Homemade wooden clamps. A do-it-yourself clamp facilitates the work of the master and saves him money. Using the views tool and its structure

Experienced furniture makers, carpenters, plumbers rightly believe that a clamp is no less important tool than a comfortable workbench, a well-balanced planer or a set of razor-sharp Swedish steel chisels. The device can be bought, rented, but it is best to make a clamp with your own hands. In this case, there will be confidence that a simple device will not let you down at the most crucial moment.

The essence of the clamp device

Structurally, a clamp is the simplest device that allows you to press a part, a workpiece, several components into one whole for installing fasteners - self-tapping screws, bolts with nuts, rivets, or while the glue dries.

To the device of the clamp, regardless of the design, material and size of the fixture, two basic requirements are imposed:

The frame of the clamp must not deform under load, the rigidity of the frame of the fixture must be sufficient to keep the clamping jaws parallel to the plane;
The design of the clamping screw should provide adjustable and smooth pressing of the movable clamp support on the fixed surface.

There are a fairly large number of various clamp schemes, and although the device of any clamp is essentially primitive, no one is trying to make a universal design that could be used in any situation. The device turns out to be very heavy, uncomfortable and difficult to use.

Therefore, the dimensions and scheme of the fixture are selected based on the dimensions of the parts to be joined and the required pressing force. Conventionally, clamps are divided into three large groups:

Carpentry and furniture bar clamps, they are trying to be made from hardwood and metal;
Mounting clamps of high rigidity;
Locksmith resistant clamps.

In addition to classic ruler clamps, custom-made clamps of non-standard schemes are widely used, most of them are made for performing one or two operations of increased complexity.

For example, drilling in an array of several boards to a great depth, trimming or gluing a beam in a figured way at a right or non-standard angle, welding parts of a complex configuration. There are more than enough options, the best way to ensure the highest quality connection is still to make a clamp of the right size and shape.

DIY wooden universal clamp

The easiest way is to make a clamp from a wooden plank and timber. Wood is a fairly democratic material, so if you mark up the parts correctly and use the proper tools, you can make a clamp of any level of complexity without much effort.

To make a wooden clamp, you will need the following tools and fixtures:

Desktop drilling machine with a power of 400-500 W for drills from 1-15 mm. The vertical stroke of the drill chuck must be at least 120 mm;
Electric grinding wheel. It can be made independently, for this, instead of an abrasive stone, a circle of plywood is installed on an electric grinder, 10 mm thick and 350 mm in diameter, on which sandpaper sheets are glued on both sides;
Hand-held circular saw for wood with a blade diameter of at least 150 mm. You can use a grinder or a band saw.

All other operations can be done with a hand tool. Of course, you can also drill holes and cut grooves with a hand drill and a hacksaw, but it will be very difficult to achieve the required quality and manufacturing accuracy using hand tools.

Classic F Clamp

The design of the simplest wooden clamp looks like the Latin letter F. The vertical and upper horizontal bars are one piece - a fixed guide connected by an emphasis of one of the jaws. The central bridge of the letter F is the movable or reciprocal part of the jaws, which is driven by a lead screw. The third part of the clamp with a drive screw is made in a removable version. The clamp can be moved along the length of the guide bar, the distance between the jaws can be made smaller or larger, as far as the length of the base rail allows.

The general view of the clamp is shown in the photo.

First you need to make a guide rail. For these purposes, larch or spruce board is suitable. All other parts of the clamp can be made from any wood, except for soft varieties - poplar, linden, birch.

Important! For the manufacture of any fixtures and accessories, only defect-free wood is used. If there is none, then it is best to make a clamp from ordinary plywood 15-20 mm thick.

The base bar is cut along the length of the future fixture. The supporting fixed part of the jaws of the clamp bears the lion's share of the load, so it is best to make the guide from the strongest wood or use a little trick.

A semicircular groove is cut along the side end of the rail, into which a steel bar with a diameter of 8-10 mm is placed. On the one hand, the end is bent around the end, at the other end, the rod is connected to a fixed sponge with a nut screwed onto a pre-cut thread.

The fixed part of the jaws is glued to the guide bar with carpentry glue, after the glue has dried, the supporting surface is carefully cut at an angle of 90 ° to the guide bar. This part can be made glued, or a mounting groove can be cut with a hand-held circular saw.

The reciprocal or movable part of the jaws is cut out together with the support for the screw from one bar. Next, in both blanks, you need to make U-shaped cuts, allowing you to put the parts on the guide bar. After removing the burr, the workpiece is installed in a package in a drilling machine and a hole is drilled for the lead screw.

If a sufficiently intensive use of the clamp is expected, then a brass tube must be pressed into the hole for the screw, and a plain bearing must be made. Otherwise, the lead screw will quickly break the hole by 2-5 mm, which will make the tool unsuitable for work.

Clamp assembled from wood and steel

It is convenient to work with a wooden clamp if you need to make a small pressure to fix a package of several planks or glue two parts together. If it is planned to process a beam or board with a carpentry tool, planer or grinder, then it is best to make a clamp for fixing the material with a metal guide.

The process of making a clamp from wood and steel is as follows:

It remains to assemble the clamp, the rearranged part is drilled under the fixing bolt, a bolt or stud is installed and tightened with a nut. At the end of the assembly, two or three idle runs should be made to upset the walls and facilitate the rotation of the screw.

Wooden clamp for fixing and screed sets

In 40% of cases, work in a carpentry or furniture workshop requires the use of long clamps to tighten whole sets or packages of planks, form furniture panels, tabletops and door leaf. The manufacturing process of clamps for the needs of the screed is practically no different from the usual wooden F-shaped fixture.

