Clamps - never enough in a carpentry workshop

They say there are three things a carpenter will always say are not enough: time to do the project, work space and clamps. As far as I've seen, the problem of clamps is not site specific, it's universal. There are plenty of caps and T-shirts with the slogan "You can never have too many clamps" (You can never have too many clamps), so it has to be taken seriously 🙂 For an experienced carpenter the subject of clamps is certainly no longer an unknown. But how do you navigate the multitude of models if you're a beginner or thinking of fixing your broken chair yourself? Do you really need all kinds of clamps, bench and mobile vise, pliers and presses? Maybe not all of them, but some you really need.

Why are they so useful that they say they are never enough

Clamps are small, simple devices that you can't do without. You can't drill a hole properly in a piece of wood unless it's clamped and moving. You can't glue two pieces of wood together without holding them together until the glue hardens, you can't assemble the parts of a piece of furniture without somehow holding them together until they are screwed, stapled or glued. All this is done with clamps, fixed or movable vise grips. And they're very useful when you're working alone, without help from a colleague.

On an industrial level, the best known variant of the large "vise" is the press for the cold-gluing of solid wood panels. This is the model that the carpenters have reproduced in their workshops, fixing the wooden slats with clamps. And since workshops make all sorts of different shaped objects, they need clamps of different shapes and sizes to hold them.

Wooden workbenchesThe carpenters' workshop-specific ones have built-in vise grips. On the sides of the bench are wooden screw presses that hold the workpiece to be machined. The pieces of wood to be glued are also clamped in these presses.

Types of clamps. Clamping rules

From what I knew from high school mechanics shop the vise was a fixed clamping device, and the clamps - movable devices. Now I discover that the names get mixed up, with the term vise also being used for clamps, the fixed one being the bench vise. If you need clamps and want to buy them you will find various models, each with several sizes:

• threaded fastening clamps
• lever-action clamps
• clamp type C
• F-type clamp
• quick release clamp (press)
• bench vise
• vice with movable heads
• multipoint vise
• steel or cast iron screw vice
• cleats

Not all clamps can be used for every job. Indeed, there are a few types of pliers that are specialised for a particular type of work. However, clamps must be chosen in such a way that they are easy to use, ensure that the object is held securely in place, do not damage the object by the pressure applied and do not move (slip) during fixing.

You can get good results by following a few simple rules:

• in order to avoid marks from the clamping and to distribute the force evenly over a large area, place a piece of wood between the clamping points of the clamp and the pieces of wood being clamped
• always make sure that you fix the clamp perfectly perpendicular to the surface of the object to avoid it slipping off
• to prevent the object from becoming unbalanced and rotating, use at least 2 clamps
• don't over-tighten the clamp because you can damage the clamp by applying too much pressure.

Most used types of clamps

As I said, there are many kinds of clips, but not all of them are widely used. The most common workshop clamps are:

Type C clamp. They are so called because of the fixed frame in the shape of the letter C. It is the standard clamp model, simple and very popular. Virtually all 'collections' of clamps start with this type. They are clamps with enough clamping force to hold an object fixed to a surface so that it can be acted upon (drilled or threaded, for example). They can even fix objects that do not have a perfectly flat surface. But they are heavy and not very easy to handle. C-clamps are cheap and can be used for both wood and metal. They come in different sizes and it's a good idea to have 2 of each size you want to buy.

F-type clamp. Also because of the resemblance to that letter it is called so. It is widely used in the woodworking industry to join solid wood panels. They have a variable opening and can clamp, depending on the size, from very small pieces to panels with widths of over 1 m. The force applied to the piece after clamping is less than that developed by a C-clamp. They are also called parallel clamps.

A variant of F-clamps are quick-release clamps. They are very popular, they tighten and loosen very quickly. To do this you have to operate the handle which works like a plunger.

Multi-angle or corner clamps. There are special clips for fixing corners. There are also special versions for frames so that the 4 corners are fixed at exactly 90°.

Wooden screw clamps. They are the traditional clamps used in the wood industry. Many carpenters still make them themselves. They are light, easy to use and grip the piece well without developing as much pressure as other types.

Cletis. They are the easiest and cheapest way to catch. The force applied cannot be varied as it is given by the spring of the pliers. They are easy to use and are very good for holding 2 pieces of wood together for a while. If the pieces are small they can be replaced with clothes pegs held in place with elastic to provide the necessary grip.

What carpenters recommend

There are carpenters who recommend making your own clamps. It can make sense when you're talking about passionate carpenters who are used to making their own tools. For others, the investment is so small that it's not worth the effort.

I have asked several carpenters to tell me how one should start, what an amateur carpenter should buy when deciding to equip the workshop with clamps. In summary the answer would be this:

• 6 x 1.5 m F-type clamps
• 6 solid C-clamps 25-30 cm
• 2 corner clamps
• 10-15 pliers of various sizes.

Such an investment should not amount to more than 2000-2500 lei, but it will be made for life because clamps are very durable devices.