DIY Clamps

[tibi]

Hello,

I have several quick grip clamps 300 - 750 mm, but for serious work, it will not be enough.

I would need some body clamps as well. In videos almost everyone has Bessey clamps, but 100 EUR per clamp is a little bit steep for me. I have already bought a lot of woodworking tools last year, and I was told to slow down this year, so I have decided to do some DYI clamps. I have some leftovers of fir from my workshop build. Do you have any sound DYI body clamp versions that work well that I may reverse engineer?

Thank you.

 

[MARK.B.]

YouTube would be a place to look, there are dozens if not hundred's of DIY clamp ideas on there, some are better than others but you should find something to suit your needs

 

[MikeK]

Have you looked at the Sauter Shop clamps? These look similar to the Bessey K-Body clamps, but at about half the price.

https://www.sautershop.com/clamps/body-clamps/sauter-body-clamps/
This is not much good to you now, but here is a link to a previous sale where you could buy three for the price of two.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/thread...r-fabulous-800mm-body-clamp-sets🎄🎅🏻🎅🏻.134542/

 

[tibi]

YouTube would be a place to look, there are dozens if not hundred's of DIY clamp ideas on there, some are better than others but you should find something to suit your needs

I have seen several videos on youtube as well as read Robert's Wearing Resourceful Woodworker and Making Woodworking Aids and devices. I have started this thread to find out if someone has a good experience with any particular model, not to find any DYI clamp. That I can do myself on the internet.

 

[MARK.B.]

Oh OK sorry for the misunderstanding

 

[tibi]

Oh OK sorry for the misunderstanding

No problem If I were to buy clamps, I can buy body clamps around 25-30 Eur/piece for 1200 mm length.

 

[Peri]

Those are ones I made.



More info
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/my-take-on-the-diy-bar-clamp.126689/

 

[tibi]

Those are ones I made.

View attachment 125757

More info
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/my-take-on-the-diy-bar-clamp.126689/

They are lovely, but they would involve some metalworking, for which I do not have tools. So besides bolts and nuts, I would stay with the wood. But the design looks very good and I can maybe do similar ones with wood.

 

[Jacob]

If you can make a bar clamp - steel tube, or flat, or timber, with heads made of wood, then wedges can do for screw heads

 

[Adam W.]

These were good enough for viking types.............

http://www.americanshipwright.com/

 

[keithy1959]

Hello,

I have several quick grip clamps 300 - 750 mm, but for serious work, it will not be enough.

I would need some body clamps as well. In videos almost everyone has Bessey clamps, but 100 EUR per clamp is a little bit steep for me. I have already bought a lot of woodworking tools last year, and I was told to slow down this year, so I have decided to do some DYI clamps. I have some leftovers of fir from my workshop build. Do you have any sound DYI body clamp versions that work well that I may reverse engineer?

Thank you.

I did quite a bit of research on this last year. If you have the wood, John Heizt at ibuildit.ca is a good starting point, but don't look to closely at his table saw tecniques. I didn't make any in the end as timber prices in the UK got silly last year, but its still on my list for warmer evenings.
I would also say, dont ignore the humble F and G Clamps !! Bessey Style paralell clamps make it much easier, but they essentially do the same job. Like you, I can't justify the premium for the speed and ease benefits, but I can see that many workshops are able to.
Best of luck with whatever option you choose - dont forget to update us !

RK

 

[Ttrees]

A hundred euro would buy a lot of f clamps.
Depending on what you plan on clamping, and how much, there's options for 600mm x 80 deep, capacity f clamps, probably for a good bit less than e10 each, silverline ones.
Admittedly the heads or pads on the end o the screw are a bit delicate but alright value and could be remedied with some new ones, (some pipe and plate)

If the bar or capicity is not enough, you could look at the f clamps with 120mm jaws.
Then there's a step above those with an hourglass profile bar, which liddle were selling only a few months ago which were worth looking at,
Can make your own parallel clamps with some jiggery, which might be worth putting time into instead of making the whole thing from scratch.
Could also look into whether it might be worth making an extension for more capacity
should longer clamps be necessary.

Most of these, especially the larger ones have much faster acme threads,
I wouldn't think its worth making some with small threads, unless there's a cam involved, as a quicker thread of any speed will just be too heavy.

