Cheap DIY clamps

[Adam]

I've been thinking about using scissor-jacks (used when changing a car wheel) and a couple of £ from the local scrapyard to make up a clamp system that can cope with unusual angles.


https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/gallery/det ... mage_id=83

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/gallery/det ... mage_id=82

Is what I came up with.

Basically, it's big thick piece of MDF/Plywood/Your bench surface, against which the clamps can be opened against, to pinch the item in the centre.

It's something I have been thinking about as a way to clamp up the ends of a sofa - which has a leaning back

Adam

 

[Chris Knight]

Adam,
It will make for a big heavy fixture when not in use and unless you need enormous clamping force it looks like possible overkill.

When odd angles are needed and I can use a base - as your pictures suggest would be the situation in your case, I simply nail a couple of bits of wood as fences, close to the workpiece and then use pairs of tapered wedges - sliding in opposition, between the workpiece and the fences.

Such an arrangement only takes a couple of minutes to make and for me very importantly, it takes up no extra room in the workshop.

 

[Adam]

I was thinking I would use my workbench to form the base section to hold each clamp "in place" rather than have a large unwieldy sheet of plywood clamp system hanging around!

Adam

 

[Alf]

Crikey, Adam. Unless your workshop is "deceptively spacious" I don't see where you'd put even one scissor-jack! :shock: I'm afraid I do what Chris describes too. Maybe we're just not adventurous enough, Chris? :lol:

Cheers, Alf