Woodworking Clamps: Getting a Grip (Omar Rashad)
Mar 10, 2010
Few people are normally born with extra arms, and even fewer hobbyists can overcome the siren song of extra toys. Thanks to these two simple axioms, woodworkers will continually be looking for more exotic clamps. Before you embark on the search for the strangest-looking clamp, though, you need to be certain your wood shop has all the basic needs addressed first. You'll find three types of clamps that can help you through most woodworking tasks; the bar clamp, the C-clamp and the band clamp. Be sure to check out the different Air Compressors & Air Tools.
Bar clamps are probably the most familiar clamps linked with woodworking. They include an adjustable jaw, a steel bar of varying distances, as well as a second jaw which can float along the bar. The second jaw could be fixed at a location along the bar, and the adjustable jaw could be snugged up with a hand screw.
Bar clamps are very handy for woodworking as a result of their ability to accommodate wide or narrow projects. Pony brand steel bar clamps are resilient and reasonably priced options for the amateur woodworker since they are simple to attach and detach and the multiple-disc clutch will secure the adjustable jaw firmly at any position along the bar. Also, be sure not to miss the different Industrial Compressors.
C-clamps can also be particularly convenient for woodworking, but they are really more widely used than bar clamps for the reason that C-clamps are often employed by plumbers and metallurgists too. C-clamps are made from a large piece of metal which resembles a "C", and a flat metal pad mounted on the end of a hand screw. Since C-clamps are usually made from cast iron, a woodworker must protect his materials by using pads between the clamp pads and the project surface. In case you ever plan to invest in a few Irwin Quick-Grip C-clamps, these models already have over sized swivel pads that prevent marring while simultaneously adding to the clamp's stability.
Band clamps are what woodworkers reach for when rigidclamps don't work. The essential style of band clamp is an extremely long piece of strong webbing which is attached to a "buckle" with a ratcheting cinch. The band could be wrapped around the outside of irregular shapes, passed through the buckle and tightened with the cinch. Jorgenson makes a very basic band clamp with a 15 foot band and ratcheting cinch. If you need something with corner clips for use with picture frames, Merle markets a clamp with pivoting jaws as well as quick release corners.
Clamping and gluing are practically always a required part in any woodworking venture, so you actually should have some all-purpose clamps around at all times. Naturally, you aren't confined to the three kinds of clamps we've explored, but they ought to be the central group of your rapidly multiplying collection of woodworking clamps.
About the AuthorOmar Rashad runs and manages an Air Compressor Review Site that informs consumers about the different kinds of Industrial Compressors and much more..