Veritas 4 way speed clamps/ clamping mitres

[marcros]

Has anybody got any of these?
http://www.canadiantools.co.uk/tools/in ... 309%2ehtml

I am looking for something to clamp up mitred boxes, quickly and easily. I dislike the band clamps that each corner seems to slip as you adjust the next. My boxes are 300x200mm so there isn't much room inside for many options. I would prefer to clamp up the 4 sides together rather than having to do it over 2+ sessions.

I have seen this type of thing (or the shop made timber equivalent) http://www.dilegnosupply.com/Clamping/u ... blocks.htm

Just found this. http://www.woodpeck.com/clampset.html (and have seen a self contained mitre clamp that is the same type of thing.

 

[PeteG]

Hello Mark...Glynne had a post last month on a box he'd just finished using a corner lock cutter, there's an image of a jig he made that clamped all four corners together at the same time. I hope wasn't seeing things!

 

[Glynne]

Hi Pete, no you weren't seeing things but with a memory like that, I'll be even more careful what I post!
I'm sure Mark has probably seen this but I'll post some other pictures just in case.
The jig is variant on Andrew Crawford's one (and similiar to one Ian Hawthorne uses) and Andrew's original uses Veritas Bench Dogs to clamp

Andrew was happy with this but suggested if he ever needed to remake it, he would stiffen the whole thing up. My take on the jig which which uses the Bessey clamps that I already had is:

Another picture with a box in situ

It generally works very well in practice although for mitre joints, you do have to be careful in lining up the mitre at the back corner as you can't see it (which you would with the clamps that Mark is asking about). The positive side is that if you make the jig accurately, it is spot on 90 degrees top and bottom and once clamped, your box can't move.

 

[marcros]

cheers. I will have a look at options- it does mean buying the clamps or the bench dogs- i don't have any clamps that would be suitable for that at present.

I am wondering whether to buy the speed clamp nuts and make the remainder of the clamps myself- the rest is off the shelf (imperial) threaded rod and nuts, and a few scraps. I have just ordered some bits from lee valley, if i had thought i would have added some on! I may still catch it before dispatch though.

 

[carlb40]

Can you not make your own clamps. A few L shaped corner blocks with some nuts and allthread.

 

[Glynne]

I had the Bessey clamps already but I can obviously use them as ordinary clamps as well. If you have clamps that you use as spreaders, you might be able to use those? The bench dogs look good but they are expensive.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You could watch for the cheap ones in Aldi - iirc you'd only have to grind the rivet on the bottom off to reverse the action. They are quite good cramps.

 

[marcros]

i will look out for those. I have one wonder dog, and they are good. typical veritas, good quality, well made etc. not cheap but quality costs.

 

[PeteG]

I had to think it was down to memory Glynne or something I had invented in a dream I noticed the Aldi clamps in the local store last month, and wasn't sure if they were a good buy. I'll know next time!

 

[marcros]

i was just in time to add the veritas speed nuts to my order from lee valley. 20 canadian dollars bought me 8- 2 sets, which is about 12 quid. I need to get some other bits, but it should be an easy little jig to make. I could even combine it with the idea above.

 

[nev]

were you unable to find the veritas? or looking for an alternative
Axminster sell them and there are at least 3 on ebay ..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from= ... Y&_sacat=0

 

[Phil Pascoe]

eBay? :?

 

[marcros]

I could find the clamps but not the nuts on their own, which is the clever part. The rest of the clamp is right angles, a threaded insert and threaded rod. I already had an order on with lee valley which a colleague will bring back from houston with him.

2 clamps would have been 70 quid or so.
2 sets of nuts, threaded bar etc will come to less than 20 and a couple of hours work.

Doing it with just the nuts will/should/may allow me to make a jig similar to Glynnes but with the function of the speed clamps too. Failing that I can replicate the veritas ones to the size that I want.

 

[nev]

eBay? :?

Yes ebay.
The OP was looking for a particular item and I have pointed him to such.
now stop trying to be clever.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm not trying to be clever - a bit of consistency would be nice, that's all.

 

[Rhossydd]

You could watch for the cheap ones in Aldi - iirc you'd only have to grind the rivet on the bottom off to reverse the action.

The last sets sold were reversible by design. As you say, good clamps.