Bench Hook For Bookbinding

August 30, 2026August 30, 2026 theron 0 Comments bookbinding

A finished bench hook with a green cutting mat in place, with a metal ruler and triangle placed against the back stop. Next to the ruler sits a craft knife.

In bookbinding, you find yourself cutting lots of things – paper, board, cloth, leather – and it helps to be able to cut straight and square. If you ask a dozen bookbinders how they do it, you will probably get a dozen different answers. DAS Bookbinding has a method I like, using a bench hook that has a straightedge against which perpendicular cuts can be made.

I want to use this method for my planned bookbinding classes, so I made some. They’re easy to make!

Supplies and tools needed for making the bench hook: a sheet of MDF, two pieces of square stock, clamps, sandpaper blocks, and a mechanical pencil.

The parts needed:
1/4″ MDF cut to 15×20″ (380×510 mm) (Home Depot sells a 2×4′ sheet of 1/4″ MDF for about $16 – which can get you three of these boards)
2x lengths of 3/4″ square hardwood cut to 20″ (510 mm) each (make sure they’re as straight as possible) (Home Depot sells 2′ lengths for $2.50)
5x 3/4″ #6 flat head screws (6g x 19mm)

Tools:
clamps
drill
countersink drill bit

A pencil, saw, and sandpaper are useful too

A close up of a mark on the square stock with a pencil mark showing where it needs to be cut to length.

Home Depot was kind enough to cut the sheets of MDF into multiple boards of the right size. I bought longer lengths of 3/4″ square pine so I aligned them up against the long edge of the MDF and cut it to length. I used sandpaper to clean up the cuts and avoid giving myself splinters.

The square stock clamped to the edge of the MDF sheet.

I lined the square piece to the front of the MDF and clamped in in place. (That big stain was sticker residue that I removed with adhesive remover.)

Close up image of countersunk hole for a screw to attach square stock to edge of MDF sheet.

I drilled 5 countersunk holes roughly evenly along the edge through the MDF. and used screws to attach the strips. You want the screw heads to be flush or slightly below the board.

Completed bench hook, with a piece of square stock on top at the back of the MDF sheet, and another piece of square stock on the bottom front of the MDF sheet.

Repeat on the other side, so you have one strip on the top and one on the bottom. The strip on top of the board (at the back) holds the work piece against a straight edge. The front strip (on the bottom) holds on to the edge of the bench, preventing the board from moving.

I actually made two different sizes – the 15×20″ ones for the class and a larger one for my workbench because I don’t have a way of attaching the strip to the workbench itself.

Finished bench hook with a green cutting mat in place on top.

The board holds a 12×18″ cutting mat, which is big enough to work with a A3 or 11×17″ sheet of paper.

By using a straightedge with a flat edge (like a machinist rule) in conjunction with a square, you can get an accurate 90° cut adjacent to a straight edge placed against the back stop.

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