You can make it easier to tighten F-style or hand-screw clamps with this simple modification. Drill a hole in the end of the wooden handle to fit a 1⁄4-in. drive socket. A 5⁄16-in. socket is a good choice because most of the time it is the smallest socket that is a full cylinder (individual sockets are available for less than $2 at many suppliers including Boston Industrial Tools). Epoxy the socket in place. You can now use a 1⁄4-in. nut driver or a 1⁄4-in. ratchet to tighten the clamp. This setup is especially handy when you need lots of clamps spaced close together, such as when clamping an edge to a tabletop or a workpiece to a bending form. This same idea will also work on larger bar clamps. Just use a larger 3⁄8-in. socket.

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Jim Richey

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