A Bench Hook for Relief Carving

One of the problems faced by any wood carver is: How to secure the wood while carving on it.  A bench hook can be made that holds the work surprisingly secure.  By using the bench hook in lieu of holding it by hand, the carver runs less risk in cutting oneself.  Also, both hands can be used, making it easier to make precise cuts.

To make a bench hook you need the following items:

• 3/4 inch plywood, sized to fit the work
• Several pieces of 1 by stock
• A few 1 1/2 inch screws
• 1 - 2 inch by 2 inch by 10 inches (for 2 wedges)

Basicly a bench hook consists of a piece of plywood with a stop on either side (bottom and top).  The bench hook is placed on the work bench so that the stop on the bottom rests against the side of the work bench.  The second second stop on the other side of the plywood will have the work piece placed against it.  A clamp can be used to secure the bench hook to the bench if a lot of force is to be used on the tool.

In this version a second stop is added to the bench hook.  The 2 by 2 is ripped on a diagonal to provide two wedges which are used in opposition to hold the work piece in place.  If the work piece is in the shape of an oval, two smaller stops are used in place of one of the stops.  The smaller stops should be free to rotate to accommodate the oval.

To accommodate different sizes of work pieces, blocks can be added between the stop and the work piece.