How many clamps do you REALLY need? Woodworking basics.
Vložit
- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- "You can never have enough clamps!" Is that really true? In fact, you can accomplish almost anything with just 9 key clamps. Plus, I'll talk about 3 overrated clamps.
Set up shop for less than $1000. Download my FREE GUIDE ► theweekendwoodworker.com/tww-...
PATREON ►► / wwmm
TOOLS I USE► amzn.to/2F3hxQc
WWMM T-SHIRTS► amzn.to/2scxfYl
FACEBOOK► / woodworkingformeremortals
INSTAGRAM► / steveramsey_wwmm
----------------
MAILING ADDRESS:
WWMM
448 Ignacio Blvd. #237
Novato CA 94949
----------------
Woodworking for Mere Mortals® is a registered trademark of ZRAM Media, LLC.
#woodworking #clamps #thenumbernine - Jak na to + styl
The ideal number is always the amount of clamps you have. Plus one.
Exactly. Plus a couple more, just in case.
Yep. You are always one short.
you sound like a cyclist
@@phillippeforster241 yes, I am more of a cyclist than a woodworker :)
If you have enough clamps, you're probably doing something wrong.
Thanks for always thinking of the average woodworker, those of us who have a limited budget and limited workshop space. As you know, many if not most of CZcams woodworkers have moved to enormous shops stocked full of insanely complicated and expensive tools. You are one of the few who remembers his roots and supplies the regular woodworker with projects that we can do. Keep it up, my friend.
3:29 If only you knew a woodworker that could make you a replacement handle ;)
I lived beside a carpenter who started to renovate his house. After 10 years of looking at an unfinished side I asked him if he'd bitten off more than he wanted to chew. He said, "I like my job, but found out that I really only do it for the money. If I knew a carpenter I'd get it finished." We laughed and I gave him a beer.
Just a tip. You can join the pipes together with a coupling fitting (instead of another clamp). Super cheap and cuts the number of pipe clamps in half.
great tip, Don, thanks!
The harder part is finding really good pipe clamps. His video looks like harbor freight, and they suck. (love their cheapo F-style though)
Agreed ; Double Ended Female Pipe Connector , [ 1.50 $ ] . YYZ , Mohawk-Planker . Did 12 ' Table End Cap's That Way & Worked Perfectly .
@Iain Botham No a coupling is the name I would use in UK too. A Socket is fixed at one end, eg wall or look at a mechanics toolbox. Keep it clean please!
The Irwin clamps I have are great. And you don’t need to use threaded ends at all.
I was sent here by Rex Krueger, cant wait to binge all your content :)
I love the fact that Rex lists only 5 clamps as really necessary, and 2 of those are on Steve's overrated list! Just goes to prove the point that everyone is different and it all depends on what you want to focus on.
"I mean seriously, clamps can be super expensive... and, I'm a cheapskate."
Liked, followed, subscribed, build Steve Ramsey idol, pray to it daily.
I dunno about over rated, but clamps are definitely OVER PRICED!!!
If you have one in your area, Harbor Fr. sells Bessey-style clamps very reasonably. I've been using them fine for a long time now. They're not amazing, but at the end of the days it's a sufficient clamp for between $2-10 a piece.
@@bear8046 Almost all of my clamps are from HFT. I have about 10 of the "Quick-Grip" style that I got on sale for around $3 each. I use those all of the time...
Considering you'll probably own them forever, I just suck it up and buy'em.
Agreed. I think a good rule of thumb is a dollar per inch
Two words, Harbor Freight.
I just recently started woodworking at 75 years old with inexpensive 30 year old power tools, a garage to work in, and a limited budget. I have a few bar clamps from 6 - 24 inches. However, I needed to clamp 6 feet. So I took a 3 foot 2X4 and drilled a series of 1" holes through the 2X4. Now I can insert the far end of each clamp in the appropriate hole to span the 6 feet and tighten the screw end.
Only thing I use a C-clamp for is compressing the piston when replacing brake pads.
I used to change my brake pads in highschool and when I was home from college. Then I moved to DC and didn't have anywhere to do it. I took it to a chain brake place which happened to be next to a Home Depot. The guy calls me out and says he can't get the piston back in so it all needs to be replaced. I laugh and tell him not to touch anything, then run over to Home Depot, come back with a C-clamp and pushed the piston back in. I told him I've changed my pads and rotors about 10 times and the only reason I'm here is because I don't have a driveway so just change the pads and rotors. He wasn't very happy.
Seconded, for some reason they just always seemed to fit perfectly in the limited space between the knuckle smasher linkage and the forehead denting support above it.