Unlike other fixture schemes, the screed clamp is made of massive timber, with a section of 50x50 mm and a length of at least 100 cm.

In addition, three blocks of oak or beech are required in order to make a fixed support with a lead screw and two parts of the jaws - rearranged and movable.

On the reciprocal rearranged support, an installation groove is cut and a hole is drilled into which a nut is pressed under the mounting bolt. The distance between the supports can be made larger or smaller if the sponge is moved to the next hole and fixed with a bolt.

Wooden clip from hanger parts

A small device, very reminiscent of a tightening type of clamps, can easily be made from ordinary suit hangers. The wooden base of the hanger is made of two identical halves of a trapezoidal shape.

First of all, to make a clip from a hanger, you need to fold the two halves of the hangers into one bag and clamp it in the vice of a drilling machine.

Without opening the machine vise, you will need to make four holes with a diameter of 8 mm. Two blanks are obtained, each of which has a pair of through holes. It remains to make a clamp, for this it is necessary to cut off two studs with an M8 thread, each 25 cm long. Studs can be glued into one of the halves or make a symmetrical version, as in the photo.

From the clamp, you can make a fixing device for gluing boards, holding pipes, or pulling together a package of several planks.

Fast C-clamp for wood

In addition to the classic options for carpentry clamps and clamps, when working with furniture and wood materials, you have to use small-sized clamps. One of these devices is a C-shaped clamp made of wood, photo.

Before making a clamp, you need to find a suitable wood blank. C-clamps require very strong wood, so acacia, elm or steppe oak are used for manufacturing. The U-shaped body is cut out with a grinder. With a total body size of 100x100 mm, the width of the sidewalls must be at least 2.5 cm.

In one of the sidewalls, you need to make a through hole with a diameter of 12 mm, into which two steel nuts, M8 or M6, are pressed. The easiest way is to screw the nuts onto the threaded rod, grease with glue and insert into the hole. It is necessary to make several gentle blows with a mallet so that the nuts with a slight interference fit into the through hole. It remains to make a handle, and the C-shaped clamp is ready.

Do-it-yourself metal clamp

Most metalwork and carpentry clamps are made of metal, most often steel or aluminum alloys, there are only two reasons for such selectivity:

High strength of metal parts;
Long service life even under heavy load.

To make metal clamps, you will need welding equipment, a grinder and a regular electric drill and a jigsaw.

Long clamp

It would be most logical to make a clamp in which the guide rail or plank of wood is replaced by a square profile pipe. A meter clamp can be made from a 20x20 mm square, for a two-meter one you need a 30x30 mm profile. The use of a tubular square profile allows you to make the structure very rigid without “toffees” and shrinkage, as is the case with lumber.

The easiest way is to make a long clamp according to the classical scheme. Stationary, movable and adjustable parts are made of thick plywood.

Each part consists of two halves, which are cut with a jigsaw and bolted together on a long square tube. The lead screw can be made from two parts of a threaded stud and a regular piece of reinforcement.

Homemade welded rebar clamp

Instead of wood, you can use a regular reinforcing bar with a cross section of 8-10 mm. To make a clamp body from reinforcement, you will need to cut two blanks 65 and 55 cm long. The bars are heated on a blowtorch and bent on a steel mandrel at a right angle according to the drawing.

The bent blanks are welded into one L-shaped structure, the spout and the linear sections of the reinforcement are necessarily connected by a welding seam.

The next step is to make a stand for the lead screw from a segment of 20 cm, to which a nut is welded. If the clamping force on the clamp is more than 50 kg, then the rack can be made bent or strengthened with an additional brace.

Homemade G-Clamp

The G-body design is also called a screw press for the tremendous force that can be obtained with a lead screw. Making a G-shaped clamp is quite simple. To do this, it is necessary to cut the workpiece of the body of thick metal with a grinder, at least 7-8 mm thick.

The body is welded with the letter P. On the top shelf, you need to make a hole for the nut, then screw it onto the lead screw and install it in place of welding. A small piece of metal is placed on the bottom shelf - a table, which is pressed with an unscrewed screw. You only need to make a few welding points or seams to weld the table and nut, and the clamp is ready.

Wooden spacer for metal clamp support

An important part of any clamp is the lining that is installed under the supporting surfaces of the clamp. This is done to achieve two goals:

Prevent damage to the part clamped by the clamp, since in metal fixtures the clamping pressure can easily reach several hundred kilograms;
Uniformly transfer and distribute the force from the lead screw to the surface of the furniture board or fixed part.

It is best to make a gasket from ordinary birch plywood or softwood with a rough surface.

Clamp for winding the wire on the mandrel

A very difficult task is considered to be a reliable fixation of steel wire on a round workpiece, for example, a rubber pipe or a fitting head. Structurally, such a device consists of a double body and a winding pin.

The wire is wrapped around the pipe and hooked on a pin with a bolt head. For 2-3 turns with a key, the wound one-and-a-half loop is pulled to the desired state. It remains to twist the wire on the hose into several turns by turning the body and cut off its ends.

Do-it-yourself angle clamps

The use of specialized clamps today remains the only possible way to assemble any rectangular or square structures made of wood and metal with an ideally set right angle.

For example, a system of ready-made triangles that cover the planes of the joining sides and firmly hold them in the desired position until the fasteners are installed or welding is completed.

Clamp universal for any angle

A right angle, as a rule, is not a particular problem when working with clamps, it is much more difficult to make an angle of arbitrary size. To solve such problems, you need to make a fixture for the clamp, as in the photo.

