Everything about clamps - what they are and which ones are best for what. Making a quick-release clamp with your own hands Types of carpentry clamps

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What are wooden clamps? What are they for, how to use them and which ones are better? We will answer these and many other questions in this article.

A carpentry clamp is a vice for temporary positioning of parts for the purpose of their further fastening. There are several types of clamps. Experienced craftsmen know that the more you use such clamps, the more uses they are located. For this reason, every workshop needs reliable and easy-to-use clamps. different types and dimensions.

Clamps are made from wood or metal. Having secured this device to the surface, you can work with both hands. The simplest clamp consists of a main frame and moving parts equipped with clamps in the form of screws or levers. They not only fix the moving elements, but also set the compression force. There are the following types of clamps:

• screw - has a screw and a T-shaped handle, during rotation of which the jaws are compressed or unclenched. They are used for fixing pipes when working with plumbing fixtures.
• mounting - used for fastening pipes and other parts of communications, as well as for clamping component structures when raised to a height
• corner - holds parts of frames and corners when gluing or welding
• carpenter's quick-clamping clamp - a device for quick fixation, characterized by a lever-axial mechanism that facilitates the efforts of the master when clamping the part. You can move the handle to the desired position with one hand
• A manual clamp, also known as a spring clamp, is characterized by two handles, when pulled apart, the clamping parts are moved apart and then brought together, fixing the part. The spring system greatly facilitates the efforts of the master. These clamps are used for gluing small parts and holding small parts made of soft materials such as wood, cardboard, and plastic.

Furniture clamps greatly facilitate the work during the assembly of furniture boxes, cabinets and other items that require angular fixation. For example, furniture assembly clamps will help you secure the pieces and drill them together. A very convenient option is to fix the parts using an angle clamp, so use a confirmation drill to make a hole for the Euroscrew and screw it in immediately. In this case, there will be no problems with matching holes. Next, we will consider the most popular types of clamps.

F-clamps

These devices are a combination of a fixed jaw at the end of a flat metal base and an adjustable sliding jaw. F-shaped clamps are characterized by the presence of a deep throat, which allows you to fix an object far from its edge. The sliding head on the clamp jaw may have an adjustment screw or an eccentric lever. There are two types of clamps:

• Light duty. They are intended for easy to use. They are quite thin and narrow, light in weight and take up little space.
• Heavy duty. These devices are used in heavy work.

F-shaped clamps are simple and therefore low in cost. At the same time, working with them is not very comfortable, because they need to be held with both hands and twisted at the same time.

Band clamps

The basis of this device is a nylon or leather belt that transmits clamping force to the mating parts. Band clamps provide smooth pressure and secure hold on any item. They can be used to create or repair work frames, wooden chairs, tabletops, aquariums and many other items. Using this universal device, you can connect, drill and glue fixed structural parts at a specific angle.

The tape is so long that it can be wrapped around the body of any large-sized structure, while securing all the connections together. Note that there is no risk of damage to the parts being tightened, because the metal parts of the band clamp do not touch them. However, in some cases such devices are not very convenient. This happens due to the fact that while installing the corner on one side, it falls on the other. In addition, there is no way to make the pressure on one specific plane or axis stronger or weaker. When using tape without corners, the edge of the part is damaged. That is why it is worth buying special corners for the band clamp, which significantly expand the functionality of the clamp.

Pipe clamps

Such devices are created from water pipes½ or ¾ inches, onto which a fixed stop and a movable jaw are screwed. You can create such a device of any length by cutting a thread from one end of the pipe and screwing a stop onto it. If necessary, the clamp can be moved to another pipe or simply removed.

It is worth noting that the movable jaw of the clamp glides perfectly on black pipes, which have a budget price.
Galvanic coating protects pipes from corrosion. In addition, in contact with the glue, unlike ordinary pipes, parts with this coating will not be left on the workpiece dark spots. To protect protruding threads, you should use special removable caps. In the case when the master glues a large structure, but does not have a clamp of the required length, he uses two shorter devices. They just need to be connected with a coupling.

G-clamps

These devices are used to carry out most work, therefore, you need to buy more of them. They are produced in various sizes, but the most popular are tools with working widths of 100 and 150 mm. It is worth purchasing only high-quality G-clamps, because the clamps inexpensive options often bend and are quite difficult to work with.

In stores you can find specialized G-shaped clamps with increased grip depth. They help you reach places that are inaccessible to simple clamps. To fix the overlays, there are special edge clamps that can press the part in two directions simultaneously. When choosing a G-clamp, you should make sure that the screws are large, the surface is flat, and the handle is thick with a rounded end.

You can make wood clamps yourself. The corner clamp is used to fix two workpieces, even different sizes, at an angle of 90 degrees to connect them together in any way. Most often, such a device is used as a welding jig. metal parts at right angles.

