Repair a c-clamp?

kelLOGg

Bob
Senior User
If the pivoting foot comes off a c-clamp has anyone been able to repair it? I tried heating it red hot and swaging it around the screw but I couldn't hold it tight enough in the vise.
 

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Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
If you are so inclined, get an oval head machine thread screw radius the head so it is rounder like a ball.

Then drill/counter sink the foot part and then drill and tap the shaft. Then, you can epoxy the screw threads and screw in to the shaft but leave a 1/4" or so to allow for play.

........... Or just go buy one.......... ;)
 

awldune

Sam
User
I recently made such a repair, but the screw on my clamp had much more of a ball on the end. Yours doesn't seem to have much to grab onto.

C clamps are pretty cheap so it may be easier to just buy a new one. Grizzly has them cheap if you are averse to HF.
 

95vette

New User
Jim
Hello, Get a washer that is the size of the smallest part of the screw saw one side into, bend it so it will go on screw and tack weld it to your foot.
 

kelLOGg

Bob
Senior User
I tried my approach again and got better results - so far. It seem to be "repaired" but time will tell. Thanks for the advice and offers - they got me inspired to try again. I guess I heated it more this time and I could reform the foot around the screw easier - fingers crossed.
 

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JimD

Jim
Senior User
I have half a dozen or so without the ball end. I use them for holding metal, where it doesn't matter, or use a thick piece of wood against the end of the screw so only it will get damaged. So they aren't useless but close to it.
 

Lhloy

New User
Larry
I would be tempted to try a JB Weld repair if I didn't want to buy a new clamp. I've never tried this, but I will describe what I would do: wrap several turns of blue painters tape around the threads right next to the foot. The finished diameter of this wrap must be smaller than the screw end mushroom. With the foot really clean, run the screw all the way down to clamp it against the C clamp anvil. Now build it up as evenly as you can with the JB Weld, making a donut shape between the screw side of the foot and the blue painters tape. Only get the JB Weld in contact with the screw side of the foot. Leave the business end of the foot clean so it can apply the clamping pressure as usual. When the JB Weld is cured, you should be able to remove the painters tape and the hole left in the JB Weld molded donut will allow the foot to wobble and self-align (probably only a little bit), but the hole in the donut is too small for it to come off the screw mushroom. As already said, just depends on how desperate you are, and perhaps your original repair efforts will work and you can claim victory.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
Defective clamp pads are often a problem with C-clamps, particularly the low priced Asian imports. I replace them quite often because I can get a fairly good (forged, not cast) C-clamp for cheap because someone had lost the pad and just the ball is there. I have to make new pads on my metal lathe. Better clamps have a hardened little disk down in the clamp pad to keep the ball and clamp pad from wearing too much. I haven't the patience to make that little dented pad.
Back in the day, many hardware stores stocked clamp pads. Some may still stock them.
Some clamps are worth it, some not.
 

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