Too Many Clamps, Not Enough Hands

[DerbyDad03]

OK, so I don't really have too many clamps, but I definitely don't have enough hands.

I'm looking for some tips on clamping up projects. Between the cauls, pads, parts, angles, etc. it seems I'm always dropping something, missing my mark or just basically having a hard time lining everything up.

Most of my clamps are steel f-clamps with a few wooden Jorgensens and a couple of QuickGrips.

Any tips to share?

[B A R R Y]

The following thoughts help my glue-ups be enjoyable experiences with no rushing or surprises.

1.) Do practice runs without glue. Use lessons learned from the practice "no-glue"-up to create subassemblies whenever possible. The practice runs will also set your clamps to length and double-check that you've got everything handy. If it's ultra involved, write yourself a procedure. 2.) Use slower drying glues, like Titebond Extend or slow epoxies, when necessary. 3.) Don't be afraid to use brads, screws, etc... in inconspicuous places.

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[Doug Miller]

4) Get a helper. Even a four-year-old can follow instructions like "hand me that clamp" or "here, hold this" or "tighten this knob".

[dpb]

5) Build jigs and supports 6) Sometimes can rearrange to allow smaller subassemblies which are then combined

[DerbyDad03]

-- 4) Get a helper. Even a four-year-old can follow instructions like "hand me

-- that clamp" or "here, hold this" or "tighten this knob".

I thought the purpose of woodworking was to get away from the four- year-old. ;-)

[JeffB]

4) Cauls and clamp blocks can sometimes be taped into place so they don't fall down while you're getting clamps on them.

-- JeffB remove no.spam. to email

B A R R Y wrote:

[FoggyTown]

Become familiar with the many uses and possibilities of big rubber bands.

FoggyTown

[Frank Boettcher]

I do a sequential practice clamp up, then take pictures with my digital camera, print them off on regular paper, number any blocks that are not square or have a custom fit to a clamp, mark the clamping sequence (with the numbered blocks) on the pictures, then take a deep breath and start the real glue up.

Frank

[Doug Miller]

Involve the four-year-old as much as you can. It pays dividends later.

[BillinDetroit]

Buy your wife a beer (to be shared AFTER she helps with the clamping.)

;-)

[BillinDetroit]

If you swear too loud, the clamps develop a teflon hide and are even harder to hold.

If it is taking you too long to do the clamp up, use a shorter epoxy. Nothing will make 5 minutes fly by like quick-setting epoxy!

DAMHIKT (but I now know the maximum number of pen blanks I can glue up from a single batch of 5-minute stuff.)

I can only get more glued up if I have a midget to point to the plane.

(cue Herve Villachez in a Lee Valley store ... hey Lee! Time for a TV spot!)

Scene opens Clerk is stocking an aisle. A voice is heard: "The Plane, the plane!" Clerk stands, looks around, looks puzzled (voice over about how well-stocked a LV store is). Clerk kneels and starts to stock the shelf again. The voice is heard again, this time saying "The saw, the saw!". Cut to puzzled expression on clerks face again and then pan to Ricardo Montebon (sp?) look-alike stifling a laugh.

Alternate ending:

Pull back to scene of videographers and director calling "cut, cut" and turning to assistant saying "I thought I told you to get that guy outta here!"

;-)

Bill

[Leuf]

There's a reason the Bessey style K clamps are popular. No pads needed. The smaller and lighter uniklamps are good for the same reason, and I really have to be desperate for a clamp before I'll reach for a F instead of the uni's.

Beyond that, are you sure you're swearing with both enough frequency and volume?

-Leuf

[Peter Huebner]

Get at least 6 more quickgrips. They are great for holding things together lightly while you get the f-clamps with pads in place. AND they are actually quite good in their own right where you don't need high clamping pressure. AND they're single handed operation.

As they said, a second pair of hands to stop everything from falling over. Has the disadvantage of restricting the use of Language ...

I've been known to build scaffolds where I couldn't do things any other way. One advantage to not having the shop lined: in a pinch I can always tack a 4x1 to a stud to supply bracing. On the whole I'd rather have the lining, I think.

-P.

[charlieb]

Tip: Self aligning, self supporting joinery

And if you use mortise and tenon joints - chamfer the end of the tenon so that it'll go into the mortise if you're close rather than exactly dead on right. Also redues the chances of splitting off the corner of a tenon while trying to get it in the mortise. And if you can chamfer the edge of the mortise it makes fitting things together easier.

b

[B A R R Y]

_YOU_ have balls...

Involving your wife in a glue up!

That's almost as nice as having the wife catch long rips!

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[BillinDetroit]

It's not as dangerous as it sounds; I don't actually let her hold glue.

But, as far as those rips go, she has her own hearing protection and respirator for exactly that reason! She's also handy for crosscutting full panels and holding things while I skilsaw them down to manageable sizes. She has even been known to clue me in to fallen trees in our neighborhood. (I also turn.) A few months ago she assembled a dozen or so keyfobs while I turned the rest of an order.

True fact ... I have a gem of a wife. Yes, she does have a sister ... but I married the right one. Trust me.

Bill

[BillinDetroit]

Good tip, Charlie. Not that any of my mortices have ever been mis-aligned or anything.

;-)

Bill

[Morris Dovey]

DerbyDad03 wrote: | OK, so I don't really have too many clamps, but I definitely don't | have enough hands. | | I'm looking for some tips on clamping up projects. Between the | cauls, pads, parts, angles, etc. it seems I'm always dropping | something, missing my mark or just basically having a hard time | lining everything up. | | Most of my clamps are steel f-clamps with a few wooden Jorgensens | and a couple of QuickGrips. | | Any tips to share?

It's always good to have a few C-clamps handy.

I glue up a lot of right angle stuff. The aluminum face frame clamps (they come in two types) are fantastic for this kind of clamping. I have a photo of both types (along with a few C-clamps) in use in the photos at the top of

try to keep a supply of allthread (threaded rod stock) and threaded knobs in the shop for making special-purpose clamps. There's a photo of one example at 've also tried to keep track of sources of clamp parts for building clamps that aren't available off-the-shelf. There's a picture of a clamp I use for splicing sheet goods at the top of 've built a few cam-type clamps out of 2x stock and aluminum angle, screw type clamps that attach to t-track, vacuum clamps (for use with a recycled refrigerator compressor as the vacuum pump), and a pile of clamp extenders (which extend the "reach" of small clamps to hold work bigger than the clamp). Don't be afraid to roll your own.

HTH

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[GB]

BillinDetroit wrote in news:139lukue38vbd63 @corp.supernews.com:

Will you refer the left one to me please.

GB

-- .sig

[Lew Hodgett]

C-Clamps, lots of C-Clamps.

50-3", 40-4" and 30-6" will get you started.

I started with those, found I needed more.

YMMV.

Lew