The additional device is based on an ordinary pine block with a right angle sector cut in the center. The second part is the usual right triangle, which can be made from spruce or pine slats.

A through hole is drilled at the top of the corner of the sector, with a diameter of 5-6 mm. It is the hole that allows the triangle to swing and change the angle of inclination of the clamp by 3-7 o.

Angle Steel Assembly Clamp

Connecting two parts at a right angle is much easier if you fix them in an angled clamp. In the simplest case, the device consists of two guides made of a cut profile pipe or a steel corner.

The guides must be set using a square at an angle of 90 ° and connected with additional sheet metal overlays.

To ensure that the workpieces do not fall out of the fixture during operation, two G-shaped clamps are additionally installed on each of the guides.

Do-it-yourself quick-clamp clamp

Sometimes when working with wood, clamps are required, with which you can fix or tack the part to the desktop or place in just a few seconds.

In order to make a quick clamp, you will need wooden boards or plywood 16-18 mm thick. Initially, the tracing paper of the details is transferred to the tree and cut out using an electric jigsaw. In the driven parts, it will be necessary to make cuts for the entry of the counterpart.

At the marked points of the axes, you need to make holes with a diameter of 20 mm.

Hinge axles are cut out of a round billet, ground and pressed into holes. It turns out the design of the clamp, somewhat reminiscent of scissors. The drive uses a standard lead screw with a diameter of 6 mm.

Clip for holding and fixing small parts

In a similar way, you can make a clamp for fixing especially small parts. You will first need to mark and cut out two halves of a device similar to tweezers or a medical clip from OSB or plywood.

The crescent-shaped blanks are interconnected using a wooden axis, so a hole of the appropriate diameter must be made in each of the parts of the clamp. For the body of the clamp, you can use ash or spruce, the axis must be made of a harder material - oak or beech.

Clamp made of rebar and wood

Using a reinforcing bar with a length of 50-60 cm and a diameter of 8 mm, you can make a very strong and at the same time lightweight frame for universal use.

The structure is based on a solid wood support block. The dimensions of the block are 150x50x30mm. Dimensions may vary depending on the thickness and bending radius of the reinforcing bar. A hook from a piece of rebar can be bent with a heavy hammer on a steel pipe. The bend must be made so that the bent reinforcement is flat.

Tape universal clamp

One of the most interesting unusual clamp designs uses a thick polyester fabric belt as a strength element. A band clamp is used where it is necessary to evenly tighten several parts.

To make a tape clamp, you need to make corner elements and a device for tensioning a polyester belt. Three corners are cut out of ordinary pine on a printed tracing paper. The fourth element - the tensioner is made of two blocks and a tension screw.

The tape is passed around the block, if you unscrew the screw with a wrench, the distance between the blocks increases, and the belt of the device is tightened, pressing all four blocks to the part.

Cam fast clamps

Often, a part or workpiece in a clamp must be fixed quickly, and the clamp must be made without unnecessary movements. For example, when drying or painting a batch of panels or frames. For these purposes, it is best to make a specialized device with cam clamps, photo.

The difference of this device lies in the fact that instead of the traditional lead screw, plywood eccentrics are installed on the vertical jaws of the clamp.

To do this, on wooden racks, you must first make a cut along the thickness of the eccentric.

Telescopic folding clamp

The idea of a telescopic clamping device is based on a set of pipes that fit into each other with a minimum gap, like a folding fishing rod, and a set of ring clamps with a screw lock.

A ring is cut off from each pipe, to which a piece of metal with threaded threads is welded. A wrapped screw or bolt fixes the pipe located inside, which allows the entire structure to be clamped into one extended rod.

Mounting universal clamps

In addition to clamps, two-shelf universal clamps are widely used to fix glued parts of complex configuration, photo.

The idea of the clamp is borrowed from the binding press, the dimensions and number of clamps are selected depending on the size of the part.

4-Way Poly Clamps for Wooden Panels

The lack of reliable fixation remains one of the problems that one has to face when assembling and gluing a shield from several wide and flat strips. It will not work to make an assembly even from five or six glued planks and pull the material with ordinary long clamps; with the slightest increase in effort, the shield arches.

The solution to the problem will be a fixture with four clamps, photo.

The panel is fixed with two pairs of clips. At the ends of each pair, you need to make a cross-shaped clamp from a nut and metal plates. At the opposite end of the mount, a height-adjustable hinge is installed. The lead screw of each clamp rests against a wooden lining. It is enough to make a few turns of the screw so that a pair of bars firmly compress the parts to be glued.

Clamping box for workbench mounting

If there is no special mounting lodgement, it is not so easy to fix parts of a complex configuration on a flat surface of a workbench. In this case, for processing a wooden part of a complex spatial structure, it is best to make a clamping box.

Making the design is quite simple:

A box-shaped frame is assembled from plywood;
Two beams are sewn along the long sides of the box, best made from pine, with a section of 50x50 mm;
A number of mounting crossbars of the same material are stuffed.

The box allows, with the help of clamps, to ensure the retention of any, the most complex part. If it is planned to use powerful power tools for its processing, a clamp or clamp must also be made for the box-shaped base, fixing the fixture on the table.

Homemade coffee table clamp

A serious problem of all wooden magazine-type tables has been and remains the low lateral rigidity of the frame, even without a load, the table top often has a small but extremely unpleasant backlash.

You can fix the problem by installing a homemade clamp or a tightening spring. Two planks or blocks of wood are connected to each other with a long metal bracket.

The fixture can be made with a screw clamp or self-clamping. In any case, the bars will strengthen and fix the frame with legs, thereby eliminating the existing backlash.

