New Spring Clamps for Stripping !!!

[Jim Dodd]

It's Ice City here in Northwest Iowa today, and I decided it was a good time to put these Spring clamps together !

I'm not stripping a canoe right now, but if anyone is ? Could you make up some of these, try them out? Then let us Know how they work.

I have about $1.50 a piece in them.
I purchased the 2" Spring clamps from Menard's, for $1 + tax a piece. The Bicycle inner tube, the narrowest I could find at Walmart, for $3.88 + tax. Each tube yields 11.-
7" pieces.
The plastic tubing 1/4" OD was $.09 a ft. Cut them 1", and the Zip ties I had. This should be Great to protect the Coves on Bead and Coved strips !


Here they are.

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[Boatman53]

That's a good idea Jim. At the moment I'm only seeing the first pic but I got the idea.
i really appreciate all the posts you do on your builds and ideas. I've built 5 stip boats but most of my boat work is on traditional plank on frame construction and big boats. You have inspired me to make a carbon/Kevlar boat once we get settled in the new place.
Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

That's a good idea Jim. At the moment I'm only seeing the first pic but I got the idea.
i really appreciate all the posts you do on your builds and ideas. I've built 5 stip boats but most of my boat work is on traditional plank on frame construction and big boats. You have inspired me to make a carbon/Kevlar boat once we get settled in the new place.
Jim

Thanks !

I have no regrets building a composite ! Especially when I have to Portage !

I Truly hope you can learn from My mistakes, and make an even better composite canoe !

Jim

 

[Sven]

I've contemplated something similar to this before!
Are those the 99 cent spring clamps from the depot? 2" opening size?
i am thinking I will probably try a staple less build for my next stripper and i think these would suit my style quite nicely.
I think about 30-40 of these buggers in conjunction with some blocks with notches to hold strips tigh to the forms would be a great combo!

great post!

 

[sailsman63]

I'm also only seeing the first pic. Looks like it should work well for you. I'd probably need something a little different, as I generally work bead up.

 

[Jim Dodd]

I've contemplated something similar to this before!
Are those the 99 cent spring clamps from the depot? 2" opening size?
i am thinking I will probably try a staple less build for my next stripper and i think these would suit my style quite nicely.
I think about 30-40 of these buggers in conjunction with some blocks with notches to hold strips tigh to the forms would be a great combo!

great post!

Yes. 2" Home Depot, and Menard's. Truthfully I think the Home Depot, might be better. These will work between stations for Staple lovers ! I shouldn't have posted this ! Now the price of clamps will go up !

Jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

I'm also only seeing the first pic. Looks like it should work well for you. I'd probably need something a little different, as I generally work bead up.

I'm seeing all 5 on my Home Desk top.

 

[Holmes375]

These do work quite well. Mine were similar but I used 1/4" hardwood dowels instead of the tubing. I cut most of them to about 2.5" or 3" in length, if I recall correctly. They're in storage right now so I can't measure them. Got 15" of snow today and its -9 outside thus the garage is on its own

I made mine longer as they weren't fixed in place and this allowed a bit of self adjustment, if you will, when applying the clamps in angled positions. I could hold the dowel where I wanted and place the clamp over it and then play with things a bit to get the strip held snug.

The idea for the clamp came to me while I was building a slingshot - yeah, I'm one of those

 

[Jim Dodd]

I just put them trough the test ! They work great ! No fiddling with a dowel, just squeeze and clamp !

I also made up 5 more, and realized I can get 12 strips, from one inner tube, if I cut them at 6 1/2" . They will still be plenty long

 

[Holmes375]

Pretty slick!

 

[Jim Dodd]

I put 5 of these together, and my Old fingers were sore ! Came up with this idea of spreading the inner tube pieces. I now have over 30 of these clamp set ups. Here's a series of pics that should help anyone make these clamps.
Take two, 4" 20D nails, bend them as shown in the pic, Insert into tube, and spread, to slide over the end of the clamp'.

 

[Boatman53]

The internet scares me. Just yesterday I got a notice of these from Rockler, called bandy clamps essentially what you made but for the low price of $15 + shipping for two.

https://www.amazon.com/Medium-Rockler-Bandy-Clamp-Pair/dp/B00V3N7RLS

thanks again Jim.
jim

 

[Jim Dodd]

Glad to save fellow builders some $
Funny they didn't show them building a canoe !
I can't say I thought this up on my own, it's just another way to skin a Cat cheaper !
They worked great on a test piece, can't wait to try them on another build ! I Really hate to say Stapleless Build ! But I see one in my future.

I have an idea for the L- brackets, but I've got to build it first.

Jim

 

[Holmes375]

Nice tutorial, Jim. Mine were smaller, 1" clamps using surgical tubing. I used them primarily for my butt joints at the stations. I've never done a build with full length strips so I quickly became King of Butt Joints The smaller clamps combined with the longer dowels allowed a clamp on each side of the station which really made for a nice butt joint and kept the cove-up strips in alignment.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised there is a commercial version now - somebody had to do it! I doubt I'd have ever found them though. Thank you, Boatman, for the link.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Finding long planks for strips has Always been a problem for me !!
Anymore, anything over 14' gets a lot of splices in my shop anyway !
My Butt Clamp system. It makes a good joint, and allows me to keep on adding strips, without waiting for glue to dry.

2" spring clamp, and scrap wood covered with packing tape

 

[Holmes375]

Ya know, I look at that picture and wonder why the hell I never thought of doing that. Plenty of room to run another strip. On my first build I kept all my joints at the stations and I've never gone away from that since. I feel like an idiot!

 

[Jim Dodd]

Ya know, I look at that picture and wonder why the hell I never thought of doing that. Plenty of room to run another strip. On my first build I kept all my joints at the stations and I've never gone away from that since. I feel like an idiot!

Feel no Shame ! I've do my share of dumb stuff ! Just ask my Wife !!!!

Jim

 

[alsg]

This looks like a great idea for my next build! Thanks!

 

[Jim Dodd]

Just wanted to add an update ! These clamps are AWESOME !
They worked Super on the Nokomis build, and just recently on the Cedar insert for my Black Pearl ! Even with 1/8" strips, with square edges !
a pic.


​​​​​​​ Jim

 

[Holmes375]

Very nice, Jim. This reminds me that I need to snag a couple tubes from the garage and make up a set of 2 inchers for my spring build. Good winter project.