Hi Everyone,
As many have said, you never have too many clamps.
OK, though I’m not from Missouri, show me! What’s your favorite clamp? Have any clever/unique uses for them? How do you store them?
My favorites are handscrews. They can be employed for a number of things. Now that I’ve posted this, I’ll have to get some pics from the woodshop and put them up here.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Replies
I threatened my grandson with a parallel clamp when he was asking too many questions. ;-)
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Bob,
My favorite clamp would have to be my right hand.
My second favorite clamp is my left hand.
Sometimes, I combine my left and right hands into a complex multi-clamp.
The advantages of the human hand as a clamp are:
- it automatically adds the right amount of pressure
- it can conform to lots of shapes.
- it can react quickly to unplanned problems
- its four fingers and thumb are highly flexible and adaptive.
The disadvantages of the human hand are:
- you only have two and often need four or six (you never have enough hands).
- hands get tired
Sometimes when I run out of hands, I use teeth.
Occasionally when I need a clamp with more pressure than hands, I stand on the object, thus becoming a human clamp.
Cant wait to hear what other people's favorite clamps are.
Mel
PS where do you come up with these questions?
Do you have sleep apnea?
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Hi Mel, <!----><!----><!---->
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(Insert Mel's quetion here)<!----><!---->
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Call it an inquisitive mind on my part. Can I blame it on Knots as this forum has caused me to take a real look at the tools my and how I use them? And that's a good thing, I think. But there's more.<!----><!---->
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Many times I come across other posters comments about the intricacies of woodworking that peak my interests, such as clamps, planes, chisels, and finishing. The utilization of those foregone tools/methods of work that craftsmen of years ago used to ply their trade. There seems to be a new awakening going on where what are perceived as master craftsmen are rediscovering the use of what some refer to as Neanderthal methods of work. <!----><!---->
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Hmmmmmm..................<!----><!---->
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I can't even begin to give proper credit to these masters and so I won't even try. We all know them. And you my fellow Knothead add to the commaderie that we all share. Much needed.<!----><!---->
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Sometimes when in pursuit of a solution of an issue, I try to invent a new way of doing things. Then I refer back to my collection of Fine Woodworking magazines and most likely I find an answer. But my inquisitive mind often wants more.<!----><!---->
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Then again I have to blame Metod. (Thanks). He's the one, along with so many others, that got my mind going. Actually that Ray Pine dude might also have something to do with it too, along with Lataxe, PADDY, Kevin, SteveSchoerne, Hastings, RMillard, MikeHennessey, forestgirl, philip, Derek; Jeeze the list goes on forever! It's really all they're fault man! It's not my fault! It's all these quality folks here on Knots!!<!----><!---->
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I guess my point is, if I can provoke the minds on Knots to offer their thoughts, then you can rest assured that I will. Oh, and by the way, I measure my happiness in board feet too! <!----><!---->
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God bless you man.<!----><!---->
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Regards,<!----><!---->Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
You are doing a good thing.I enjoy your upbeat can-do attitude and your inquisitive mind. You constitute a significant force in creating the ambiance that imbues the Knots community with incisive analysis as well as grace and humor (and some occasional good natured one-upsmanship). (Wow, I never thought I'd be able to use all those fancy words in one sentence.Thanks for the opportunity.)Keep up the good work.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
Now about that prime property on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp I have for sale..............................
I'm not STRESSING!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I have a love/hate relationship with Irwin Quik Clamps. I hate them because the pads creep and fall off and they don't hold things very sturdily, if that's a word. I love them because they work with 1 hand so I can position something long enough to get a real, albeit 2-handed clamp like a K-Body or a pipe clamp on it. I think of them as pre-clamps.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
The more things change ...
We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC
John, have you tried turning the pad around? Might work. I have one of those that really doesn't clamp worth a darn. Wish I'd realized it right after I bought it, woulda returned it!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
My pinch clamps do a good job of keeping the wind from blowing away the table cloth on my picnic table.
Bob, the most impressive "thinking out of the box" use for clamps is pictured and described in this thread at WWA. Take a look, see whatcha think.
forestgirl,
Now that's about as clever as you can get. Gives me an idea on how to get my Jet jointer on a mobile base without calling in all the neighbors!
Thanks,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I was really impressed, LOL! BTW, I have one clamp frustration: Some time ago (maybe 2 years?) I bought 4 ratcheting hand clamps made by Pittsburgh. Have no idea where, but would guess at Harbor Freight, during one of my trips to visit hubby's family in Eastern WA. They're similar to Irwing Quick Release clamps, but better, IMHO. Darned if I can't find them anywhere! If you ever see any, let me know!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
forestgirl,
You know, I have 3 of them that showed up in a box from Georgia. Funny thing is they have decals of collies on them................................
Regards,
P.S. The box came from Sarge. What's up with that? Damned if I can find a match so I'll have 4. <G>Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I don't have the photos any longer. At work we used bar clamps for holding replacements structural members in collision repairs. They did need some customization and they worked great. I also built several chrome moly race car chassis and a few street rods chassis. They could be used for leveling, holding, pushing or pulling together. They were fantastic. Granted the modifications took some time but it saved many hours of set up. They also didn't catch fire when welding. They're are no longer customized and they work equally well for glue ups.
I do like the Jet clamps the best!Ron
My camera broke a while ago but I have a couple of older pictures of some of my, never enough, clamps. My favorite are the Wetzler F style clamps. In one shop, we used to have some trianglar bases on casters with a 4" pole. The handscrews would stack up on the vertical pole and you could roll them around. One thing for sure, a few dozen clamps of just about any kind, have some weight. I used to have a rolling bar/pipe clamp rack but I put down thick rubber mats in the shop and can't roll things around anymore. Now they hang on racks, ceiling joists and just about any place I can find.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
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