Where's My Clamps ?

[Jim Dodd]

This is what my clamps do when they're not holding my gunnels.
A few years ago, I switched from bolting my forms to cleats, to just clamping them to the cleats. These are the same clamps I use to hold my gunnels while the epoxy cures.
This made it easy to adjust, as opposed to handling a pair of wrenches.

Jim

 

[Philtrum]

Maybe carriage bolts with wing nuts might be still easier?

 

[Jim Dodd]

Hi Phil

I thought of that, but didn't think I could get enough pressure with the wing nuts. to hold the forms in place. Carriage bolts seem to strip in soft wood, or plywood.

I'm always looking for a better idea ! Keep'em coming !

Jim

 

[wysedav]

Clamp temporarily in place and use two or three wood screws to hold it semipermanently, I wish I had that many C clamps though.

 

[Alan Gage]

I keep my quicky squeeze clamps on the strongback as well, but not to hold the forms, rather to keep them handy for when I need to grab one quick. They're on both sides of the stongback at the bow, stern, and center.


20150224_001 by Alan Gage, on Flickr

I do like Dave mentioned and temporarily clamp the forms as I'm setting them up with the laser and then drive screws to hold them in place.


20140630_006 by Alan Gage, on Flickr

I wish I had as many c-clamps as you do as well.

Alan

 

[Philtrum]

Hi Phil

I thought of that, but didn't think I could get enough pressure with the wing nuts. to hold the forms in place. Carriage bolts seem to strip in soft wood, or plywood.

I'm always looking for a better idea ! Keep'em coming !

Jim

I've never made a canoe before so I don't know the forces put to the forms. But I've used threaded rod with a wing nut and washer on each end once when stripping was a problem. But it looks like you've found an answer. Clamps are cheap, too.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Alan, I just copied your trick for keeping spring clamps handy ! Thanks that's a good one !

Phil, No clamps aren't cheap ! Everytime I walked into a Sears store, I'd buy a small package of 4. Two small ones, and two 3" as you see in the pics. That way it didn't SEEM so expensive.

But on the subject of cheap clamps !!! Woodcraft has a 20 pack of 6" F- frame clamps for $72 shipped to you door. A good friend of mine had some, and they worked great, so I bought a 20 pack. They have black wood handles.

Jim

 

[Philtrum]

You'll like those F-frame clamps. I have a set and I no longer use the old maple double-screw type, and hardly ever use C-clamps any more.

 

[Alan Gage]

Auctions are a good source for clamps. You can usually pick them up for about $1 each and it's where many of my clamps have come from. About the time you think you have enough clamps you suddenly find yourself running out on a big project like clamping gunwales.

Alan