Don't ever let my wife see this!!! I have her convinced I need more clamps!! My favorite and most used are the F style clamps from Harbor Freight, good prices and dam useful!
It seems every time I have a woodworking question and go to CZcams, I end up learning something useful from Steve.
The C Clamp comes in handy when needing to lock down a bench top tool. They can provide far more pressure then a bar clamp can which helps to keep things from moving when the motor of the tool spins up. Also 9 clamps is only enough for smaller projects :) I used 16 of them the other day doing a bunch of small glue ups.
Irwin quick-grips are my go-to on pert-near every project. Depends on what you're making and how often you make it!
They are good, but depending on what you typically make, they don't go large enough for bigger pojects, and they're also kind of expensive.
One of the best tips for new woodworkers including myself
Nailed it on the photographers use of spring clamps, my wife has used them in that role for years! :)
Great for temp spray booths too...
I have used a single, 3/4" pipe clamp to square up the 4 walls of one of my home built work shops. 16' by 32 ' in size with what would end up being barnstyle roof to add an attic area for wood and incomplete project items. I went to the hardware store and got some 3/4" pipe couplings and a few joints of 10' long 3/4" pipe. With a little help to hold one end in place, I was able to determine the LONG diagonal of the 4 walls, span that long side with a pipe clamp, and it was 3" out of square. Simply set the pipe clamp to work, pulled the long diagonal in measuring both diagonals with the assistance of my friend until both were equal, and quickly nailed in 8 of the plywood panels that were to be the outer skin. Amazing versatility on a simple bar clamp tool. Never forgot them. Now, on the opposite side of the planet, I brought those bar clamp ends here with me and obtained a small stack of different lengths of pipe. Like American Express, never leave home with out them!!! Great channel and great content. Following daily.
Oooh... gonna have to disagree with ya there buddy... spring clamps provide constant pressure and consistent pressure when gluing up small project parts. As the pieces dry, they can contract - some pieces, that amount can be considerable. Only spring clamps provide consistent pressure the entire drying process. For me, an example would be clamping gunnels on small boats and laminating archery bow limbs. For others, it might be clamping small laminates or inlays on furniture. For larger projects, they won't be strong enough but for small projects or small parts of large projects, they outshine any other.
Iron bar clamps can leave unwanted ebonizing (black stains) on your projects when glue comes into contact with them. Either wax the hell out of them or consider those aluminum square stock clamps.
Still enjoyed this video. Come to think of it, I think you do a great job on all of your videos - good mix of information and entertainment - exactly what I want out of youtube.
Steve, I really appreciate your attitude. You are so respectful of other ways of doing things. That in itself is worth all the 'likes'.
You asked, so I will tell you my favorites.
Pipe Clamps - I have a few but don't use them that often. I prefer the Pony CabinetMaster clamps which while more expensive are a much better clamps. I have a pair of 48s and a pair of 24s.
F clamps - I have a few Bessey F style camps in various lengths. Like you these are my go to clamps for most clamping tasks.
Squeeze clamps - I have about a dozen Irwin QuikClamps, six 6inch and sic 12 inch. I also have two very small ones about 4 inch capacity that are great for working on small projects lie a jewelry box or other delicate work where very light clamping pressure is needed.
Spring clamps - I have four medium size Pony spring clamps. They don't get used very often for the reasons you state.
Band clamps - I have a Pony band clamp similar to yours, and I use it on boxes and on odd shaped glue-ups. Wouldn't want to be without it. I also have two heavy duty Pony band clamps with a 2" wide x 20 foot long strap. I bought these for some repair work I was doing on an old house 35 years ago. I think I might have used them once since. Nothing else would have worked at the time and no one had clamps I could borrow so I bit the bullet and bought them.
Aluminum bar clamps - These I have recently taken a liking to. They are light and easy to handle/maneuver when gluing up a project. I get the inexpensive ones from Harbor Freight. Not because they I can't afford other brands but because theirs are just as good if not better than similar clamps offered by others. I pad the inside of the bar with a piece of 3/4 plywood as Paul Sellers and others have done ( search YT for "Clamp Retrofit | Paul Sellers" ). Actually for most clamping these can replace pipe clamps and cost even less than pipe clamps.
I could get by with your nine clamps if I had to. But having a few other key clamps makes life easier and if you are gluing up multiple items at once you can go through your short stack of clamps pretty fast. So you would have to do sequential clamping which might stretch out the job longer.
I'm compiling a list for my upcoming woodworking ventures as a beginner. This video is going to save me about $100 USD or more. Well done! It earned you a new subscriber!