To create such a device yourself you need to purchase:

• steel angle 40 mm, the thickness of which is from 3 to 4 mm
• steel plates, the width of which is from 40 to 50 mm
• threaded studs that are better hardened
• rods for gates
• nuts to create a worm gear
• welding machine
• drill, taps.

The corners must be welded to the steel plates exactly at right angles. Attach on each side using welding machine worm-type design, which is a similar angle with a welded thrust nut or thickening. In this thickening it is necessary to cut a thread according to the dimensions of the collar pin. Select the width of the working gap to suit the potential workpiece. Please note that if the range of dimensions of the parts being processed is quite wide, then it is worth taking care of making several clamps. The large stroke of the knob causes weak fixation.

Next, you need to screw the collar pin into the working nut, and then assemble the stop at its end. Often, it is a structure of two metal washers of different calibers. The stop should turn easily on the pin. WITH reverse side The driver needs to drill a hole into which a metal rod will be inserted, acting as a lever. A well-made metal clamp makes it possible to securely fasten steel parts during welding, as well as wooden parts during carpentry.

The simplest clamp made of wood, which is used in carpentry, can be created from the following components:

• a pair of wooden blocks made of soft, but durable material, for example, pine trees. Very durum varieties will leave dents on the workpiece if held firmly
• furniture nuts with lock for wood
• metal studs, and not necessarily made of expensive hardened steel
• nuts - wing nuts with threads corresponding to the studs
• Thrust washers can also be purchased inexpensively.

Cut out the working pliers from the prepared bars. Drill holes for the studs at a strictly 90-degree angle, with slight play. The studs need to be screwed into the furniture nuts. The fit will be ensured by wings, or simple nuts with an open-end wrench, in the case where a very strong grip is needed.

To quickly fix small parts, you should use a clamp in the form of a caliper.

Such a device can be made from bars and thin plywood. The worm system is standard - furniture nuts and a hairpin collar. The fixed stop is securely attached to one side of the guide rail. It is necessary to cut recesses on the rail for attaching the moving mechanism.

After moving the bracket to the required distance, you just need to turn the knobs a few turns, and the part is fixed. When the stop mechanism is released, the carriage moves easily, releasing the workpiece.

Often there is a need to simply press the material to the table to work. For this purpose, you can make a self-clamping clamp. The photo shows how to create a metal or wooden bracket.

The essence of the operation of this device is simple - you need a lever with an eccentric at the rotating end. By turning at a certain angle, you get an automatic quick clamp. The overall height is changed by adjusting the pin, which is fixed to the workbench.

If you attach two clamps of this type to a movable template, you can carry out mass milling of identical workpieces.

When performing many jobs, it becomes necessary to fix the workpiece in a certain position. Clamps and clips are used for this purpose. We present the main types of these tools in this review.

There are a great variety of different clamps. To carry out basic work in the home workshop, it is enough to have classic screw clamps and practical quick-release clamps. But if there is a need to process some workpiece of an unusual shape, then you will need a whole set of special clamps.

Classic: screw clamp

Screw clamps are distinguished by shape - some resemble the Latin letter F, others the letter G. F-shaped clamps consist of a metal bus with fixed and movable jaws installed on it. Sometimes the stationary sponge forms a single whole with the tire. The movable jaw is equipped with a clamping screw with a wooden, plastic or metal handle.

G-clamps are designed so that the tire, upper and lower jaws are a single solid cast structure. The clamping screw is installed on the lower jaw.

U quality products The clamping jaws are equipped with removable plastic covers that prevent the formation of dents on the soft materials, and for optimal fixation the head on the clamping screw is made movable.

A good clamping screw is always galvanized and has a trapezoidal thread. A good handle - made of wood or plastic - should not slip in the palm of your hand.

Grooved edges on inside tires provide reliable fixation of the clamp when compressed.

Quick clamps

A traditional screw clamp requires two hands to secure. Sometimes you even have to resort to the services of an assistant to fix the workpieces in the desired position. It is especially problematic to secure something while standing on a stepladder. But quick-release clamps can be opened and closed with one hand without intercepting the handle.

Quick-release clamps open and close by pressing the levers with one hand. Clamps of this type have different designs; the most common quick-release clamps consist of a metal bar on which plastic clamping jaws are installed.

Practical accessories

Wolfcraft offers useful devices, with which you can turn quick-release clamps into multifunctional tools. Some devices, such as bench clamps, can also be used as regular quick-release clamps.

