A Tasty Solution to a Woodworking Dilemma

Bench Dog Plastic Bench Cookies (4-Pack) 10-035

As a member of the fraternity of woodworkers I share a couple of their most infamous traits: a) a propensity for buying a new tool for just about every project I start, and b) a gigantic collection of bits of scrap wood to be used in making jigs and as clamp blocks or props. The significant problem with using wood scraps to raise a piece off the workbench is that the smooth wood is slippery, allowing the workpiece to move as I sand or rout along an edge.

There is, however, an "app" for that: Bench Dog Bench Cookies.  Though concocted of an unappetizing combination of orange plastic and black rubber, these cookies are still a tasty solution to the "prop" problem. Each cookie is a three-inch disk of hard plastic with a thick layer of screen-patterned rubber on both flat surfaces, totaling an inch in thickness.

To use, place two or more cookies on your workbench and place the workpiece on top of them. The rubber surface is non-skid: it's grippy on wood, glass, metal and plastic - and non-marring. The cookes hold the workpiece in place for routing, sanding, planing, and other work. It raises the workpiece off the bench by an inch or so, allowing you to rout or finish edges. The non-skid surfaces and standardized thickness make them superior to scrap wood, though you'll need to keep your workbench surface clean and brush the sawdust and wood chips off the rubber after each use (I use a stiff paint brush).

I also have a set of Rockler Bench Cookie Plus grippers, which are threaded to allow you to use risers on them instead of just stacking cookies. You can also get "cones" or "pyramids" to support a workpiece while you're finishing all sides, though they're not non-skid. Because Bench Dog brand cookies aren't quite as versatile as the Rocklers, I have to downgrade them from five to four-plus stars. They're still a great idea, though; just don't try to take a bite of one! Summary PLUS: non-skid, non-marring, versatile MINUS: not as versatile as the Rockler variety WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Bench Dog Bench Cookies are just what the doctor ordered for your woodworking needs.