Simple and functional f-shaped clamps, made by yourself, will become indispensable assistants in your workshop and will allow you to save considerable sums on expensive clamps, of which, as you know, there are never too many. A cam-type quick-release clamp is optimal for situations where large clamping forces are not required: gluing narrow or small parts, edges, fixing workpieces, etc.
The cam clamp works on the principle of a classic f-shaped clamp. It consists of a guide rail and two jaws: movable and fixed. By fixing the workpiece in the jaws and turning the cam 90°, the tool will provide a strong and reliable clamp. Homemade clamp It won’t be difficult to make it yourself at home, with a minimum of tools and consumables.
The proposed clamp drawing and detailing are a basic guide. The design of the product is such that you don’t have to worry about materials and dimensions, changing them to suit your needs. The tire can be made of either metal or wood. You can also vary the length and width of the jaws to increase the gripping depth of the clamp. Rivets or small bolts may be used instead of metal pins. The movable and fixed jaws are mirror images of each other, so it is convenient to produce these parts in series, several pieces at a time.
By making your own set of clamps and simple wooden stops, shown in the photo, you will get an effective corner clamp that will become an indispensable assistant when gluing together perfect frames.
With the help of such a vice it is very convenient and reliable to clamp small parts. And in order for our clamp to automatically open when unscrewing the nut, we can put a spring inside on the bolt, between the hinge flaps. It doesn’t need to be very powerful so that it can clamp the necessary parts without much difficulty.
To work you need:
- small door hinge;
- bolt;
- wing nut;
- screwdriver;
- pliers.
Clamping with your own hands is quite simple. We take door hinge, which should have 3 holes on each side. We connect both its edges and drill out one hole for a bolt, if you don’t have a small one that can fit the existing holes.
We insert the bolt into the hole prepared for it and tighten it on the other side with a wing nut. To ensure maximum clamping of objects, you can use a screwdriver and pliers.
The most basic clamp made from scrap materials is ready.
Now we can test it, for this we will take two materials that we need to glue together. We apply glue to their surfaces and apply them to each other. Then we open our clamp, insert the materials to be glued there and clamp it using a wing nut and bolt. Tighten with pliers and a screwdriver. Now we wait for the glue to harden.
The clamp is auxiliary tool, which is used to fix the boards when they are connected in a given position. The clamp is also suitable for holding boards while sawing them, for routing hacksaw blade, connections various elements. Parts that require machining can be inserted into the tool. Then, using a movable element, they are clamped with jaws and begin to work. To securely hold parts in the desired position, it is recommended to use two or more clamps.
Homemade clamps are often made of metal or wood, and in terms of their characteristics they are not much inferior to purchased, factory-assembled ones. Since the design of the clamping device is simple, it will not be difficult to understand the principle of its operation in order to make it yourself.
Making a metal screw clamp
Before starting work you will need to prepare necessary materials. For the base of the structure, a steel sheet one centimeter thick, or any even trim of the same thickness, is suitable. The length of the workpiece is arbitrary, but they try to choose it taking into account the working distance of the clamp.
Main materials of manufacture:
- steel sheet;
- long bolts;
- nuts
A drawing is being drawn up. The future body of the tool is marked on the workpiece material, which in appearance resembles the letter “C”. Instead of steel sheet you can use a section of profiled pipe, bent in the shape of the letter “C”. There are no special requirements for the thickness of the workpiece, but the design must be reliable. The choice of length is made taking into account the dimensions working area, processed parts.
After marking is applied, the part is cut out of metal. At home, small pieces can be cut using a grinder. But when making clamps of large dimensions, it is recommended to use a gas cutter or an acetylene torch. Next stage– processing, grinding of the workpiece. All sharp edges and beads formed when working with gas welding equipment are knocked down using a file, and the surface is ground. sandpaper. This must be done so that when clamping the workpieces, you do not cut yourself on sharp edges.
Having prepared long bolts M 8, M 10, proceed to fastening the moving element. Why are nuts welded on one side of the workpiece under the selected bolts. If there are no bolts, you can select hexagons or steel rods of the required length with pre-cut threads.
At the inner working end of the screw, a flat, even part is welded, on which the function of the jaws is assigned. On the back side of the screw, a lever is attached by welding from scraps of a stud. Its presence will speed up the process of clamping workpieces , further reducing the amount of effort applied. This completes the assembly of the clamp with your own hands.
