The Art of Clamping: A Comprehensive Guide to Holding and Bonding Wood
When it comes to woodworking, clamping is an essential tool for holding and bonding wood together. In this article, we'll delve into the world of clamps, exploring the different types, their uses, and tips for using them effectively.
One of the most common types of clamps is the straight edge clamp. This simple yet effective clamp consists of a straight edge attached to one end and a by or two by piece of wood at the other. The user places the clamp against the workpiece and marks the rise and run of the stair string, creating a template for cutting out the Stringer. By repeating this process down the length of the wood, you can create an accurate and precise cut.
To take your clamping to the next level, consider investing in a C clamp or spring clamp. These clamps provide more force than straight edge clamps, making them ideal for projects that require extra strength. However, be aware that excessive force can damage certain types of wood or surfaces. To avoid this, use caution and adjust your clamping technique accordingly.
For even more strength, consider using a bar clamp. This type of clamp features an I-beam at the end and parallel jaws, eliminating the risk of lift in the middle of the clamp. The larger surface area also reduces the chance of marring the wood. Bar clamps are particularly useful for projects that require heavy-duty clamping, such as bookcases or drawers.
Specialty clamps exist to solve specific problems. One example is a clamp designed specifically for holding corners together. This type of clamp features two pieces with notches on either end, allowing you to place the workpieces in position and secure them with a pin nailer or screws. For projects that require precise corner joints, this clamp can be a game-changer.
Another specialized clamp is one designed to hold edges. This clamp consists of a C clamp with three points, making it ideal for gluing up panels or tops. By placing the clamp on the top surface and sliding in your face frame, you can secure the entire assembly while the glue dries.
In addition to traditional clamps, there are several creative solutions that can provide extra holding power. Surgical tubing, for instance, can be wrapped around workpieces to create a custom clamp. Simply tie the ends together and adjust the tension as needed. This method is particularly useful for projects where standard clamps won't do the job.
Finally, there's an adjustable strap clamp that can be used in various situations. By placing the clamp on the surface you want to secure and pushing it down, you can create a custom fit. The small nut at the end allows for fine-tuning of the tension, ensuring a snug fit without damaging the surrounding material.
In conclusion, clamping is an art that requires attention to detail and practice. By understanding the different types of clamps and their uses, you'll be better equipped to tackle even the most challenging woodworking projects. Whether you're working with traditional clamps or creative solutions like surgical tubing, remember to always use caution and adjust your technique accordingly. With patience and persistence, you'll become a master clamp user in no time.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enTommy I wanted to talk about clamps so I did a little Scavenging up here in the Loft and I got just a thing for you here you go it's an old hand screw clamp they come in all different sizes Kevin and they're great clamps so this one's actually got wooden screws and that sort of tells you something about its age well we've come a long way since the original hands screw clamps are a lot of options out there right now C clamps right here they're very common and they come in all kinds of different sizes and I typically use these when working with metal because they put a lot of force in such a small area right here and it can actually damage the wood now what I do use a C clamp a lot for is for clamping my framing square to a straight edge now when I'm making a stair string I take the straight edge hold it against my one by or two by and mark the rise and run of the stair and just repeat that pattern down the piece of wood you can cut out your Stringer exactly all right so if you get a lot of force off of the C clamp you might get less Force out of something called the Spring clamp but these can still be pretty practice now if you want to step up a little bit with a little more strength you have this clamp right here this is a quick clamp larger projects a little more strength when clamping because you can crank it right down now this one right here is actually springloaded so it'll close on itself and you can tighten it right down now you can also reverse the Jaws on this so if you want it to spread something apart you could actually spread it apart like that gotcha so now if you wanted to get even more strength you would go to a big guy like this right here clamp right and it comes at all different sizes because you buy the pipe the length that you want they actually sell the Jaws you buy the orange Jaws right and then you buy the length of pipe that you need and you just put it together yourself right and you can get 3/4 inch pipe or/ inch pipe mhm and you can adjust whatever you want bring it down and use the screw for the last couple inches right there right now the problem with these pipes I you use them a lot but when you have a real long pipe like this and you're gluing up let's say a panel or a top or anything like that when you crank that down this pipe could curl or bend slightly and when that bends you actually get a little bit of lift in the center here so you got to be careful of that happening when that bends up like that you're not going to get a good tight joint and so the solution to that is sort of the next step up and that's the bar clamp that's a bar clamp it's a heavier pipe it's actually like an I beam at the end and these two jaws are parallel all the time so when you crank this down you don't get that lift in the middle causing your top to Bow you also got to big surface right here so that you don't uh you at least lessen the chance of maring the wood right and you can also take this apart spin this around for spreading things apart okay so let's talk about some specialty clams here's one that they have got made up to hold Corners together right and it works pretty simple basically slide it on the board mhm holds the board into position now you can fasten it with a pin nailer or screws whatever you want to do if you make in a bookcase or draws or whatever so there's not a lot of holding power with that it's really just a third hand but they do make clamps you really got to pull those two pieces of wood together yeah if you really want to crank that corner tight there's one right here you can basically put the