Inexpensive simple clip from a PVC pipe ring

Sometimes you have to look for improvised means to hold when carrying, but more often when drilling or processing parts and round objects. The simplest version of the clamp can be made from a PVC pipe ring.

It is enough to drill two through holes, insert a couple of pieces of reinforcement and cut the wall of the ring in one place. The device is designed for a certain diameter of the part, so you will have to make a whole set of clamps to work.

Racks for a set of clamps

Work tools and clamps should first of all be stored in a specially designated place. Instead of a bunch of tools from which it is difficult to find and select the necessary device, it is best to make several split racks or shelves. In this case, it will take only a couple of minutes to quickly select a few of the most suitable clamps in size and design, and not half a day, as before.

Improvised clamps

Often, in carpentry work or when assembling wooden structures, there is not enough time to make full-fledged clamps and clamps. That's when wit and experience come to the rescue.

For example, a round workpiece can be fixed with several rings stuffed onto the frame.

A reinforcing bar or a water pipe can be clamped with an improvised clamp from several bars and adhesive tape.

An ordinary trunk tie-down cord will help pull off a set of a dozen wooden planks like a tape clip.

In this article, you can find detailed instructions for making a homemade wooden clamp.

This auxiliary tool will be useful for fixing any parts, for example, for processing parts or for holding tightly when gluing several parts together.

In this project, the author decided to make several clamps at once, a kind of set for fixing parts of various sizes. But you may not need that many clamps, so for simplicity, the amount of materials used will be indicated per clamp, and if you want to make exactly the same set as the author’s, then simply multiply the amount of materials by four.

Materials used:
- Hardwood timber 1.9 cm thick and at least 2.5 cm wide
- steel bar 12mm
- hairpin 6 mm 20 turns per 2.5 cm
- inch nuts 12mm 2 pcs.
- inch spring pins 2.38mm, length 19mm 2 pcs.
- tap 6 mm 20 turns by 2.5 cm for cylindrical nuts
- drill for tap 5 mm.

Description of the manufacturing process of wooden clamps:

Step one: preparing the wooden parts.

To begin with, the author decided to divide the wooden blank into two parts. The first part should be wider, clamp sponges will be made from it, measuring 25 by 19 mm. The second part of the workpiece will be square in shape with a size of 19 by 19 mm, it will be necessary to make clamp handles from it. Dividing the initial wood blank in this way will allow you to cut the necessary parts faster and easier.

Step two: Cutting out the handles for the clamp.

At this stage, a band saw was used.

In order to cut the blank for the handles to the desired shape, an angle of 33 degrees was set on the machine. A 12 mm nut was used as a separator to obtain the required thickness and shape orientation.

Thus, making cuts with the help of a machine, turning the workpiece in turn, the author cut off layer by layer, obtaining a hexagonal shape of the workpiece, following the example of the used nut.

After a hexagonal shape and optimal thickness was obtained, the machine parameters were transferred to a cut of 90 degrees. Further, the author, using the same machine, cut the required number of handles 64 mm long from a hexagonal blank.

Step three: Cutting the jaws for the clamp.

Further, the author began to process the second workpiece and cut sponges for the clamp from it. The tilt angle on the jaws is not mandatory, but rather serves for greater convenience. Therefore, the amount of inclination can be determined by yourself based on your preferences. The author made this part longer, after which he used it to cut an oblique angle for other parts and other blanks. An angle of inclination of 15 degrees, he considered the most versatile.

When using a joiner's corner, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the slope of the line is 50 mm by 70 mm. The corner piece should be set 12mm apart or centered in a 25.4mm wide workpiece. With this approach, the author recommends first cutting off the corner, and then cutting the jaws for the clamp to a length of 102 mm. These preparatory steps will allow you to reduce the chances of making any mistakes and spoiling the workpiece, which means saving materials and your time.

After cutting the blanks for the jaws of the clamp, the author divided them into two groups: he marked one group as sponges A, and the second as sponges B.
The division into two groups is necessary, since the sponges will have different attachments. Therefore, the work on drilling holes for them will also be different, it is easier to understand the difference between fastening from photographs of a ready-made clamp.

Step four: work on the sponges B.

To begin with, markings were made for drilling sponges from both groups. It is necessary to mark two holes with a diameter of 6 mm for the pins that will tighten the jaws. Two holes with a diameter of 6 mm should be located on the inner and upper surfaces of the jaws, passing through them. The first hole is 19 mm from the rectangular edge of the jaw and is located 9.5 mm from each side. The second hole is marked at a distance of 44 mm from the rectangular (rear) wall of the sponge and is also located in the center relative to the other sides. After which sponges B are laid aside.

Step five: finishing sponges from group A.

Jaw A is somewhat different from jaw B. Jaw A has two additional holes for cylindrical nuts, through which rods will pass to tighten the jaws of the clamp.

Therefore, in each jaw A, two holes with a diameter of 12 mm were drilled through one side, as shown in the picture. The first hole, 12 mm in diameter, should be located 19 mm from the rear wall of the jaw and equidistant from the top and bottom edges of the jaw. The second 12 mm hole should be located 44 mm from the rear wall and equally spaced from the top and bottom edges. Thus, a set of jaws should be obtained with two holes along the center line of the outer planes of the jaws, as well as with two holes for pins with a diameter of 6 mm on the inside of the jaws.

Step Six: Threaded Studs

Using a hacksaw, the existing stud with a 6 mm thread was cut into blanks of the required length. There should be two blanks from the hairpin for each clamp. One blank is 114 mm long, and the second is 127 mm long. After that, they were put aside until the stage of making handles for clamps.