My friend is starting woodworking and I sent him this channel and he loves it! He said "I wish he sold a beginners bundle of tools etc because I would buy it and trust this man" hahaha I'd buy it too honestly!!!
I'm on my early 30 right now but I'm planning to become a woodworker in my pension. I don't know why it looks very cool to build something useful for a house. And working in office is very boring. I hope I can start this earlier just need some tools to invest. And your channel inspired me, so thank you sir!
Theres never been a better time. Powertools are at an all high in value with all the combokits everyone is throwing together. I suggest getting a Ryobi 6-tool kit, then slowly add hand tools to your collection when they go on sale. Those 6 tool kits really opens up a whole new world for weekend warriors to step up their projects.
I've found that the average project always requires 6-8 clamps and I never work on more than two projects at once, so having 12-16 clamps is the sweet spot for me. I definitely don't use them all every day, but once or twice a month I find my self using my last clamp and calling it a day.
In case anyone is wondering about that quick shot of the black pieces of metal when he says "gimmicky clamps" (around 4:30): those are panel clamps. The idea is that they attach to a length of wood on both sides of a panel and apply pressure on all sides at once. The pictured equipment isn't the whole thing. Generally, you'd want two sets of these clamps.
While I agree that they aren't necessary, I wouldn't call them a gimmick at all. I find them incredibly effective and very easy to use. I like being able to glue up a cutting board, then tighten down in two spots and just leave it.
I even went a little overboard and used some superstrut for maximum strength. It works incredibly well.
It has been my experience with having too many certain tools, or some of those tools that's it around for years rusting and or collecting dust and cobwebs, thinking I have too many or I will never use them again, or tools that I have inherited, that I think I will never need, soon as I get rid of them, I'm stuck in a position where I need them. It never fails.
Never fails!
As soon as i sell off a tool i instantly find a use i need for it. Then i repurchase it and curse myself out for making the same mistake twice.
Everytime I hear "clamps" I think of the robot mafia antagonist in Futurama. "It's gonna be clamp this, clamp that. Bada-climp, bada-clamp!"
Your videos are awesome for someone new to this stuff like me. It's not easy to find good explanations on basics when you're starting from scratch. I appreciate it. Keep the great content coming!
This is exactly the video I was looking a few months back. There are a few other videos in youtube about this subject but they limit themselves to describe the billion types of clamps there are and saying everything is equally important and useful.
I am totally frustrated with C clamps in my little time with woodworking. Thanks for making this video and clearing all my doubts about clamps.
My go to style clamp is a trigger clamp. They have like the pistol grip. Very handy to work one handed.
Steve I just wanna say thanks. You've completely changed how I operate in my garage for the better.
Great review of the essential clamps. I agree, the 1/2" pipe clamps will provide adequate strength for any wood glue-up projects in the workshop. I keep just a few 3/4" pipe clamps which have the strength to bring larger boards into alignment when brute force is required for building walls and decks. You didn't mention any of the "quick-grip" bar style clamps which have a trigger to close the clamp. These are very handy when you only have one hand free to get the clamp positioned and clamped. This style often has a reversible fixed stop at one end that can be turned around to turn the clamp into a spreader. Handy for spreading boards apart into alignment or holding something against a surface when you have another surface close to push off of. Basic "C-clamps" are still one of the cheapest clamps to purchase (and the easiest to find at garage sales) when you do need a lot of clamps and they are still the "go to" for wooden boat builders (they usually have 100 to 200 C-clamps in their arsenal) and useful for all kinds of metal working or welding clamping.
I've keep the number of my clamps down by sticking with longer clamps (not huge) and using them for everything. For instance I have four 24" bar clamps, four 54" parallel jaw clamps (awesome sale at Woodcraft about 25 years ago), four 48" pipe clamps, four Craftsman 24" quick clamps (another awesome sale around 20 years ago)...I just used these when building a small set of outdoor stairs, a set of nylon spring clamps, two wooden clamps, two band clamps, a few C-clamps that I mostly use for automotive and metalworking and finally six 2" handy clamps that were 99 cents after rebate. I always intended to get more clamps, but I really never needed more and in fact, most likely I'm "over-clamped". These days Craigslist, Facebook and the like have several gently used clamps at bargain prices and I've also found that when I'm looking for something if I just put the word out with family and friends often the item magically appears and usually for either free or low cost. The older I get, the more I learn that less is more.
I find the old wooden clamps to be perfect for a drill press vise. Their flat sides makes them parallel to the bit in a way that no other clamp can do.
