significantly. It should be understood that my bench top is made from three pieces of plain old 3/4" exterior A-C plywood laminated together with a 3/16" piece of masonite on top to form the work surface. Plywood is obviously quite soft. A thick, hardwood top may hold up better to the hexagonal cross-section of the vertical post than my bench does. For me, the damage resulting from the use of this holdfast in my bench dog holes makes it unusable. Your milage may vary.Now the 4 1/2" version of this clamp is a completely different story. It has a vertical post with a circular cross-section, seems to take less force to properly set (which I suppose isn't surprising), and doesn't damage my bench dog holes. It sets and releases fast and reliably, and works spectacularly on wood up to around 2 inches thick (I wouldn't recommend it for wood over 2 inches). The 4 1/2" version gets 5 stars in my book.

Nice heavy duty hold fast. Doesn't fit 3/4 dog holes so I made some blocks for my vises and bored some 13/16" holes, worked like a charm (see pictures). I am going to bore a hole or two in my bench leg so I can hold long boards for planing. It is cast not forged which makes it a bit less springy but it is heavy duty and should out last me. Shaft is hexagonal not round and as indicated WILL NOT FIT 3/4 INCH DOG HOLES.

Item does not match description picture. Will not function properly in a standard 3/4” workbench hole. The pair I received in the mail had 1/2” shafts as measured with my calipers and only the hold down “head” appears forged. The “shaft” is a smooth steel bar. I have given this item 4 stars because Malelo Company refunded all of my money including shipping when I returned it. Also, this is a very sturdy product that would probably work fine in an appropriately sized work bench hole.

Not currently the same as the picture. They must of redesigned it. Looks like a separate top welded to the post. Post is slick, no texture, and consistent size the whole length and top is very robust and reinforced at the joint. Should take a beating better to set it. Purchased from Malelo and Company

They seem to be of a very nice quality. Heavy cast iron. However the shafts do not fit into a three-quarter inch dog hole so effectively useless on a workbench. Also the shafts are a hexagon as opposed to round I've never seen that before either. Might work fine in the right size hole but I'm not redrilling my workbench for these. Nor I'm going to grind them down cuz that would void the warranty if that doesn't work.

Needs 13/16" hole which might be awkward for benches with standard 3/4" hole. But in a 13/16" hole it's rock solid. Big strong heavy hold fast with a long reach and a firm grip

A person with adequate abilities in woodworking should not have any problems with this product

Livraison rapide et et bon état

I could hardly tell the two apart when they were laid down side by side. Exactly what I needed. :)

Shaft is not round

For $20 this simple tool is a steal. I only wish I had bought it 20 years ago. I work with irregular shaped granite and burls and this tool holds them all firmly!!!!