Step Seven: Making Cylindrical Nuts.

In this case, cylindrical nuts are round steel parts with side holes drilled in them with a thread for a 6 mm stud. Probably, such nuts or something similar can be bought, but the author decided to make them himself.

For the manufacture of cylindrical nuts, a metal round blank with a diameter of 12 mm was required. Cylinders 19 mm long were cut from it, under the thickness of the jaws of the clamp. Then, holes were made in each cylinder on the side in the center, which, when the cylinders were placed in 12 mm holes on jaws B, should coincide with the 6 mm holes on the same jaws B. After that, threads were cut in the holes of the steel cylinders at an angle of 90 degrees by 20 turns with a 6 mm tap.

Step Eight: Chamfering the Clamp Handles

In order to make it easier and more convenient to hold and tighten the clamp handles, each of them will have chamfers. In addition, such a detail makes the appearance of the instrument more attractive, according to the author.

To begin with, the blank for the handle was fixed, in this case in another ready-made clamp. After that, the author made a marking in the form of a hexagon on the outer surface of the workpiece, as well as a marking was made in the form of bounding lines on the sides of the future handle at a distance of 3 mm from the outer plane of the handle, as shown in the picture.

After that, with the help of a sharp cutter, chamfers were cut off and a handle blank with chamfers was obtained.

Step nine: creating a ledge on the clamp handles.

In order to be able to screw a 12 mm nut onto the handles, the handles must be cut to a diameter slightly larger than the hole of the nuts. In this way, the threads of the nut will engage securely with the wooden lug of the handle, providing a reasonably secure connection. It would be convenient to machine the handles on a lathe to create the desired boss diameter, but it can also be done by hand.

To do this, the author pressed the stop block to the saw guard, and used the 12 mm nut as a limiter for the depth of cut, as well as to ensure the required distance from the guard. After that, a wooden blank for each handle was taken and all the necessary cuts were made.
Thus, we got a picture that you can see in the picture above. Then cutting off all the extra protrusions, you should get a handle with a ready-made protrusion for the nut.

Step ten: turning the protrusion of the handles.

In order to put 12 mm nuts on the handles, it is necessary to cut off all the corners of the protrusion and grind the protrusion to the desired diameter. It is best to practice before this on some failed workpiece in order to understand to what extent it is necessary to grind off the protrusion and not spoil other workpieces.
To do this, the workpiece must be rigidly fixed and ground to an ideal cylindrical shape. After that, carefully, so as not to damage the workpiece, you need to screw the nut onto the ledge.

Step eleven: the final stage of making handles.

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The essence of the clamp device

To the device of the clamp, regardless of the design, material and size of the fixture, two basic requirements are imposed:

The frame of the clamp must not deform under load, the rigidity of the frame of the fixture must be sufficient to keep the clamping jaws parallel to the plane;
The design of the clamping screw should provide adjustable and smooth pressing of the movable clamp support on the fixed surface.

Carpentry and furniture bar clamps, they are trying to be made from hardwood and metal;
Mounting clamps of high rigidity;
Locksmith resistant clamps.

In addition to classic ruler clamps, custom-made clamps of non-standard schemes are widely used, most of them are made for performing one or two operations of increased complexity.

DIY wooden universal clamp

To make a wooden clamp, you will need the following tools and fixtures:

Desktop drilling machine with a power of 400-500 W for drills from 1-15 mm. The vertical stroke of the drill chuck must be at least 120 mm;
Electric grinding wheel. It can be made independently, for this, instead of an abrasive stone, a circle of plywood is installed on an electric grinder, 10 mm thick and 350 mm in diameter, on which sandpaper sheets are glued on both sides;
Hand-held circular saw for wood with a blade diameter of at least 150 mm. You can use a grinder or a band saw.

Classic F Clamp

The general view of the clamp is shown in the photo.

First you need to make a guide rail. For these purposes, larch or spruce board is suitable. All other parts of the clamp can be made from any wood, except for soft varieties - poplar, linden, birch.

Important! For the manufacture of any fixtures and accessories, only defect-free wood is used. If there is none, then it is best to make a clamp from ordinary plywood 15-20 mm thick.

Clamp assembled from wood and steel

The process of making a clamp from wood and steel is as follows:

Initially, it is necessary to select a steel rail, best of all, a tire with a thickness of at least 5 mm and a width of 25-30 mm. Along the length of the tire on a drilling machine, you need to make a number of grooves or holes to fix the rearranged part of the jaws;
The clamp and the reciprocal fixed part of the sponges are cut from one block of wood, it is best to make it from oak or larch. In both blanks, mounting grooves are cut and steel plates are fastened;
Further, in the rearranged support, holes are drilled for the installation of the lead screw, this must be done on the machine or guide fixture;
The fixed part of the jaws is mounted on a steel bar and fixed with a clamp to maintain an angle of 90°, after which two holes must be made and the part fixed with rivets or screws;
The movable part of the jaws is made of maple or ash, in order to make precise centering, the workpiece is joined to the adjustable support and drilled with a drill with a diameter equal to the size of the lead screw.

Wooden clamp for fixing and screed sets

Unlike other fixture schemes, the screed clamp is made of massive timber, with a section of 50x50 mm and a length of at least 100 cm.

In addition, three blocks of oak or beech are required in order to make a fixed support with a lead screw and two parts of the jaws - rearranged and movable.

Wooden clip from hanger parts

A small device, very reminiscent of a tightening type of clamps, can easily be made from ordinary suit hangers. The wooden base of the hanger is made of two identical halves of a trapezoidal shape.