I also find the spring clamps useful for quick holding things for repairs, or holding up a sheet for spraying varnish. However, I don't see much use for them for wood working per se.
I also think there are clamps, and clamping techniques that are perfect for niche applications, and if you're doing those applications, then you should get those clamps. The clamping tables + staves I see with luthiers is a perfect example. As is a vaccuum clamp when working with veneer.
Agree. There are those cases when an odd clampng angle make these the perfect choice. Also, when you need to clamp to a clamp - right angle-style. These really work!
Plus one on the wooden clamp as a drill press vise.
I agree with much here, except the wooden hand clamp: they can - as was shown in the video - hold a piece of stock vertical, great for holding on a drill press, etc.. they are non-marring and can spread tremendous force over a larger area than a clamp with a small foot. And at around $10 ea at Harbor Freight, they are a great investment.
I agree about the drill press, especially pipe or dowels.
Agreed. None of his essentials can be used for that
I learned woodworking building sets for theatre, where Gaff tape is used for all kinds of tasks including clamping things down. I own more types of tape than you have clamps on the wall, but my favourite for this situation is Pro-Gaff by Pro Tapes, which is thin, hand tearable, and most importantly has a gentle temporary adhesive that doesn’t leave residue but is still plenty strong - the standard width tape is rated to hold 75 pounds and you can use extra layers for more strength. And because the adhesive stays on the tape when removed, you can stick it on the work bench after using it to be used again later, though eventually the adhesive gets too much dust on it. Give it a try - it’s especially useful for times when you need to cut right next to where the tape is - you can even cut through the tape if you want. Black or flourescent yellow are the two industry standard colours, but white is probably more useful for woodworking since you can easily write on it.
Hi Steve. Good to hear from you. I have only bar clamps and have been able to complete one or two projects over time with them. I am very happy for the success your courses are making. You deserve all the best life can give you. Thanks so much for the tips and for sharing this video. Greetings to you and your family.
Great and well thought out list Steve, being a Scroll Saw Artist I use more and more Spring clamps with every project to glue a portrait to a backboard or into a picture frame, I have all the clamps mentioned and use them all for various other applications
I'm an occasional wood worker and have a few quick release ratchet clamps. In my eyes they're perfect. Cheap, practical and do what i need them to do.
Like most open-ended questions, the answer has to start with "It depends". It depends on your typical project load, type, size, and quality of clamps, etc. For example, a luthier will need hundreds of very small clamps. Cabinet builders will need fewer, but longer and stronger clamps, as well as edge band clamps. A picture frame maker might just need a few band clamps. My thoughts. Cheers! Chris.
I love what you do! Most of all I love that you are still true to your original. You still try to teach people about the basics. That is VERY VERY COOL!
It all depends on what you are doing. As always I respect your opinion, and honesty. if you are only doing small projects and time is not an issue, well yes a small number of clamps will work.
On a large project with multiple glue-ups. Most of the time your limiting factor is the number of clamps you have available. As with most things in life a little more that you need is better that a little less....
I always try to walk past the Markdown table/shelf in just about every store I go into. Depending on what is in my personal spending account I have a limit for things that I don't really need but might want.... Usually between 5 and 20 bucks. One of the things I tend to buy up are clamp sets. I Have several still in the packages on the shelf in my maker space.
I like you, love to get more people involved in making things for themselves. I regularly gift a couple clamps or sets of clamps to someone just starting out. It is often an overlooked part of making stuff.
Big metal C clamps are not meant for wood working. Sometimes they are handy, but yes if you are primarily a wood worker you can spend your money on a better alternative. I Make (not all out of wood.) so I have quite a few C clamps. Most of them are tiny. with a capacity of less than 2 inches. ( I tend to make lots of small stuff.)
I do have a few of the wood parallel jaw clamps. They are useful for putting a "handle" on small parts that otherwise might get away from you. I use them to hold short bits of molding that need to be shaved on the miter saw, small parts that need to be rounded off on the router table, or held accurately on the drill press. Their advantage is that if I get overzealous and feed the clamp into the blade, the wood jaws absorb the damage well.
C-Clamps seem to be most useful for metal work, but not much for woodworking.
But the main clamps you mention are also the ones I use most in both my personal shop and in the school shop.
