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September 2005 - Hold on Tight |
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You can never have too many clamps |
When you’re in the middle of gluing up, there’s
no such thing as too many clamps. But using the right kind of
clamp is just as important as having enough. Applied with sufficient
pressure, the perfect clamp makes joinery a snap. Remember to
dry-fit joints first, protect the wood’s surface by padding
your clamps, space them evenly on the workpiece and, if a joint
feels like it’s not fitting, don’t fall prey to
the temptation to crank the clamp just a little harder. |
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1. Handscrews have been around
for centuries; earlier versions used wooden screws, although
they’re made of metal on modern ones like this No.
2 Jorgensen ($30). Handscrews excel at clamping irregular
surfaces because the two jaws can be adjusted independently. |
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| 2.
C-clamps are universal in woodworking because they’re
economical and versatile. C-clamps are made in a range
of sizes, including this 2" Craftsman ($5) and 3"
Adjustable ($5). |
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| 3.
Bar clamps are another workhorse of the shop designed
for a range of applications (Craftsman 24" Speed
Clamp, red, $22). For edge-gluing and other large projects,
choose a pipe clamp, which can be as long as the length
of pipe you select (Pony Original 3/4" Pipe Clamp,
orange, $17). In recent years, quick-action clamps have
become popular, prized for their convenience. As with
this Irwin Quick-Grip 12" One-Handed Bar Clamp/Spreader,
many can be adjusted with one hand (blue, $29). |
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| 4.
Special tasks require special clamps. A mitre clamp is
ideal for corners on projects such as picture frames (Irwin
Light-Duty Corner Clamp, blue, $29). An edge clamp applies
even pressure to attach edge banding to a workpiece (Lee
Valley Edging Clamp, silver, $14). A band or strap clamp
is required when gluing odd-shaped pieces such as chairs
(Lee Valley 16' Web Clamp and Web Clamp Corners, orange,
$13). |
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| 5.
Spring clamps or ratcheting clamps are perfect when you
need light pressure to hold together small parts (2"
Wilton Multi-Grip Ratcheting Clamp, blue, $4; Pony 2"
Spring Clamp, orange, $3; Craftsman Mini Spring Clamp,
black). |
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| text
by Susan Peters, photos by Daniel Harrison |
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