Shop made clamps

[graduate_owner]

Hi everyone,
It is 2 days to Christmas and I am looking out of the window at a positively vile day, presumably the effects of storm Barbara, whilst wondering how best to make use of the Axminster vouchers I will receive this year (as I do every year, and I am very happy with vouchers as a present).

Now to the subject of the topic. On the basis that:-
(1) you can never have too many clamps, so we are often told
(2) clamps typically cost from £8 upwards towards £40 or £50 depending on size
(3) I am a tightwad and don't want to squander my vouchers on something I could easily make....
I have been thinking of how to make my own. So with 3 lengths of box section steel, welded to make a basic square C frame, a nut welded on either side of one of the C arms ( hole drilled first), and a short ( say 1") length of box welded to ths opposite arm as a receiving piece, I would have the basic clamp done. Then just a length of threaded rod, a wooden handle turned on the lathe ( or a welded-on tommy bar), and a pad of some sort on the pressure end of the threaded rod, and I would have a pretty strong clamp. I was thinking to use 1" box section steel for some of these, going up in size for extra strength (whatever I have in stock really). I can make the size and depth I need, also a 3-way edging clamp if required, with slght modifications. I was also thinking of strengthening triangular webs welded on the corners.

So has anyone tried this? I can't see any problems so far, and the cost of box section steel is not great, even if I do have to buy some.

 

[sunnybob]

Thats whats known as reiniventing the wheel.
your costs on parts and consumables (raw materials, electricity, gas, welding rods, etc etc) are gonna come to more than the shop bought ones, and thats not even beginning to count a labour cost.

 

[beech1948]

If you search on Youtube you will see several people who make their own wooden or wood-metal or metal clamps. I have been considering this as I have a commission for March delivery which will need a vast number of clamps. About £1200+ to buy from the best brands. ?? What to do.

 

[sunnybob]

Now if you are talking about dozens of clamps, and you run a business and really really need them, That swings to the needle slightly in favour of making then, but again, how many working hours spent? and if you are in business, the cost is tax deductable anyway.

 

[woodbrains]

Now if you are talking about dozens of clamps, and you run a business and really really need them, That swings to the needle slightly in favour of making then, but again, how many working hours spent? and if you are in business, the cost is tax deductable anyway.

Hello

I'd have thought if you are a commercial operation then making them would be a complete waste of time. Your working rate would be entirely too high to make it ecconomical. When you are making tools you are making no money, but your overheads are the same. It would be better to buy the clamps and spend the time not making them, to make something to earn a living. Most home made clamps are not going to have the strength or reliability of a good brand of manufactured clamp. The only exception I could see would be something like a large number of lightweight cam clamps such as a luthier might use.

Mike.

 

[No skills]

The question of financial viability is purely for you to answer.
Regarding 3 way edging clamps - I have a need for a fair few next year - I will trial making some from some thick webbed c section (channel) - cut a slice off, drill and tap 3 holes, add some threaded rod and nuts.

 

[graduate_owner]

Thanks for the comments guys. I am in the fortunate position of being a mere diy man, not a commercial operation so I occasionally potter about in the shed without counting the cost of the hours. Basically I enjoy makng a few things and if it saves me from buying, well so much the better. I appreciate that is not the case for those of you in trade. Anyhow I will post again to say how they turn out. I will also try to make an estimation of materials costs and time taken in case anyone else finds the idea worth a go. I might even manage to upload some photographs.

K

 

[Adam9453]

However the beauty of making your own clamps would be making them to fit your requirements.
I for example would love a couple of ultra long reach (or deep throat) c clamps. The biggest I can find are made by bessey and are eye wateringly expensive.
A homemade steel section clamp would be ideal and far cheaper in that scenario.
I find it a bit annoying how often the price of clamps rises dramatically with relatively small changes in size, I appreciate a bigger clamp uses more materials and in some cases has to be made heavier duty, but some are just disproportionate IMO

 

[woodbrains]

However the beauty of making your own clamps would be making them to fit your requirements.
I for example would love a couple of ultra long reach (or deep throat) c clamps. The biggest I can find are made by bessey and are eye wateringly expensive.
A homemade steel section clamp would be ideal and far cheaper in that scenario.
I find it a bit annoying how often the price of clamps rises dramatically with relatively small changes in size, I appreciate a bigger clamp uses more materials and in some cases has to be made heavier duty, but some are just disproportionate IMO

Hello,

In all the years I've been woodworking, I've never needed deep throat clamps. Which is probably why they are so expensive, almost no one uses them, so they are very seldom sold and not economical to produce in smallish quantities.

