# How to clamp a mortice & tenoned frame



## RichD1 (28 Jul 2021)

As it says, I've jointed everything up ready for gluing but the horns out of the vertical rails prevent the Bessey clamps being positioned central to the horizontal rail. If I do put them above the horn it does not pull the joint out of square.

I had thought about making some slips of wood wider than the protruding horn above and below the horn but this is going to be very difficult to position correctly without gluing them to the rail. Also using PU glue so I don't have much time to fiddle with packing on all four corners.

Any easy suggestions?

Richard


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## Blackswanwood (28 Jul 2021)

Can you use draw bores and avoid the need for clamps?


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## joshvegas (28 Jul 2021)

glue the wood packers to the rails with superglue/hot glue gun and knock them off after?

or

Glue/double sided tape them to the clamps and knock them off after?


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## johnnyb (28 Jul 2021)

use 2 clamps( 4total)


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## Jacob (28 Jul 2021)

RichD1 said:


> As it says, I've jointed everything up ready for gluing but the horns out of the vertical rails prevent the Bessey clamps being positioned central to the horizontal rail. If I do put them above the horn it does not pull the joint out of square.
> 
> I had thought about making some slips of wood wider than the protruding horn above and below the horn but this is going to be very difficult to position correctly without gluing them to the rail. Also using PU glue so I don't have much time to fiddle with packing on all four corners.
> 
> ...


By "horns" do you mean sticking out ends of tenons? It usually means extra length on the stiles.
Either way you just clamp where you can, just below the tenons. Once you've got the wedges in you should be able to remove the clamps but usually they get left a bit longer


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## thetyreman (28 Jul 2021)

clamp it up with 4 clamps and use another one to pull it into squareness and make sure you have a dead blow hammer at hand.


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## Jacob (28 Jul 2021)

A picture would help


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## Cabinetman (28 Jul 2021)

In your situation I think the easiest thing would be to cut the ends off the tenons so that they are a millimetre below the surface of the frame when assembled, then you can cramp up and plane the outside of the frame and tenon ends when dry. Ian


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