Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Woodworking Clamps: Getting a Grip

May 21, 2010 by drewloupsen  
Filed under House And Home

Few people will ever be born with more than two arms, and even fewer people can overcome the temptation of more toys. Thanks to these two straightforward human traits, woodworkers shall continually be looking for more exotic clamps. Prior to setting out on the search for the one of a kind clamp, though, you need to make sure your clamp collection has all the standard needs covered first. You’ll find three types of clamps made to assist you in many woodworking tasks; the bar clamp, the C-clamp and the band clamp. Don’t forget to look at the different Air Compressors & Air Tools.

Bar clamps are very likely the most often used clamps connected with woodworking. They consist of an adjustable jaw, a pipe or bar of different lengths, and a second jaw meant to float along the bar. The second jaw could be fixed at a position against the bar, and the adjustable jaw may be tightened with a hand screw.

These clamps are quite handy for woodworking thanks to their ability to accommodate various sized projects. Pony brand steel bar clamps are durable and inexpensive choices for the hobby woodworker because they are simple to open and close and the multiple-disc clutch will hold the adjustable jaw firmly at any position along the bar. Also, be sure not to miss the different Industrial Compressors.

C-clamps would also be very handy for woodworking, and they are actually more common than bar clamps for the reason that C-clamps are often relied on by plumbers and metalworkers too. The clamps are manufactured from a single piece of metal which resembles a “C”, and a movable metal pad attached to the end of a hand screw. Since C-clamps are most often manufactured from cast iron, a woodworker should to shield his materials by attaching pads between the C-clamp and the wood surface. If you decide to get some Irwin Quick-Grip C-clamps, these products already have large swivel pads which cut down on marring while also improving the clamp’s stability.

Band clamps are the clamps which woodworkers depend on when bar or C-clamps won’t work. The essential style of band clamp is a particularly long piece of strong webbing normally attached to a “buckle” with a ratcheting cinch. The band may be wrapped around the perimeter of irregular shapes, secured through the buckle and tightened buy the cinch. Jorgenson manufactures a nicely made band clamp with a 15 foot band and ratcheting cinch. If you want a band clamp with corner clips for use with picture frames, Merle sells a clamp which has pivoting jaws and quick release corners.

Clamping and gluing are nearly always a necessary task in any woodworking venture, so you actually should have some all-purpose clamps around normally. Of course, a woodworker isn’t confined to the three kinds of clamps above, but these three ought to be the basis of your naturally multiplying selection of woodworking clamps.

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