Clamps too short?

[Tarhead]

Try this great idea:

[video=youtube;iMnAU9RLU0M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMnAU9RLU0M&feature=em-uploademail[/video]

 

[MarkE]

This tip is a keeper.

 

[ste6168]

Great idea! Will definitely use this in the future.

 

[jazzflute]

Another variation on this is to just take 2x4 stock and drill a hole—exactly like the one in the video—in both ends; no gluing required. Then use a clamp on each end of your workpiece and connect the two by running the fixed end of the clamp through the hole, just like they did in the video. This makes it easy to 'extend' your clamps to extremely long lengths.

K

 

[Henry W]

Ok Kevin I am having difficulty seeing this - mostly because it seems like the adjustable end of the clamp would necessarily to be "out of line" with the 2x4. Would that work well?
Henry

 

[Hmerkle]

Ok Kevin I am having difficulty seeing this - mostly because it seems like the adjustable end of the clamp would necessarily to be "out of line" with the 2x4. Would that work well?
Henry

Henry, (GREAT name by the way!)

Its the same as the tip - see toward the end where the f-clamp is angled from the hole to the edge of the board being clamped?

 

[Henry W]

Ahh yes - now that re-examine the video, I can see it, but it still seems to be "out of line."

Henry

 

[Hmerkle]

Ahh yes - now that re-examine the video, I can see it, but it still seems to be "out of line."

Henry

Right - it is "out of line, but the swiveling head of the clamp compensates. Longer clamp length will compensate or lessen the angle.

 

[MarkE]

Using '1 by' stock would also (slightly) reduce the angle. As long as the swiveling head of the f-clamp is square and flat on the piece being clamped, it should work just fine.

 

[chris_goris]

I like to use pipe clamps for this reason. To me, the clamp pictured is too light duty to truly clamp what it is they are clamping here. I cant imagine a glueup wide enough to exceed a clamp length that a standard pony type clamp could sufficiently clamp. Thus, the pipe clamp. I keep an assortment of pipes threaded at both ends and simply join them together using straight threaded couplers. This also eliminates the offset clamping force problem inherent in the solution featured. Cheap, easy and knockdown.