Make curved clamping cauls (quick to make, effective and cheap) and use regular clamps rather than make long clamps. They have served me well for decades.

Mike.

 

[woodbrains]

However the beauty of making your own clamps would be making them to fit your requirements.
I for example would love a couple of ultra long reach (or deep throat) c clamps. The biggest I can find are made by bessey and are eye wateringly expensive.
A homemade steel section clamp would be ideal and far cheaper in that scenario.
I find it a bit annoying how often the price of clamps rises dramatically with relatively small changes in size, I appreciate a bigger clamp uses more materials and in some cases has to be made heavier duty, but some are just disproportionate IMO

Hello,

In all the years I've been woodworking, I've never needed deep throat clamps. Which is probably why they are so expensive, almost no one uses them, so they are very seldom sold and not economical to produce in smallish quantities.

Make curved clamping cauls (quick to make, effective and cheap) and use regular clamps rather than make long clamps. They have served me well for decades.

Mike.

 

[sunnybob]

If I had to make something longer than my clamps, I would use strapping, mere pennies compared to steel clamps, and infinitely adjustable.

 

[Adam9453]

The issue comes when I can only access something from one side, so you can't use a strap or cauls to clamp where I'm referring to. I appreciate you've never needed them but trust me when I say I have and it's a real pain not to have them when you do need them

 

[AndyT]

A long time ago I made a set of wide shelves, like the top part of a dresser. I couldn't afford clamps to assemble it, so I bought some lengths of steel studding / threaded rod. I drilled holes in bits of scrap wood, positioned to suit the job.
It was more fiddly to set up than clamps, but much much cheaper.

 

[woodbrains]

The issue comes when I can only access something from one side, so you can't use a strap or cauls to clamp where I'm referring to. I appreciate you've never needed them but trust me when I say I have and it's a real pain not to have them when you do need them

Hello,

I'm sure in a production environment where the same long clamping operation was done day in day out, then the long reach clamps would be a boon, and the cost justifiable. With a bit of ingenuity, clamping cauls can be made which work from one side as well. There are all kinds of clamping operations that crop up that no clamps exist to help us. But we work it out without the recourse to welding equipment or spending hundreds on seldom used clamps! If of course you need the clamps because you are in fact doing the same clamping operation over and over and over........ Buy the clamps!

Mike.

 

[MattRoberts]

Check out woodgears.ca - Matthias created some deep throat C clamps

https://youtu.be/5U7ufIyBaos

 

[Adam9453]

Check out woodgears.ca - Matthias created some deep throat C clamps

https://youtu.be/5U7ufIyBaos

Yeah I watched that video a while ago Matt, I keep meaning to make some but never get around to it. I then swear each time I need them again lol

 

[woodbrains]

Check out woodgears.ca - Matthias created some deep throat C clamps

https://youtu.be/5U7ufIyBaos

Hello,

They look absolutely useless! Sorry to sound negative, but the pressure required for a glue up would exceed the destruction point of that clamp by a phenomenal amount. But then I don't think the guy understands how glue works, from some of the things he's witten.

Mike.

 

[No skills]

How deep is 'deep'? You can make something quite throaty ( ) with a fivers worth of material.

 

[No skills]

Check out woodgears.ca - Matthias created some deep throat C clamps

https://youtu.be/5U7ufIyBaos

Hello,

They look absolutely useless! Sorry to sound negative, but the pressure required for a glue up would exceed the destruction point of that clamp by a phenomenal amount. But then I don't think the guy understands how glue works, from some of the things he's witten.

Mike.

I think there's some destructive testing videos out recently of these home made wooden ones.

 

[Adam9453]

I was planning to make mine out of square section mild steel with triangular bracing so they would be strong enough.
Ideally I plan to make a few pairs with different throats, max throat probably about 600mm would do it.