First of all, to make a clip from a hanger, you need to fold the two halves of the hangers into one bag and clamp it in the vice of a drilling machine.

From the clamp, you can make a fixing device for gluing boards, holding pipes, or pulling together a package of several planks.

Fast C-clamp for wood

Do-it-yourself metal clamp

Most metalwork and carpentry clamps are made of metal, most often steel or aluminum alloys, there are only two reasons for such selectivity:

High strength of metal parts;
Long service life even under heavy load.

To make metal clamps, you will need welding equipment, a grinder and a regular electric drill and a jigsaw.

Long clamp

The easiest way is to make a long clamp according to the classical scheme. Stationary, movable and adjustable parts are made of thick plywood.

Homemade welded rebar clamp

The bent blanks are welded into one L-shaped structure, the spout and the linear sections of the reinforcement are necessarily connected by a welding seam.

Homemade G-Clamp

Wooden spacer for metal clamp support

An important part of any clamp is the lining that is installed under the supporting surfaces of the clamp. This is done to achieve two goals:

Prevent damage to the part clamped by the clamp, since in metal fixtures the clamping pressure can easily reach several hundred kilograms;
Uniformly transfer and distribute the force from the lead screw to the surface of the furniture board or fixed part.

It is best to make a gasket from ordinary birch plywood or softwood with a rough surface.

Clamp for winding the wire on the mandrel

Do-it-yourself angle clamps

The use of specialized clamps today remains the only possible way to assemble any rectangular or square structures made of wood and metal with an ideally set right angle.

For example, a system of ready-made triangles that cover the planes of the joining sides and firmly hold them in the desired position until the fasteners are installed or welding is completed.

Clamp universal for any angle

The additional device is based on an ordinary pine block with a right angle sector cut in the center. The second part is the usual right triangle, which can be made from spruce or pine slats.

A through hole is drilled at the top of the corner of the sector, with a diameter of 5-6 mm. It is the hole that allows the triangle to swing and change the angle of the clamp by 3-7o.

Angle Steel Assembly Clamp

Connecting two parts at a right angle is much easier if you fix them in an angled clamp. In the simplest case, the device consists of two guides made of a cut profile pipe or a steel corner.

The guides must be set using a square at an angle of 90 ° and connected with additional sheet metal overlays.

To ensure that the workpieces do not fall out of the fixture during operation, two G-shaped clamps are additionally installed on each of the guides.

Do-it-yourself quick-clamp clamp

Sometimes when working with wood, clamps are required, with which you can fix or tack the part to the desktop or place in just a few seconds.

At the marked points of the axes, you need to make holes with a diameter of 20 mm.

Clip for holding and fixing small parts

In a similar way, you can make a clamp for fixing especially small parts. You will first need to mark and cut out two halves of a device similar to tweezers or a medical clip from OSB or plywood.

Clamp made of rebar and wood

Using a reinforcing bar with a length of 50-60 cm and a diameter of 8 mm, you can make a very strong and at the same time lightweight frame for universal use.

Tape universal clamp

One of the most interesting unusual clamp designs uses a thick polyester fabric belt as a strength element. A band clamp is used where it is necessary to evenly tighten several parts.

The tape is passed around the block, if you unscrew the screw with a wrench, the distance between the blocks increases, and the belt of the device is tightened, pressing all four blocks to the part.

Cam fast clamps

The difference of this device lies in the fact that instead of the traditional lead screw, plywood eccentrics are installed on the vertical jaws of the clamp.

To do this, on wooden racks, you must first make a cut along the thickness of the eccentric.

Telescopic folding clamp

The idea of a telescopic clamping device is based on a set of pipes that fit into each other with a minimum gap, like a folding fishing rod, and a set of ring clamps with a screw lock.

Mounting universal clamps

In addition to clamps, two-shelf universal clamps are widely used to fix glued parts of complex configuration, photo.

The idea of the clamp is borrowed from the binding press, the dimensions and number of clamps are selected depending on the size of the part.

4-Way Poly Clamps for Wooden Panels

The solution to the problem will be a fixture with four clamps, photo.

Clamping box for workbench mounting

Making the design is quite simple:

A box-shaped frame is assembled from plywood;
Two beams are sewn along the long sides of the box, best made from pine, with a section of 50x50 mm;
A number of mounting crossbars of the same material are stuffed.

Homemade coffee table clamp

You can fix the problem by installing a homemade clamp or a tightening spring. Two planks or blocks of wood are connected to each other with a long metal bracket.

The fixture can be made with a screw clamp or self-clamping. In any case, the bars will strengthen and fix the frame with legs, thereby eliminating the existing backlash.

Inexpensive simple clip from a PVC pipe ring

Racks for a set of clamps

Improvised clamps

Often, in carpentry work or when assembling wooden structures, there is not enough time to make full-fledged clamps and clamps. That's when wit and experience come to the rescue.

For example, a round workpiece can be fixed with several rings stuffed onto the frame.

A reinforcing bar or a water pipe can be clamped with an improvised clamp from several bars and adhesive tape.

An ordinary trunk tie-down cord will help pull off a set of a dozen wooden planks like a tape clip.

From a syringe gun for sealant and adhesive tape, you can easily make a real clip under the board.

Conclusion

The variety of existing schemes of fixtures and clamps allows you to clamp anything and in any conditions. You can make a whole complex of clamps of various shapes and sizes. Most craftsmen, even with considerable experience working with wood, prefer to use clamps. According to them, this is a guarantee that the work will be completed on time and, most importantly, with high quality.

