TOOLS : Clamps Help Get a Grip on Things
A workshop would not be a workshop without a variety of good-quality clamps. The more you have, the better. Buy clamps in pairs or sets of three.
Whenever you need extra hands to hold pieces together temporarily, clamps will do the job. Use clamps to grip parts while driving nails or drilling holes for screws. Use them to test-fit pieces before gluing them or to brace a freshly glued assembly until the glue sets.
Though both jaws are adjustable on some clamps, most have one fixed jaw and one movable jaw that grasps the item.
Clamps come in many sizes and styles. Some have specific applications, but most can be used in a wide array of situations.
Types of Clamps
* A C-clamp is named for its C-shaped frame. One jaw is solid. The other jaw has a threaded rod through it that you can tighten to hold the work against the fixed jaw. Change the size of the opening between the jaws by turning a T-handle on the screw.
* A spring clamp operates with hand pressure to open the jaws. The jaws close and grip the work when the handles are released. Keep several in various sizes and use them to hold something with light pressure. They can be repositioned quickly and easily. Most have plastic-coated tips to protect the item.
* A pipe clamp comes in a kit to fit on a 1/2- or 3/4-inch galvanized pipe. The length of the clamp is determined by the length of the pipe. At one end of the pipe, a sliding jaw operates with a spring-locking device. At the other end is a middle jaw that is moved by a screw with a T-handle mounted on a third, fixed jaw. The sliding jaw moves the work against the middle jaw, and the T-handle on the screw is turned until the work is held firmly.
* A hand-screw clamp has two parallel jaws operated by two threaded, opposite handles. Each jaw works independently, allowing them to angle toward or away from each other, or to remain parallel.
* Other clamps include band clamps, web clamps, quick-release bar clamps, edge clamps and more. Ask your local hardware dealer for advice on the best clamp to use for a specific project.
Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t rely on clamps to pull together a poorly fitting joint. Glue and pressure may hold things together for a while, but in the long run the joint will fail. Plane and sand pieces until they fit properly before gluing and clamping them.
Before applying glue, test-fit the parts. Practice putting the parts together in the time recommended by the glue’s label. Decide what clamps to use, how to use them and in what order. Then pre-adjust the clamp openings so they’re ready to go on the work and apply pressure with just a few twists.
To keep clamps from marring the finish on the piece, put a small wood block between each jaw and the work piece.
When gluing, leave the clamps on for the recommended time.
Never force a clamp or use a wrench to tighten it. If a clamp isn’t strong enough, use a bigger one or add another clamp next to it.
If you’re using C-clamps and they’re too small for the job, place the stationary jaws of two clamps against each other to form an S, then tighten the screws.
Two C-clamps and a length of braided wire can be used to make a clamp of any capacity. Loop the ends of the cable around stationary jaws of the clamp. Twist the ends together, then tighten the screws against the work.