Spring clamps are frustrating when trying to use them single-handed whilst holding work etc with the other hand, you're right, but they have those auxilliary uses [like the photographer] that make the 'handy' at times. I have many power tools that I like to keep portable but bench ready, so i like to attach my; grinder, belt sander and even my vice to a firm board and anchor it to the workbench with C - clamps. They're rigid, reliable, don't get needed elsewhere and free up the 'good' clamps for the actual work. As you say 'horses-for-courses' so I think while an unending supply is a bit ridiculous, methodical planning of what your work parametres are likely to be can, as you say, give a good ballpark figure for clamps required. Don't stockpile them just because of the saying! [Woodworking - you can never have enough maxims!]
As you astutely pointed out, the question of number and required clamps is highly dependent upon what you're doing... AND there's just SOOOOoooo much variation on woodworking.
For pressing metal fittings into tight arrangements with wood, C-clamps are best. Not because they're all metal and bad-ass with the forces they can generate (you need OLD C-clamps for that anyway)... but because they DO create a bit more force EASIER, so you can control it. You also get the benefit of one "foot" being flexible (slightly) and the other rigidly fixed. This allows you to determine whether you need the "clamp force" with a slight angle (rarely) or a direct and rigid straight line (most useful).
For anything in soft wood... GET THE DAMN WOODEN (old school) JAW CLAMPS. You'll cost yourself a WHOLE lot less time with a sander in your hands trying to fix what you've f***ed up royal with those damn metal jaws.
Spring clamps are GREAT for those little piddly things. Add a rubber-band to the jaws and you can press veneer and trim down along the edge of a project about as cheaply as it gets. They hold sheets and tarps in place for high-volume dust and debris control, or to keep the cold air at bay reasonably in winter (when you still have to get stuff done AND vent the shop a little).
Bar clamps are pretty go-to for reasonable sized builds. The quick-clamps out of Irwin or HF are awesome as they trigger-feed, and there's a "release button" that also lets you just slide the jaw in a "macro adjustment"... They press plenty for glue-ups. and come with nicely cushioned jaws so you don't mangle the softer woods so much.
Pipe clamps are economically responsible, and ESPECIALLY damned useful for panels, table-tops, and LARGE work. However, it's a stretch to say they're THE best clamps for woodworking in general. Metal jaws mangle wood. Obviously scraps can be used to cushion some of the work, BUT it's worth pointing out that you only have so many hands, and when you're juggling gluey gooey pieces of project, heavy metal pipes and jaws, and scraps to cushion everything... you run out of hands quicker than you'd like.
Finally, it's worth pointing out that if you habitually put a LOT of pressure into gluing, as in you're bending the wood together constantly, rather than square it and straighten it to fit BEFORE adding glue... you're project is SUFFERING in quality. There are occasions when this is practiced, without too much hell to play, but it's important for joinery and all other things "fitted" together that you get that fitting right first... not hoping the glue is somehow magically strong enough to warp the wood and "make it work" forever.
Generally, any clamp that CAN clamp tight enough I don't want it on my hand for an hour, can hold tightly enough for gluing... or I'm screwing up the project. ;o)
C-clamps where my only clamps in the very beginning, when i worked only with pallets, C-clamps saved my life.
I'm a weekender wood worker so cheap tools helps me a lot and it's more than enough if you're like me, cause I'm not gonna use it that much, I just build my own furniture, or fix my own house. Try craigslist or the garage sales you'll find a great tools for incredible prices. And very important thing DO NOT BUY WOOD recycl old furniture or use pallets, trust me you'll save a lot and you'll get amazing results. Good luck
I I think the types and numbers of clamps you will need will vary according to your type of shop. I’m retired and downsizing to a workshop that fits in 1 cubic metre of space when packed away. I have standardised on the pocket hole joinery for everything and this enables me to use the minimum number of clamps, similar to Steve. It also means I don’t need an assembly table since joints are finished one at a time. If a carcass is not square (very rare) I simply loose here and tighten there until all is well.
If on the other hand you prefer box or dovetail joints then you will need more clamps and an assembly table to glue up your carcass in one go. Be sure to clean up excess glue dripping into your clamps before the glue dries - modern glues are a bitch to remove from clamps once hardened.
I too have wondered how many clamps to have in my little shop. They take up space, but when you need one, you need one. Along comes Steve Ramsey again with credible answers to nagging questions. Bravo! and thank you.
I saw the pipe clamps in your videos,, and i know i want those. Then i saw some bar clamp faces sold on the net i bought them and form our old heating pipes which was 1/2" iron pipes i made 6 different sizes. I really love them. Form me the one handed bar clamps are essential. I can set them easy with one hand and hold the things in place. It can't hold very tight, but for temporary holding is a great thing.