2018-09-21

In the process of woodworking, in most cases, a joiner's clamp is indispensable. Whether it is necessary to glue wooden blanks, fix a sheet, board, slab during cutting - a clamp will definitely be needed. There are similar products on sale, but, according to experienced craftsmen, they are characterized by two significant drawbacks - limited size and low strength, since soft metals (alloys) are mainly used for their production in order to reduce costs.

Those who have to work with wood quite often prefer homemade carpentry clamps. How to make such a device with your own hands, what to pay attention to and take into account - this is described in the article.

There are many modifications of carpentry clamps - angular, G-shaped, edge, universal. Some are used for permanent work with various blanks (by area, thickness), others are made for a specific technological operation (for one-time use).

The author considers it appropriate to dwell only on those that are most often used by "home craftsmen". If the principle of their functioning becomes clear, then with your own hands you will be able to make any kind of carpentry clamp, according to your own requests. Unless, of course, "turn on" the fantasy and think carefully.

The author deliberately does not indicate the linear dimensions of the clamps. One of the advantages of their self-production is the possibility of arbitrary choice of the shape and dimensions of carpentry clamps. There is no standard for such devices. And it is hardly advisable for a person who is accustomed (and knows how) to do everything with his own hands to “chew” elementary things. The main thing is to give an idea, to “suggest an idea”, and everything else is at your own discretion.

Option number 1

The simplest modification of the clamp. It is done quite quickly, but the use of such a joiner's clamp is somewhat limited. Although in most cases, when working with small-sized samples, it is quite enough.

The frame of a hacksaw for metal is taken as the basis of the device. The fastening elements of the canvas are replaced by long threaded rods, at one end of which there is an iron “patch” (as an option, a nut), at the other, either a removable handle or a head for an open-end wrench.

Since the frame can be adjusted in length, such a clamp will allow you to fix workpieces of various thicknesses. It is mainly used when gluing parts (), since the body of the fixture itself cannot be fixed on any surface. The only thing to consider is that if the frame is collapsible (the old modification of the “hacksaw”), then you will have to put a “tire” at the bend (for example, wrap it with adhesive tape). In operation, such a clamp is not entirely convenient, but in the absence of something more suitable, it is a good solution to the problem.

Option number 2

Also a fairly simple clamp model. It is done by hand relatively quickly. The device of the device is clear from the figure. All you need is a metal corner and a couple of long screws or threaded rods.

If you make several of these clamps, then with their help it will be possible to perform various carpentry work. For example, glue long workpieces. To do this, it is enough to set the clamps at a certain interval, and lay metal strips or slats of hardwood between the stops and the workpiece. Alternatively, fix the assembly on a workbench. The same applies to cutting blanks.

Before sawing, they are fixed on the tabletop, and their immobility will be guaranteed. This design can be modified by welding metal plates to the corners. This significantly increases the clamping area.

In fact, for domestic use, such a modification of a joiner's clamp is one of the best. Experienced craftsmen always have a ready-made set of several devices with different dimensions at hand. Depending on the specifics of the work, you may need a clamping device from a corner either 25 or 45.

The versatility of such a modification is that it is made of metal, therefore, it is characterized by sufficient strength. Unlike wooden clamps, here you can adjust the clamping force in a wide range, and work not only with wood, but also with other materials - glass, plastics, "iron". What in everyday life and often have to do.

This design can be somewhat modified. For example, when processing logs at a mini-sawmill (cutting into boards, sawing), they must also be fixed. In this case, an improved modification of such a carpentry clamp is suitable. It is enough to take strip iron as its basis, at the ends of which to weld the same corners.

Varieties and modifications

Here are a few more types of carpentry clamps. All these clamps are easy to assemble with your own hands.

The question is different - how expedient is it to use wood as a starting material? There are arguments both for and against. But if a tree is chosen for the base of a joiner's clamp, then it must meet certain criteria.

The breed is only hard (pear, oak, walnut and the like). Otherwise, there is no need to talk about any clamping force. And the durability of the clamp of their “soft” wood raises certain doubts.
Humidity is minimal. Only after high-quality drying of the material can it be used for the manufacture of clamping parts.

Good luck, reader, in making your own clamp. Do not be afraid to fantasize, and everything will work out for you!

Carrying out locksmith or carpentry work in places not equipped for this is inevitably associated with the problem of fixing workpieces. It is very difficult to prevent them from moving around the table or workbench during processing, unless they are equipped with special clamps, vices or other fixing devices. One of these devices, simple, affordable and versatile, are clamps. We will tell you what they are and how they are used, as well as give detailed instructions for making reliable clamps with your own hands.

What is the tool for, its device and types of tool

Clamp refers to additional carpentry and metalwork tools. The main purpose of the clamps is to fix the workpiece on the support surface or several workpieces for gluing them together, therefore, the design of the tool must include at least two elements: the support surface and a movable jaw equipped with a locking mechanism. The movement of the movable jaw is carried out, as a rule, with the help of a screw or a lever, which makes it possible to increase compression and prevent reverse movement during operation. Depending on the specialization and design features, the following types of clamps are distinguished:

