Homemade Bench clamps

[roadrunner45]

Hello All,

Does anyone know how to make the clamp in the image below?

Thanks

 

[mikej460]

Assuming the dog hole is 20mm I would make the clamp arm on a bandsaw and press fit a length of 20mm stainless bar into it. Then I'd make the knob using a perfectly square piece of 12mm or 18mm ply on a drill press with a fence and stops set to the width of the square. Fit a large (38mm), sharp forstner bit and set the drill and fence so that it will cut one corner then rotate the square to the next and repeat until all 4 corners have been cut. Drill an 8mm hole through the centre of the knob and insert an M8 bolt, mark the flats of the bolt into the top of the knob and chisel the flats very carefully to enable a press fit. You could then use a little araldite on the bottom of the bolt head to glue it in place. Then repeat this on the base of the clamp arm only using a m8 nut and either repeat on the base a suitable sized piece of dowel (ensuring the nut is counter sunk away from the face or simply drill half way into the dowel and araldite the bolt into it. If you use the first option this gives you the flexibility to change the dowel in the future. You can then

Hope this is useful

 

[roadrunner45]

Assuming the dog hole is 20mm I would make the clamp arm on a bandsaw and press fit a length of 20mm stainless bar into it. Then I'd make the knob using a perfectly square piece of 12mm or 18mm ply on a drill press with a fence and stops set to the width of the square. Fit a large (38mm), sharp forstner bit and set the drill and fence so that it will cut one corner then rotate the square to the next and repeat until all 4 corners have been cut. Drill an 8mm hole through the centre of the knob and insert an M8 bolt, mark the flats of the bolt into the top of the knob and chisel the flats very carefully to enable a press fit. You could then use a little araldite on the bottom of the bolt head to glue it in place. Then repeat this on the base of the clamp arm only using a m8 nut and either repeat on the base a suitable sized piece of dowel (ensuring the nut is counter sunk away from the face or simply drill half way into the dowel and araldite the bolt into it. If you use the first option this gives you the flexibility to change the dowel in the future. You can then

Hope this is useful

Thanks for your reply.
Excellent description and appears achievable with my current skills , the only thing I don’t have is a bandsaw but I will find a way.

 

[BucksDad]

Here's the original source with accompanying video and there's also a link to plans (Paoson has an excellent YT channel of all sorts of home made workshop equipment)

Workbench Dogs & Holdfast Clamps - Paoson Blog - DIY TOOLS

If you want something which will do the same job and don't want to make them, you can get these fairly cheaply

Aluminum alloy woodworking mft table hold down clamp woodworking desktop presser dare for quick manual pressing plate woodworking machinery accessories diy clamps Sale - Banggood.com