I really like QUICK-Grip bar clamps. I have a set of two small and two large. The large ones are very handy to fasten my surface planer (or any bench top tool) to my bench top. I rarely use my pipe clamps anymore in favor of my Bessey K-clamps. The pipe clamps do not offer the parallel forces like the K-Body, plus using pipe clamps you have to protect your wood from black staining during a glue up. I agree with the Bessey F clamps, I have 4 and these are VERY useful! Jorgensen bar clamps are okay and fit where the K-Body can not. I have several sizes of spring clamps but threw away some cheap ones that I really hated. I recommend buying clamps in sets of two.
Totally agree with your assessments. The only thing I use a C-clamp for is pressing a brake caliper open, I don’t care for them. I like bar clamps, and like you Steve, I use them in nearly every project.
You can never have _too many_ clamps, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have enough of them. After all, “enough” is just what you need to complete the project.
Thank you very much for this video. Really helped me.
Thank you for being such a good source from a "newbie"
I use the hand clamps as stop blocks on my cross cut sled, miter saw etc. comes in handy instead of messing around with a clamp and a block of wood.
I use spring clamps and C-clamps mostly for welding. The spring clamps also help for gluing fabrics onto the metal frames of balcony curtains. Yet, I hardly use them in woodworking.
Pipe Clamps, bar clamps, or quick clamp is all I use for wood. C-Clamps and vise clamps for metal working. Spring clamps are the 3rd hand to hold a tape measure in place or to hold paper down so it doesn't blow away.
The classic wood clamp i use on the bandsaw and drill press to provide a flat base for a small part. Used like a drill press vice but more woody. (useful for metal parts as well as a non marring vice)
The C clamp are indispensable for metalworking. Lots of force into them and heat resistant. I can hold metal parts in position before welding. I also use them as a press to dive out pins, or push in pins for hinges, or even in cars as a tie rod sepparator (a large socket is also required). As woodworking.. yea, the extra power they have is rarely useful, also the all metal fire proof construction is not a functional thing in woodworking.
Spring clamps are just light duty holding very small parts.. like gluing a popsicle stick construction.
And one of my favorite: the selflocking plier/clamp. Very valuable in metalworking. Holding small parts while grinding, or clamping stuff before welding, or clamping pipes to unscrew them, etc... again mostly for metal working.
I agree with your essential clamps, but I would add the sliding grip clamps and the wooden parallels that you say are overrated. I have been a shop teacher for 24 years and my students and i use them constantly. We use them to hold panels down when they are sanding. We use them when the students are gluing up panels. If the boards are not dead level we put cellophane tape on the jaws and use them to level the boards. We also use them in conjunction with the drill press when drilling round stock.
I really like having Ratchet/tie down straps. I use them for larger items and they're handy to have outside of woodworking. Sometimes they can pull to the side of the ratchet but you can just join two together and ratchet from both sides to even things out.
And the quick grip/trigger style of clamp.
Hey Steve. I practice woodworking over 20 years, but I never got into full gear. Your videos inspired me to come back. I just finished my first paid project. I wish I could send pictures here. Keep up the good work. Thanks
Thank you, I was thinking about pipe clamps, I have a few bar clamps. I love the square clamp, I used it to make a box for my son's fountain pen, nice square edges :)
Looks like I’ve got the essentials plus one c clamp I’ve never used. Thanks for curbing the temptation for needing... err wanting more!
Totally agree when it comes to those 3 types of over rated clamps. I recently bought some parallel clamps. They are very expensive and this is why I was doing without them for a long time, but I really like them now. One of those is doing a job of 2 F-clamps.
Cool tips for newbies. Thanks.
You're like Bill Nye the Science Guy for woodworking. I dub thee: Build Nye the Woodworking Guy.
Except Nye is a fraud.
Thank you Steve, I think the same about you named overrrated clamps. Thank you a lot for all the know how you give us in this channel.
Irwin Quick Grip clamps
. Quick, easy and strong.
I have 2 large C-clamps that I use for brake work on disc brakes, for re-seating the caliper piston, but seldom for woodworking.
Hi Steve! It's always good to see new videos from you, thanks!
Yes!. It's great to get Steve's videos.
I absolutely LOVE your thumbnails! Death to clickbait!
Like you, bar or "F" clamps cover about 90% of what I do. I'm not a big fan of Harbor Freight tools in general, but their bar clamps work very well and are cheap to buy. Thumbs up to crush a troll.
Mike Curtin I like my HF “f” clamps but if they are any more than 12” they start to feel flimsy. Can’t beat that price though
@@firechicken5 True, but You can buy several f-style clamps from Harbor Freight for what one Bessy or Jet clamp would cost!