Screw G-shaped - the most common, they are distinguished by their simplicity of design and relatively low cost. Represented by a metal bracket, on one side of which there is a supporting surface, and on the other, a threaded eye with an adjusting screw screwed into it. The inner part of the screw is equipped with a working sponge, the outer part is equipped with a handle. The tool is effective when working with heavy, large workpieces of a simple shape.
Clamps of this type are suitable for working with large workpieces.
F-shaped - more versatile, their supporting surface is fixedly fixed on a long rod, along which the working block with a sponge slides. Movement and fixation of the block is provided by an auxiliary screw or a step-by-step pressing mechanism.
Objects are fixed due to the auxiliary screw and step mechanism
Pipe - allow you to fix large-sized workpieces by varying the length of the pipe. They consist of two separate elements - a base plate with a screw clamp and a sponge sliding along the pipe.
Clamp suitable for working with overall workpieces
Corner - designed to simplify the joining of workpieces at a right angle, for which they have two supporting and working surfaces. They are divided into two subspecies. The first involves the presence of two clamping screws located perpendicular to each other; the second is equipped with one screw with a double-sided angle block at the end. Very rarely there are specialized clamps that allow you to place workpieces at an acute or obtuse angle.
Clamps of this type simplify the docking of workpieces at right angles.
Angle clamp with double-sided angle block
Tape - equipped with a flexible element and several sponges floating on it. By fixing the jaws in certain places of the tape and adjusting its tension, it is possible to process workpieces of complex shape.
The tape clamp is equipped with a tape element that allows you to fix the workpiece around the perimeter
Pincer - consist of two hinged parts and a spacer spring. In practice, they are rarely used due to the relatively low reliability of the joint, however, they provide the maximum speed of installation and removal of the workpiece.
Such a clamp is rarely used due to the low reliability of the joint.

At home, clamps of the first three types are most often made, since they are not too demanding on materials and production technologies, and also allow you to solve most household tasks that require the use of auxiliary tools.

You will find more information about the types of clamps in our next material:

How to make a carpentry clamp with your own hands: step by step instructions with drawings

To make clamps at home, it is enough to have basic plumbing and carpentry skills. The materials used are wooden beams, rolled metal, pipes and fasteners, in particular, bolts, studs, nuts, pins. For joining the metal parts of the clamps, it is desirable to have an electric welding machine. When performing any work, the main thing is to follow the instructions and observe safety precautions.

Making a screw type tool

This type of clamp will help to fix wood workpieces well.

A clamp made according to this technique is perfect for fixing small wooden blanks - plywood, fiberboard, OSB and chipboard sheets, as well as boards and thin timber. We suggest that you choose the scale yourself, but otherwise it is better not to deviate from the following sequence of actions:

Transfer the templates of all wooden parts to thick paper or cardboard in accordance with the selected scale.
Using the template, transfer the image to a suitable board width. It is better to use not pine boards, but harder wood.
Using a jigsaw, cut out all the details. Correct the shape with a file, and sand the surface with sandpaper.
In the "jaws" mark and drill holes for the axle bolt. Lengthen the hole of the upper “jaw” with a round file so that its length is 1.5–2.5 of the bolt diameter.
In the handle, drill a hole for the nut, with a diameter corresponding to the number of the wrench. With a needle file, give it a hexagonal shape. Install the nut inward with epoxy or cyanoacrylate.
Assemble the clamp - fix the axial bolt in the lower “jaw” with glue, install the rear loop on the screws, put on the upper jaw and, placing the washer, install the handle. Stick soft pads on work surfaces.

An even simpler option is to make a screw clamp from a hacksaw.

A simple version of a hacksaw clamp

In this case, it is enough to weld a support platform at one end of its arc, and a nut at the other, into which an adjusting screw with a sponge and a handle will be installed.

Homemade quick clamp made of wood

Making such a clamp will take more time

The use of F-shaped clamps significantly speeds up the workflow. But the manufacture of the clamp itself is somewhat more complicated than the creation of its screw counterpart. You will need to do the following:

Transfer the images to the lumber as described above. Accurately observe the specified dimensions of the parts and the location of the pin holes.
Cut out the details with a jigsaw, use it to make a narrow slot in the movable sponge and deep slots for the axle plate. Using chisels, select the groove for the cam lever.
Drill holes for the pins. Treat all external and internal surfaces of the parts with a file, and then with sandpaper.
From a metal strip with a grinder, cut the axial plate, grind it. Drill holes for the pins.
Assemble the tool by placing the jaws on the plate using the pins. Insert the cam into the movable jaw. Stick on work pads.
Check the function of the quick release clamp. If necessary, change the shape of the working part of the cam lever.

Rough fixation of the lower jaw on the axle plate can be done by wedging its guide pins, inserting an additional pin, screw clamp or in another way.

Video: making a quick clamp

Metal pipe

For the manufacture of such a clamp, a metal pipe is required.

For such a tool, you will need three metal rings, the inner diameter of which corresponds to the outer diameter of the pipe you have, instead of which, by the way, you can use a metal rod. In the presence of a welding machine, the process of manufacturing a clamp is reduced to the following algorithm:

Weld support pads to two rings, which can be made from a steel corner; install a nut on the third ring, and weld the ring itself to the end of the pipe.
Weld an impromptu handle made of a metal rod to the head of a long bolt, screw the bolt into a ring with a nut.
From the free end of the pipe, put the ring of the upper movable sponge on it. In the ring of the lower jaw, make holes for the fixing pins.
Install the lower ring on the pipe.

The pipe clamp is optimally suited for holding furniture elements during its assembly, it will be convenient in construction and installation work and other similar operations.

Video: homemade pipe clamp

corner

For the manufacture of this type of clamp, you can use wood, metal or duralumin. Between themselves, they differ not only in material, but also in clamping force and the size of the fixed workpiece. Our following material provides detailed instructions for making tools:

Both in everyday life and in professional activities related to the processing of wood and metal, clamps will become an indispensable assistant. By following the instructions and having a simple set of materials, you can make this tool with your own hands.