Where do you folks get bar clamps from? All the ones I saw @ HD were like $30 per 10-12inch clamp…wwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaoooow
or do I need to just sacrifice a paycheck or two for barclamps?
Harbor Freight for anything like that. Clamps, measuring tools, hand tools etc. Anything where the quality of the tool is not as important as functionality HF is the place.
I got some 18" Jorgensen bar clamps for $12.00 each at Home Depot. Seemed like a reasonable price to me. Just noticed looks like youi can get free shipping too. Link:
Buy the PIPE CLAMP KITS, and some threaded black, or threaded galvanized pipe, in the desired lengths. Assemble, and go to work.
Yup. Those Jorgensens that Bgsurfer shows are fairly light duty. The bars bend when you really crank on them. Can’t beat pipe clamps when you needs lots of force.
Plus, you can get a few sets of the attachments, buy different lengths of pipe, and swap them off until you can afford more sets. Pony brand are the most common
If you just need light duty clamps, Mintcraft are very low cost. But, don’t crank them too hard as they aren’t very sturdy.
I’ll have to get some of those for blanks. Doesn’t look like they have a lot of throat depth though.
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Doesn't look like they have a lot of throat depth though.
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Weld on extensions of the clamp face are the most common modification.
Looks like HD has them for $14 with free shipping.
I bought some “heavy duty” Bessey F-style bar clamps from Woodcraft, high quality and slightly more expensive though (18" for $19.50 each) – bars won’t bend easily with high force. The ones I bought had 3.5" throats. I got the Holiday Season free shipping deal though.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2005572/16726/18-Heavy-Duty-F-Style-Clamp.aspx
These are medium duty with 2.5" throats.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2003715/1283/Bessey-Tradesman-Medium-Duty-Clamp-18-Capacity.aspx
EDIT: As SammyA said, the HD Jorgensens I listed are light duty. I bought them for using in combination with my Heavy Duty Besseys for 42-inch long v-lams to get 4-6" spacing between clamps. I also plan to use them along with the Besseys where I need some throat depth in a vertical position, 2-part presses – a little easier to manage for this application.
If you don’t need a lot of throat depth. The Pipe Clamps Thrailkill and SammA posted are the way to go.
You may not want to really carnk down on the clamps. Doing so can squeeze out most of the glue and result in a poor bond. The secret to a good glue joint is the proper amount of glue and the proper amount of pressure. Having enough clamps is key also. You can have 1000 clamps and one day you will need a 1001.
Check out garage sales and flea markets for good used pipe and bar clamps. Just make sure that the rear stop holds tight and you should be fine. If doing light clamping you can use strips of inner tubes sliced like rubber bands. As Bill said the pipe clamp kits are the way to go, just remember that they come in two sizes 1/2" and 3/4". Sometimes you can find the pipe for free, just make sure that one end is threaded.
Agreed.
I would add, evenly distributed pressure is very important also.
Following what everyone else has said, make sure you go with the 3/4" pipe. They will bend less. There are clamps for pipes that have the extended throat and square "legs" to sit flat. THAT is what's important, being flat. When I lay up a lamination, I'll use cut off railroad rails to weight and maintain some flatness. So. Pacific came through Ca. several years ago and replaced all the old track and left LOTS of disgards along the way. These have been invaluable over time. They are HEAVIER THAT SH#$!!! They make great anvils as well. Clamp until you see ooze begin...then stop. That's tight enough. If you have to crank to close up gaps then there is more jointing work to do. GOOD LUCK.
ps. The Bessey "K" clamps are the best but a full set will bankrupt you. The woodworker's lament: you can't have enough clamps.
True Dat!
Clamps? We don't need no stinking clamps.......
Tail blocks are done with C clamps and my work bench.....
Bar clamps less than 24" are worthless for surfboard blanks.......
........3M tape is awesome...post photos.....3-4 glue ups per year....don't need clamps.......waste of time and money. Tape.
Trust me...I've been down this road...Tape is your friend.......
Check out his cedar and oak thread. Pretty sure he wants clamps for his first project, a wood, v-lam longboard skateboard. In that case, clamps are very much his friends – length depends on deck width. If he buys some pipe clamps at a decent price, they could easily be modified for wider projects later.
http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/grain-cedarred-oak-glue-up-questions
Impressive tape build though Stingray.
But will he need a power planer?
Out of curiosity, I did a price check at Lowes while I was on the road today.
36" Bessey bar clamp rated for a 600-lb load was $16.00.
3/4" Bessey H-type pipe clamp set up with 36" galvanized pipe worked out to roughly $25.00. Black pipe was only $1.00 cheaper. The usable throat depth was between 1.5-2.0". 1/2" Bessey H-type pipe clamps (complete with pipe) would be about $21.00.
You can get by with three clamps, just get the right pressure on those and then use tape as Ray says. Most tape has extremely light tension strength. You can also use pieces of innertube rubber looped around strips of wood along the edges instead of tape, but you have to do it on both sides to balance the force. Another method is to use strap clamps. In any case, the primary clamping compression is done by the bar clamps, these suggestions are just supplements so that you don’t need a dozen. Clamping cross-wise with 1 x 3’s and C-clamps at a few locations will keep things flat.
“Another method is to use strap clamps”
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You just need to alternate one clamp on each side of the blank to keep the pressure equal on both sides. Otherwise you may get leaks betwwen stringer and foam. Or add wedges between strap and blank to compensate for too much pressure on one side.