Clamps come in a wide range of types, sizes, and styles. They’re used for many woodworking tasks, including edge gluing, stabilizing, and welding.
Buying the right clamp for your particular needs is key to success. Getting the right clamps makes your projects more precise and easier to accomplish.
Trigger-activated clamps
Trigger-activated clamps are a great choice for many woodworking projects. They’re easy to use one-handed, they provide a lot of pressure when you give them a squeeze, and they have big pads that will protect your workpieces from clamp marks.
They’re also available in a variety of sizes, allowing you to select the best size for your specific project needs. They can be used for gluing or attaching smaller pieces of wood, and they are very inexpensive.
A handscrew clamp consists of two hardwood jaws with long threaded screws that open and close quickly with the rotation of the screws. They’re ideal for jobs requiring odd shapes and angles, as they distribute pressure evenly across the jaws to reduce damage.
Some trigger clamps can be reversed to spread (push workpieces apart) or joined together to increase the clamping capacity. Some also offer high-pressure clamping, large pads that align perfectly, movable jaws that don’t slip when pressure is released, and quick conversion to spreader mode.
Screw clamps
Screw clamps are one of the most versatile clamping devices in any woodworker’s tool box. Whether used for small, one-handed applications or as a spreading device, they provide enormous force and can be adjusted to fit any situation.
A screw clamp works by passing a screw thread on an inclined plane to transmit lateral movement. In this way, it can open or close the jaws of the clamp.
Old-fashioned hand screw wood clamps remain popular for a few reasons. The first is that they apply pressure evenly across a larger area than most clamps, so they’re less likely to mar a workpiece.
Another advantage is that they can be angled to suit specific applications. They can also be custom-made to fit many irregular objects, such as doors and frames.
Pipe clamp jaws also protect the edges of boards from dings and dents while gluing. To make the protection permanent, drill holes in short pieces of 1/2-in. plywood 1/8 in. wider than the pipe diameter and screw them to the pipe jaws with sheet metal screws.
Bar clamps
Bar clamps are designed to hold long and wide pieces together. They are a sturdy tool and come in different sizes to accommodate all types of work.
A bar clamp consists of a long metal bar that is engineered to grip and hold heavy pieces of wood or metal. The long bar allows for effective clamping of large and heavy pieces, so it is a valuable tool to have in the shop.
These are a common tool in a woodworking shop and many cabinet makers have them available in their shops. They can be used to secure a piece of wood for gluing, cutting or drilling tasks.
A bar clamp can also be used to join two pieces of wood together, usually by a screw. They are also useful in metalworking processes, such as welding. They have adjustable jaws that can adjust in length and have padded ends, so they don’t harm the materials they are holding.
Pinch dog clamps
Pinch dog clamps are a simple, yet effective tool. They are often used for gluing up panels, tables or bench tops. Simply hammer the pinch dogs’ tapered legs into end grain on opposite sides of a joint, and the tapers draw the two pieces tightly together.
They can be used to fix a variety of projects and are usually fairly inexpensive. They are available online at several retailers, including True Value Hardware and Harbor Freight Tools.
Clamps are important to have on hand if you are a woodworker or other tradesperson. They are available in a wide range of sizes and styles, from bar clamps to pipe clamps. They are also available at home improvement stores and hardware stores in your area.
