82 - The Complete Miter Saw Workstation, страница 42
Shop getting a grip on a set of Shop Clamps Buying clamps can be a big investment. Here's what to buy first and why. (4) 12" Clamps (4) 24" Clamps Basic Clamp Set Until you start shopping for clamps for your workshop, it's difficult to appreciate how expensive a wall full of clamps can be. So before you take out a mortgage on the shop, you really need to think about what type of clamps you really need and what you should get first when you're just starting out. What you see on these pages are my choices for buying a starting set of clamps. And the nice thing is you can do it in stages. Is it going to answer all your clamping needs? Probably not every one. But I'm sure it will get you off on the right foot. The complete set is divided into three groups that build on each other. The first group includes basic clamps. The second one adds more capability and power. And finally, the third group rounds things out by addressing assembly challenges the first two groups can't handle. For a list of sources for these clamps, turn to page 51. A BASIC SET OF CLAMPS The workhorse clamps in my shop are the bar clamps you see in the photo above. These clamps are often called F-clamps due to their shape. And I've used them on just about every project I've ever built. The cast iron jaws on the Bessey clamps I prefer are stout and sturdy. And the screw features large, square Acme threads, which are stronger than the conventional V-threads on a lot of clamps. The beefy, wood handle allows you to get a good, solid grip. All these features ensure the clamp will handle the most demanding tasks you're likely to run across. Yet they work just fine for assembling small projects. And as a nice touch, the plastic protector pads attached to the jaws help prevent any marring of your workpiece. To handle the assembly of a wide range of projects, it's best to have a few different lengths on hand. In the set shown, there are four clamps in three different sizes — 6", 12", and 24". You can expect to pay about $150 for this set. ADDING SOME LENGTH As I mentioned, the set of bar clamps shown will go a long way toward meeting your needs. But if you plan to glue up narrow boards into wider panels, or assemble a carcase for a cabinet, you'll want to add some longer clamps to your collection. And that's where pipe clamps and aluminum bar clamps come into play. Pipe Clamps. The pipe clamps I like to use are the ones you see on the oppo-mm site page. These pipe clamps are the kind where you buy the jaw assembly and then attach a length of V2" or 3/a black iron pipe. (The heavy-duty 3/i" Pony assembly with a 36" pipe will cost about $18.) Since the pipe is separate, you can make the clamps any length you'd like. As a matter of fact, to make a "new" clamp, all you have to do is buy a new piece of pipe and swap out the old one. Or you can buy an inexpensive coupler and join shorter lengths of pipe together to create one long one. Pipe clamps do have one drawback —they weigh quite a bit. That's not a problem if you're gluing up a panel on the top of your workbench. But they can be a bit cumbersome to handle if you're assembling a project on the floor of your shop. Lightweight Length. So if I have a large assembly task to take care of, I rely on a set of long aluminum bar clamps. You can see these at the top of the opposite page. 42 ShopNotes No. 82 |