Speed is very nice to have, and if making do with something for now,
something with wedges might be worth looking up for the meanwhile

 

[tibi]

A hundred euro would buy a lot of f clamps.
Depending on what you plan on clamping, and how much, there's options for 600mm x 80 deep, capacity f clamps, probably for a good bit less than e10 each, silverline ones.
Admittedly the heads or pads on the end o the screw are a bit delicate but alright value and could be remedied with some new ones, (some pipe and plate)

If the bar or capicity is not enough, you could look at the f clamps with 120mm jaws.
Then there's a step above those with an hourglass profile bar, which liddle were selling only a few months ago which were worth looking at,
Can make your own parallel clamps with some jiggery, which might be worth putting time into instead of making the whole thing from scratch.
Could also look into whether it might be worth making an extension for more capacity
should longer clamps be necessary.

Most of these, especially the larger ones have much faster acme threads,
I wouldn't think its worth making some with small threads, unless there's a cam involved, as a quicker thread of any speed will just be too heavy.

Speed is very nice to have, and if making do with something for now,
something with wedges might be worth looking up for the meanwhile

Hi Tom,

I have started to make a toy cabinet that is 1200 mm wide, so I need to clamp that distance while gluing, but maybe I will need to clamp it only on the height side, which is 300 mm and I have plenty of quick grip clamps for that distance. In case I need to clamp also 1200 mm, I would like to build some clamps myself, as I would need to spend at least 150 - 200 € for additional 4 clamps. Or I will use a ratchet strap as was advised to me elsewhere.

 

[Ttrees]

Seems from a quick look, the ones I was on about, starting about a tenner a piece
Searching for 120mm f clamp on the bay, are limited to 1000mm.
But haven't looked thoroughly.
Be easy to put two together, or if you have enough shorter ones you can some up of jiggery

 

[Chris_Pallet]

I used the technique of laying on 2 straight boards, fixed blocks one end then peg and banging in door stops the other end. Worked OK for what I wanted..
I've now got some bessy clamps lol (PayPal credit ha!)

 

[thetyreman]

the bessey uniklamps are very good for the money, highly recommended.

 

[bp122]

I don't know where you are looking at, but Bessey 600mm / 800mm clamps can be bought as a set of 4 for little over £50-£55 a piece, plus two free one handed clamps

Bessey KRE60 Quad Pack + 2x FREE EZL30-8

I have a set of 1000mm and also bought a used set of 600mm from gumtree.

I hardly use my 1000mm as my work doesn't tend to demand it.

If you are doing laminated bench tops or clamping some heavy duty stuff, these clamps are superb.

If you are doing panel glue ups, something like these are more effective (especially for the price) and very cheap to make.

Shop-Made Edge-Gluing Clamps | Learn woodworking, Woodworking techniques, Woodworking

Lots of variations of these exist as well.

Along with YouTube, also look at Pinterest and make a board and save ideas for another day. I find this very helpful in organising ideas.

 

[TRITON]

These were good enough for viking types.............



View attachment 125765



http://www.americanshipwright.com/

Theres a you tube vid of one company building a full sized viking long boat, and it shows those clamps in action.

 

[heimlaga]

Theres a you tube vid of one company building a full sized viking long boat, and it shows those clamps in action.

That type of cramps were commonly used by boatbuilders around here until the 1950-ies and some used them almost until the present day. The modern style which came after them uses a threaded rod and a nut with a crank handle in center which makes the wedge superficial. Hence they save a pair of hands when hanging a plank.

My general purpose cramps are F style Bessey and a few Ehoma and a few Gross Stabil and a few nameless of good quality. Most of them purchased secondhand or found at scrap yards. I have found plenty of good cramps in the heaps at local scrap yards. Most people throw them away when they aree bent out of shape or when the pad falls off the end of the screw. I heat the distorted cramps in my coal forge and bend them back to shape. A neighbour who owns a metal lathe makes new pads for me. The metal industry use plenty of cramp welded into various jigs and very often the cramps can be cut loose and repaired. Parts from one can be used to repair another. The wooden handles are rather easy to remake. The steel in Bessey and Ehoma cramps can be welded with OK48 rods.
I have also found some C cramps some nameless and some made by Woden.

I was fortunate enough to find some Woden and Record sash cramps secondhand for a decent price. As a part of a barter I got one Bessey. Before brexit I bought old English cramp heads off e-bay.uk and mounted onto 25x50x3mm rectangular steel tubing. Paramo are best but Woden and Marples are good too.

Good cramps do not have to cost a fortune even if people believe so but they cost money whatever you do.
If you make your own cramps you should use a good hardwood not fir!

 

[Brodinator4810]

Hi, I made John Heisz’s parallel bar clamps and they work really well - I would definitely recommend them!