Having said that, I do plan on starting to pick up a few parallel jaw clamps at some point, unless HF decides to make some, and they are decent...
I so need to add clamps, great information thanks!
Thank you for this, I am just starting to do cutting boards and know I needed some pipe clamps, now I know how many and what kind to get-
When training guys in the shop, to put them out alone, on their route, I always asked this question.
How much or how many do you take from the warehouse with you everyday?
(They'd look perplexed, ....they are just starting.)
(Hold up 2 fingers) TOO!
TOO much, and
TOO many.
" I can work with too much wire or wood, and too many fittings, screws, and clips, but I can't get done if I am even 1 short. So always take TOO much and TOO many. )
My two favorite clamps that you didn't mention are:
- Kreg Jig face clamp
- Irwin Quick Grip mini clamps
I find these two clamps very useful. I also like using my Black & Decker workmate, with bench dogs, to clamp things together.
Yep!!
I love my Irwin quick grip clamps! Four of those tackle most of my projects just fine.
I find Quick clamps and F clamps really complement each other when used in tandem. Quick clamps are brilliant for one handed use, but I don't feel like I have much control over the clamping pressure. My workflow in a glue up usually involves using Quick clamps to just hold the parts together while I use F clamps to dial in the pressure. Then I'll rearrange the Quick clamps to spread that force evenly along the joints.
@@UrbanPanic Have you seen some youtube videos about how much pressure you need for glue ups? Some people even say no clamps are needed!
I have many different types of clamps. My go to clamp is a 6" vise .grip "C" clamp with swivel pad. I agree with you on most of the other clamps. I really enjoy your videos. Keep the good work going.
Great tips, thank you.
Steve, I'm a long time fan. Saw this on Rex Kruger's recent video. The handscrew clamps are handy on my incremental table saw fence for holding wood in the joinery slide and, as you said, for holding items. Sometime I use one to hold the item and another to hold the first clamp to a sawhorse or bench edge. Never used a spring clamp in 12 years as a professional photographer. My grandfather was a welder and taught me to weld; later I learned to run a lathe and milling machine (semi-pro; not the day job). C clamps are handy for many of the same applications as F-clamps but without the "give"of an F-clamp. They're great to hold makeshift or temporary fences and stop blocks in place.
I use my C clamps mostly for metal work and welding, not for woodworking.
I have a bunch of the Bessey Click clamps for my bar clamps, and really like how they operate.
Irwin Quik clamps are my favorites. I also buy Harbor Freight versions because they are cheap and have lifetime warranty.
Quick clamps are my clamp of choice for most projects.
Irwins are great but pretty expensive. I have a couple of those and like you I also have HF cheapos.
I use quick clamps to avoid straining my hands (think carpal tunnel syndrome). For some reason, the twisting to tighten normal bar clamps really bothered my hands.
Ok after watching this episode, I ordered 4 of those pipe clamps 1/2 inch. 4 Berrel style. And today I bought 2 of those piston style squeeze clamps. So my total collection is now 10 clamps.
I'm a boat builder, I can't do without C-clamps. I have all the clamps you reviewed, but can't get by without the classic C-clamp. Thanks for your video.
totally agree, c clamps are the best. they are the original and the best, nothing matches them for amount of pressure that can be applied easily. f clamps just dont measure up . have been a professional joiner in the uk for over 35 years making stairs, cabinets and various special order items that require a lot of laminating of curves. i own over 1200 c clamps collected over this time.and that wasnt a mistake ,i did say one thousand and two hundred.
Great video!
If I may request, a follow-up video on wedge-clamps; the kind you don't need to purchase but can make with scrap wood.
Also, clamps are good a gift from a non-worker spouse to a woodworker.
C-clamps are handy. Clamping portable bench top tools to a bench, metal working, compressing brake calipers, etc. look beyond the wood shop and you’ll find their utility.
This is a video about a woodworking shop. They're also useful as paperweights in the office. But, that's not what the video is about.
thx- i was getting caught up in the clamp dilemma- this brought me back to reality
I agree on the c clamp I only use it when I run out of clamps. I do like the slider clamps with the squeezing to get tighter, quick grip clamps as they are some times called. I totally agree on the 1/2 in pipe diameter no need for larger. I only do have nine regular sized clamps. Some mini ones I use as movable tape dispensers, but they don't count.
Thanks. This really helped me figure out where to start. I’m hoping to build a workbench with a butcher top.