two pieces in like that put them together and make them even and crank it right down and put your Fastener in and it's actually nice and it's left open here so that you can work on the ends right and you can do a butt joint like this or you can take the two pieces and slide them together to make up a corner and then you can fasten that corner like that so those are for corners but they've also got clamps for edges right here's basically a C clamp with three points basically put it on the top and I would clamp it down slide in my face frame and clamp that while the glue dries or you can install a Fastener and these clamps right here hold the whole clamp on as you ratchet this down right but you got to be careful when you're using this type of a clamp because that C clamp can do damage to the surfaces of course there are some tools that can clamp that you wouldn't necessarily think of like for example surgical tubing right you can wrap that around whatever you want to clamp tie not and it's going to stay so now if you were going to put something together um like a stool let's say one of the stretchers actually came out like it did right here again you could use a surgical tubing and you could tie this around make it nice and tight that might do the trick for you but then they've also got a strap clamp right it's an adjustable strap clamp that you can put down where you want to clamp push it down put some tension on it and crank down on this little nut right here and you've got a nice clamp who knew there were so many clamps out there some for everything there's a lot of them all right great information Tommy thank you my pleasureTommy I wanted to talk about clamps so I did a little Scavenging up here in the Loft and I got just a thing for you here you go it's an old hand screw clamp they come in all different sizes Kevin and they're great clamps so this one's actually got wooden screws and that sort of tells you something about its age well we've come a long way since the original hands screw clamps are a lot of options out there right now C clamps right here they're very common and they come in all kinds of different sizes and I typically use these when working with metal because they put a lot of force in such a small area right here and it can actually damage the wood now what I do use a C clamp a lot for is for clamping my framing square to a straight edge now when I'm making a stair string I take the straight edge hold it against my one by or two by and mark the rise and run of the stair and just repeat that pattern down the piece of wood you can cut out your Stringer exactly all right so if you get a lot of force off of the C clamp you might get less Force out of something called the Spring clamp but these can still be pretty practice now if you want to step up a little bit with a little more strength you have this clamp right here this is a quick clamp larger projects a little more strength when clamping because you can crank it right down now this one right here is actually springloaded so it'll close on itself and you can tighten it right down now you can also reverse the Jaws on this so if you want it to spread something apart you could actually spread it apart like that gotcha so now if you wanted to get even more strength you would go to a big guy like this right here clamp right and it comes at all different sizes because you buy the pipe the length that you want they actually sell the Jaws you buy the orange Jaws right and then you buy the length of pipe that you need and you just put it together yourself right and you can get 3/4 inch pipe or/ inch pipe mhm and you can adjust whatever you want bring it down and use the screw for the last couple inches right there right now the problem with these pipes I you use them a lot but when you have a real long pipe like this and you're gluing up let's say a panel or a top or anything like that when you crank that down this pipe could curl or bend slightly and when that bends you actually get a little bit of lift in the center here so you got to be careful of that happening when that bends up like that you're not going to get a good tight joint and so the solution to that is sort of the next step up and that's the bar clamp that's a bar clamp it's a heavier pipe it's actually like an I beam at the end and these two jaws are parallel all the time so when you crank this down you don't get that lift in the middle causing your top to Bow you also got to big surface right here so that you don't uh you at least lessen the chance of maring the wood right and you can also take this apart spin this around for spreading things apart okay so let's talk about some specialty clams here's one that they have got made up to hold Corners together right and it works pretty simple basically slide it on the board mhm holds the board into position now you can fasten it with a pin nailer or screws whatever you want to do if you make in a bookcase or draws or whatever so there's not a lot of holding power with that it's really just a third hand but they do make clamps you really got to pull those two pieces of wood together yeah if you really want to crank that corner tight there's one right here you can basically put the two pieces in like that put them together and make them even and crank it right down and put your Fastener in and it's actually nice and it's left open here so that you can work on the ends right and you can do a butt joint like this or you can take the two pieces and slide them together to make up a corner and then you can fasten that corner like that so those are for corners but they've also got clamps for edges right here's basically a C clamp with three points basically put it on the top and I would clamp it down slide in my face frame and clamp that while the glue dries or you can install a Fastener and these clamps right here hold the whole clamp on as you ratchet this down right but you got to be careful when you're using this type of a clamp because that C clamp can do damage to the surfaces of course there are some tools that can clamp that you wouldn't necessarily think of like for example surgical tubing right you can wrap that around whatever you want to clamp tie not and it's going to stay so now if you were going to put something together um like a stool let's say one of the stretchers actually came out like it did right here again you could use a surgical tubing and you could tie this around make it nice and tight that might do the trick for you but then they've also got a strap clamp right it's an adjustable strap clamp that you can put down where you want to clamp push it down put some tension on it and crank down on this little nut right here and you've got a nice clamp who knew there were so many clamps out there some for everything there's a lot of them all right great information Tommy thank you my pleasure\n"