Clamps for all occasions

In addition to screw and quick-release clamps, there are other models, some of which are good for everyone to have home handyman. Clamps with ratchet mechanism indispensable in modeling and when working with small workpieces, where strong compression is not required. Anyone who often stands at a workbench will benefit from clamps secured in the holes on the working surface of the workbench. Lever clamps are used in cases where very strong compression is required. They are significantly stronger than spring steel clamps, but require more space to install.

Pincer clamps with ratchet mechanism

1. The ability to finely dose compression and low weight make these clamps indispensable for making small crafts.

2. Ratchet clamps are inexpensive. They can be used to join very thin materials with greater or lesser compression.

Spring steel clamps

Spring steel clamps (pictured with a grip for metal pipes) have a certain flexibility during compression and therefore will firmly hold the workpieces even when the structure is shaken.

Lever clamps

Lever clamps are professional tools that provide extreme compression.

Spring clamps

For gluing small workpieces without strong compression, it is best to use simple and inexpensive spring clamps.

Clamps for workbenches

Convenient clamps for workbenches are installed in 20 mm holes on the working surface.

Two or more clamps can be used to securely secure the workpieces being processed.

Subspecialists

If you need to make objects of unusual shapes or perform other non-standard work, then you cannot do without special clamps. Some of them are quite inexpensive, while others will have to pay a lot of money, for example, for clamps for fixing edge strips when making furniture. But if such work has to be done only occasionally, then instead of an edge clamp, you can use wooden wedges, as described in the information on the right.

Corner Clamps: Use corner clamps to quickly and easily secure boards and frames at a 90-degree angle. In addition to corner joints, they can also be used to make T-shaped connections.

Wooden clamps: These tools are used for gluing all types of laths, baseboards and edgings for which a steel clamp is not suitable due to its weight. IN wooden clamps compression occurs not through tightening the screw, but by pressing a lever located on the side. The pressure is applied directly by hand to the lever and can therefore be dosed more carefully than when working with screw instruments.

Tape clamps: these devices are used to glue drawers and furniture bodies. These clamps are also used in the manufacture of items A of non-standard H shapes, for example, for hexagonal furniture bodies. The tools provide uniform pressure on all joints of the elements.

Wedges will help

When gluing edge tape to a furniture piece, you can do without a special clamp. Take two wooden wedges and insert their sharp ends towards each other into the space between the tire of the fixed screw clamp and the edge tape. By moving the wedges towards each other, you can apply the necessary pressure on the edge.

Cheap, but not cheerful

Poor quality materials often fail high pressure. The tire on the instrument in the photo is bent due to tension. The clamp can still be used, but the workpiece will be pushed out from under the clamping jaw due to the broken geometry.

Spare parts

Even the best clamp wears out over the years. However, in this case it is not always necessary to buy new tool. Many famous manufacturers offer spare parts for their products. In the end, it always pays to buy high-quality products.

Good afternoon friends!

Without a doubt, one of the most useful and frequently used tools in a carpentry shop is clamps. They are used to hold parts in place during almost any carpentry operation: sawing, drilling, sanding and, of course, gluing. Structurally, clamps most often consist of 2 parts: the main frame and a movable element for clamping. Let's figure out what types of clamps there are, how they differ from each other, and which ones a novice master should pay attention to first.

1. G-shaped(sometimes they say C-shaped)

They have a solid base in the shape of the letter C. Thanks to this, there is no possibility of the jaws being skewed. A pressure screw is installed on one of the jaws. They have quite a strong pressing force. The cost of such clamps is usually not high, but many craftsmen do not use them at all: a significant disadvantage is the small thickness of the clamped product.

2. F-shaped

They have a metal base on which two jaws are located: one movable and one fixed. Perhaps the most common and popular type of clamps: simplicity of design, low cost and ample opportunities in application. Perhaps the only negative is the need to use both hands when clamping such a clamp. There is a huge variety of manufacturers and variations of this type of clamps.

Body clamps- a type of F-shaped. They are characterized by a larger jaw area, which is more convenient when working and reduces the risk of damage to the workpiece.

There are also lever clamps with ratchet mechanism. The “ratchet” allows you to quickly tighten and release the part, but at the same time it will not allow you to excessively compress the workpiece.

3. Quick-release

The key difference from F-shaped clamps is the presence of a lever mechanism, thanks to which one hand is enough to clamp the part with such a clamp. At this moment, you can hold the workpiece with your second hand. They also have plastic linings on the jaws, which reduce the risk of damaging the part. Another plus is that they can work to unclench, just change the direction of the jaws. The force is not as great as with F-clamps, and the cost is usually higher.

4. Pipe

They consist of a pipe and two stops attached to the pipe. By moving the movable stop you can get a clamp of the required length, which is convenient. Provides high compression force. It is usually used for gluing large products and also for gluing boards.

