what type of clamp would be best to make a good few shelf's? last time i used a clamp was in high school but now i want to make my wood work projects a lot neater so what type is good for this task, am i right with this choice, 2 or 3 of them ..... was going to link a clamp but it wont let me because im new, it was a bessey malleable iron clamp, i just put bessey into google and it was the 1st website.
Clamps to help make a shelf
- Thread starter Frankii4u
- Start date
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custard
Established Member
Hello Frank, are you talking about making a bookshelf, or are you talking about gluing up narrow pieces of wood to make a wide shelf? Bessey cramps are very expensive, with a bit of care and preparation you can get pretty far in a woodworking career with just four or six sash cramps that are about four feet long.
Rutlands regularly run promotions on their sash cramps, they're good quality and the promotional price is a bit of a bargain.
Rutlands regularly run promotions on their sash cramps, they're good quality and the promotional price is a bit of a bargain.
You can't go far wrong with Bessey as long as you can afford them.
The bessey klikklamps and the unibody clamps are good value.
As for making a shelf, what kind of shelf do you mean? Do you mean a shelf unit (ala Ikea Billy stuff)? Or just a shelf? Dimensions?
The bessey klikklamps and the unibody clamps are good value.
As for making a shelf, what kind of shelf do you mean? Do you mean a shelf unit (ala Ikea Billy stuff)? Or just a shelf? Dimensions?
tool-me-up
Established Member
Unless you do this 14 hours a day for a living then a clamp is a clamp - it is nice to have all the top end gear but some stuff is pretty irrelevant.
Personally I would consider clamps irrelevant - if they hold the work and do the job then thats all you want - put the extra cash to other tools you might want - some tools are definitely worth paying the extra for - especially if you want accuracy.
Have a flick in here, there are loads of sash clamps spread though those three pages, none are particularly expensive but all do the same thing at the end of the day.
Im not telling you buy them just giving you a few to compare - if you want the Bessey then get the bessey!
Personally I would consider clamps irrelevant - if they hold the work and do the job then thats all you want - put the extra cash to other tools you might want - some tools are definitely worth paying the extra for - especially if you want accuracy.
Have a flick in here, there are loads of sash clamps spread though those three pages, none are particularly expensive but all do the same thing at the end of the day.
Im not telling you buy them just giving you a few to compare - if you want the Bessey then get the bessey!
Benchwayze
Established Member
I don't know what your skill level is Frank, but it's possible to 'rub-joint' shelving lengths. Shelves of about 18mm thickness shouldn't be much over 24" in length, which will help prevent 'sag' when loaded. At this length a plain rubbed-joint will be fine, for the width of a shelf, and if you prop up the jointed shelves properly, leaning against vertical battens, against a wall, then they will dry and won't need clamping. Just put some newsprint between shelves and battens to prevent the glue sticking the lot together. In the past I've made shelving from two lengths of off-the-shelf (excuse the pun) 4.5 inch-closed floor-boards. You could clamp two or three 24" long shelves into your vice overnight.
HTH
HTH
its nice to read all this because it gives me new ideas and improves old ideas to, my kids room has a bit where it comes out a bit and on the left and right of it i can slot some shelf's in, this n want to put more around there room with all there things to go on, some floating, some with brackets, i randomly do woodwork projects and i want some bessey tools because they look good and reliable, i will be back on here to double check some things before i go out to buy some of the materials, i want my boys room to be as awesome as i wanted my room to be when i was a kid. (but im no millionaire)
