July 22, 2010

Getting a Grip with Woodworking Clamps

Few people have been equipped with more than two arms, and even fewer of us can ignore the temptation of extra toys. Due to these two simple human traits, woodworkers shall always be acquiring more clamps. In advance of starting on the search for the most specialized clamp, though, you will want to ensure that your wood shop has all the general needs met first. You’ll find three styles of clamps that can be useful for general woodworking situations; the bar clamp, the C-clamp and the band clamp. Be sure to check out the different Air Compressors & Air Tools.

Bar clamps are possibly the most common clamps associated with woodworking. They consist of an adjustable jaw, a metal bar of varying distances, in addition to a second jaw meant to slide along the bar. The second jaw may be attached at a point against the bar, and the adjustable jaw is then tightened with a hand screw.

These clamps are very useful for woodworking as a result of their ability to clamp onto various sized projects. Pony brand steel bar clamps are resilient and affordable choices for the hobby woodworker because they are easy to clamp and un-clamp and the multiple-disc clutch will lock the adjustable jaw safely at any place along the bar. Also, be sure not to miss the different Industrial Compressors.

C-clamps would also be very practical for woodworking, yet they are even more common than bar clamps for the reason that C-clamps are often employed by plumbers and welders also. These tools are made out of a single piece of metal shaped like a “C”, and a small metal pad fitted to the end of a hand screw. Because C-clamps are usually made out of cast iron, a woodworker needs to shield his materials by attaching pads between the metal jaws and the project surface. Should you ever plan to invest in a few Irwin Quick-Grip C-clamps, these tools already have wide swivel pads which reduce marring while also adding to the clamp’s stability.

Band clamps are tools that woodworkers depend on when bar or C-clamps won’t work. The most basic form of band clamp is a particularly long piece of reinforced webbing normally sewn to a “buckle” with a ratcheting cinch. The band can be wrapped around the outside of non-standard shapes, passed through the buckle and tightened using the cinch. Jorgenson sells a very good band clamp which has a 15 foot band and ratcheting cinch. If you could use a band clamp with corner clips for use with picture frames, Merle sells a clamp which has pivoting jaws in addition to quick release corners.

Clamping and gluing are practically always a necessary part in any woodworking job, so you actually should have some all-purpose clamps in your shed regularly. Happily, no one is confined to the three kinds of clamps above, but those clamps ought to be the core of your naturally expanding selection of woodworking clamps.

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