5. Tape

Consists of a tape and a tensioning device. Quite a small tightening force. But it has a wide range of applications - up to very large and irregularly shaped products.

6. Corner clamps

A highly specialized type of clamps. Mainly used for making frames.

7. Clothespins

Very convenient type of clamp - easy to use with one hand. Typically used to secure a part on a workbench during processing. Good compression force and low price.

In conclusion: experienced craftsmen advise not to skimp on clamps. It is better to immediately buy a normal high-quality model. In the end, it will be cheaper than buying low-quality ones several times.

See you again! Good luck to everyone in the craft!

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In the process of woodworking, in most cases it is impossible to do without a carpentry clamp. Is it necessary to glue wooden blanks, secure the sheet, board, slab during cutting - you will definitely need a clamp. There are similar products on sale, but according to reviews experienced craftsmen, they are characterized by two significant disadvantages - size limitations and low strength, since soft metals (alloys) are mainly used for their production in order to reduce costs.

Those who have to work with wood quite often prefer homemade carpentry clamps. How to make such a device with your own hands, what to pay attention to and take into account - this is discussed in the article.

There are many modifications of carpentry clamps - corner, G-shaped, edge, universal. Some are used for permanent job with different workpieces (in area, thickness), others are manufactured for a specific technological operation (for one-time use).

The author considers it advisable to dwell only on those that are most often used by “home craftsmen”. If the principle of their functioning becomes clear, then you will be able to make any type of carpentry clamp with your own hands, to suit your own needs. If, of course, you turn on your imagination and think carefully.

The author deliberately does not indicate linear dimensions clamps. One of their advantages self-made lies in the possibility of arbitrarily choosing the shape and dimensions of carpentry clamps. There is no standard for such devices. And it’s hardly advisable to “chew” basic things for a person who is used to (and knows how to) do everything with his own hands. The main thing is to give an idea, to “prompt an idea”, and everything else is at your own discretion.

Option #1

The simplest modification of the clamp. It is done quite quickly, but the use of such a carpentry clamp is somewhat limited. Although in most cases, when working with small-sized samples, it is quite sufficient.

The basis of the device is the frame of a hacksaw for metal. The fastening elements of the blade are replaced with long threaded rods, at one end of which there is an iron “penny” (as an option - a nut), at the other - or removable handle, or a head for an open-end wrench.

Since the frame can be adjusted in length, such a clamp will allow you to fix workpieces of various thicknesses. It is mainly used when gluing parts (), since the body of the device itself cannot be fixed to any surface. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that if the frame is folding (the old modification of the “hacksaw”), then you will have to apply a “tire” at the bend (for example, wrap it with adhesive tape). This clamp is not entirely convenient to use, but in the absence of something more suitable, it is a good solution to the problem.

Option No. 2

Also quite simple model clamps. It is done with your own hands relatively quickly. The design of the device is clear from the figure. All you need is a metal angle and a couple of long screws or threaded rods.

If you make several of these clamps, you can use them to perform various carpentry jobs. For example, gluing long workpieces. To do this, it is enough to set the clamps at a certain interval, and lay metal strips or slats made of hardwood between the stops and the sample being processed. Another option is to mount the assembly on a workbench. The same applies to cutting blanks.

Before sawing, they are fixed on the tabletop, and their immobility will be guaranteed. This design can be modified by welding metal plates to the corners. This significantly increases the clamping area.

Essentially, for household use This modification of the carpentry clamp is one of the best. Experienced craftsmen always have at hand ready set from several devices with different dimensions. Depending on the specifics of the work, you may need a clamping device made from a corner of either 25 or 45.

The versatility of this modification lies in the fact that it is made of metal and, therefore, is characterized by sufficient strength. Unlike wooden clamps, here you can adjust the clamping force over a wide range, and work not only with wood, but also with other materials - glass, plastics, iron. This is what you often have to do in everyday life.

This design can be slightly modified. For example, when processing logs on a mini-sawmill (dissolving into boards, sawing), they must also be fixed. In this case, an improved modification of such a carpentry clamp is suitable. It is enough to take strip iron as its basis, and weld the same corners at the ends.

Varieties and modifications

Here are a few more types of carpentry clamps. All these clamps are easy to assemble with your own hands.

The question is: how advisable is it to use wood as a starting material? There are arguments both for and against. But if a tree is chosen for the base of a carpentry clamp, then it must meet certain criteria.

• Species – only hard (pear, oak, walnut and similar). Otherwise, there is no need to talk about any pressing force. And the durability of the clamps made from “soft” wood raises some doubts.
• Humidity is minimal. Only after the material has been thoroughly dried can it be used for the manufacture of clamping fixture parts.

Good luck, reader, in making your own clamp. Don't be afraid to fantasize, and everything will work out for you!