This has nothing to do with this video in particular. I just watched one of your videos where you talked about other woodworking opinions on methods of "real" woodworking. Keep in mind that I generally let CZcams"autoplay" for background noise when I'm in my shop. Not very often do these videos hold my attention but, when you went off on these people I had to stop and watch lol. It was beautiful! And your attitude about it (laughing) was perfect! Although I found you sort of annoying months ago, you are now one of my favorites. Good on you.
PS: that skit with the wood flying through the tv and smacking you in the head was hilarious!
Hi Steve, I agree with most of your clamp selection with one difference, the spring clamp. I use these to hold on edge banding, I get old bicycle inner tubes and put a length on each side of the clamp, and then I use them to hold edging onto plywood etc.
Ahhhh another tool video. Wish you'd make some project videos again. My kids & I really miss them.
I have invested in parallel clamps, F style clamps, and spring clamps in my arsenal of clamps. I despise C clamps and gave the few that I did have to the goodwill and have not found a use for wooden hand screw clamps other than for holding up a flat panels vertically from tipping over and for holding small parts for the drill press.
I have watched this video about ten times by now (in 2020) and never really commented to it before!! My take on clamps is this You don't really NEED any clamp until you do a project that requires one or six, AND THEN you learn you don't have the right clamp to finish the job you need it for!!
My example was I was building a desk that is 4 feet wide and 6 feet long out of plywood and needed a way to clamp the 3/4 inch molding I was using for edge banding to the tops edges. I didn't have any clamps big enough to do the job and after I glued the molding it place they fell off an hour later (glue was still wet)!! Frustrated I didn't know what else to do, so I got out a dril and drilled a number of small holes in the molding to attach it with finish nails to the top.... reapplied the glue and then nailed the banding into place to 'clamp it" while the glue dried!! It worked OK but there was in some places a small gap I had only wished I had, had clamps to help hold it firmer than just nails and glue. And I ended up applying a lot of putty to hide the small defects in my work which did a good job, but I still know where they gaps are and because it is MY DESK bugs me when I see them!!
Again had I had longer clamps my project probably would have been nicer finished even though I do get compliments all the time on my desk! But since then I have bought a number of clamps I had wished I had sooner for more projects like this! So again you don't NEED a clamp until you find you have a use for the one or type you do not have, and then it is usually too late because you have to work around it or put the project on hold which stinks too!
The little 3" bar clamps get a lot of use in my shop, mainly for holding down sacrificial surfaces to my bench when gluing, staining, etc. They are also quite handy to hold a sheet of toolbox liner to my workbench when sanding (helps absorb vibration & decreases movement of the workpiece). Finally, they are the perfect size to hold my long straight-edge when cutting full sheets of plywood with my circular saw-- the small sized head of the clamp is low enough to remain clear of my circular saws motor (where it catches on the larger heads of bigger clamps).
Hi Steve. Well, I have to tell you, I was planning on spending A LOT of money on camps! Until I watched this video...now I've changed my mind :) So once again thank you. Great content and I really love your channel. I shall definitely heed your advice, especially seeing that clamps are really quite costly. Peace!
Spring clamps are phenomenal and come in super handy in general for all kinds of stuff…and since you have them for all that other stuff sometimes they can be useful for odd woodworking situations
Awesome vid thank you
Need a longer pipe clamp... get threaded (female) pipe couplers (like black-black-pipe-fittings-521-204hn-64_1000.jpg) and screw two lengths of pipe together. Then you don't need as many of the clamps, just more pipes
But aren't the couplers on the outside of the bar?
During a normal glue up the workpiece is resting on the bar. That doesn't work if you have a bulge in the middle.
@@Jehty21 For the example shown by Steve (2:45) a coupler would work, require fewer "clamps", and the bulge would not be in the way. For clamping flat stock that was wider than the pipes I had could handle, I used scrap boards across the pipes, but not on the coupler to eliminate the bulge. Not perfect, but if you only need long pipes occasionally, it works great.
Agreed - We have an assortment of old C-clamps and, unlike other clamp styles, lately we are finding them damaged and unuseable and unrepairable when the threaded shaft is bent.
Arbor press, or, tape some small hardwood blocks to a bench vise and straighten the screws. Arbor press the 'Cs' to straighten them. Put the clamp in a vise and twist the C till straight. I love to find old rusty bent C clamps. I buy then for a buck or 2 and sell them for $ 10 to $15
I have my grandfather's pipe clamps and my dad's c clamps. Dad built our house, garage and barn so I think they might have come in handy. They make handy bookends. I get smaller spring clamps from Dollar Tree to hold my music books when my band plays outdoors. Very handy.