Corner clamp device
During production angle tool To assemble furniture, it is important to accurately maintain a right angle of 90°. Main available materials are corners with steel strips. To work you will need:
- 40 mm steel angle 3-4 mm thick;
- steel plates 40-50 mm;
- threaded studs;
- rods for gates;
- nuts;
- welding machine;
- electric drill, taps.
The corner clamp is the most difficult to manufacture, but when carrying out some types of work you cannot do without it. On initial stage Corners are welded to the steel plates at right angles, and nuts are attached to each corner, which will serve to create a worm-type structure. Another option is to drill a hole in the corner and cut it using a tap. internal thread. The width of the working gap is selected taking into account the size of potential workpieces, but too large a stroke of the clamping wheel reduces the strength of their fixation.
To process parts of different sizes, it is recommended to prepare several clamps!
The stud is screwed into the welded nut. At its end, a stop is assembled from metal washers of various diameters, which should rotate freely when the pin rotates. WITH reverse side The driver drills a hole for a metal rod. Used as a lever, it will transmit more force, so it will hold workpieces more reliably.
Wooden clamp - made from leftover boards
The most popular is wooden quick clamp, but a tool of a similar design can also be made of metal. Despite the simplicity of the design, it is very convenient when performing various tasks.
The presence of two identical clamps expands the scope of their application!
For assembly you will need to prepare the following materials:
- pieces of boards;
- studs with pre-cut threads;
- nuts and wings corresponding to the threads of the studs;
- slats.
First, two studs of the same diameter with threaded threads are prepared. They must be 200 mm long. The nuts are matched to the threads of the studs. Two slats are prepared, preferably from hardwood. Best choice there will be oak, beech, birch, ash. The slats are adjusted to same size. To do this, the excess length is sawed off and the cut is sanded. After this, two holes are drilled in each of the slats with a small tolerance. Moreover, the locations of the holes on each of the workpieces must match perfectly, and their diameter must correspond to the diameter of the studs.
Strips of plywood can be glued to the surface of the slats. They are adjusted to the size of the wooden blanks and holes are drilled. The studs are inserted into the resulting holes and securely fixed with nuts on one of the rails on both sides. To prevent material from pushing through, washers are placed under the nuts. This bar will always be stationary, but the other one will be able to move freely along the guides in the form of pins.
Another bar is installed. To do this, thread it through the studs and push it into place. The clamping is carried out using ordinary nuts and an open-end wrench, but for convenience and increased productivity it is necessary to install wing nuts. Check the movement of the fastener; if it is difficult or additional adjustment of parts is required, or other defects are found, then they are eliminated. The work on assembling the wooden clamping device can be considered completed; all that remains is to test it in action.
Properly assembled clamping devices allow secure fastening wooden parts when carrying out carpentry work. The designs of the listed types of fasteners are popular and are so simple that they can be made independently from scrap materials using a minimum number of tools.
Processing workpieces on a carpentry bench will be convenient when using various devices that fix the parts on the table surface. With your own hands, you can make both the simplest stops and clamps, and universal systems that allow you to secure workpieces of any configuration.
Simple wooden stops for a carpentry workbench - drawing, example
Homemade bench stops made of wood do not dull the tool and do not damage the ends of the parts. The devices are divided according to the type of rod and inserted into holes of the appropriate shape.
Rectangular wedges do not rotate and ensure absolute immobility of the workpiece. The stops themselves are easy to make, but hollowing out the square sockets will take a lot of time and effort. It is advisable to install these holes in tabletops made of solid boards at the manufacturing stage carpentry workbench.
In work surfaces made from sheet material, it is more correct to use stops with a cylindrical rod. Such devices are convenient for fastening curved parts, and holes for them can always be drilled into in the right place. Rigid fixation of rectangular workpieces is achieved by installing an additional bar with two rods.
How to make a stop with a round rod
Birch, cherry, maple or walnut are suitable for the bench stop rod. Upper bar made from the same hardwood or plywood. Low profile stop can be made from laminated panel high density remaining after laying the floor covering.
Decide on the diameter of the rod. If you plan to purchase ready-made retainers later, select standard size 19 mm. If you are confident in the future self-production For carpentry workbench fixtures, use a diameter of 21 mm. Such outer size have half-inch water pipes, from which homemade clamping clamps are made. Approximately the same value corresponds to the nominal diameter of three quarter pipes suitable for the manufacture of round wooden rods.
Take a piece of pipe with a diameter of 3/4 inch, a length of 60–80 mm and a thread of at least 20 mm. Sharpen the edges on one end and screw the nut onto the other.
Insert the device into inch pipe and drive a birch stick through it, hitting it from above with a heavy hammer.
Trim the wood when the wood chips hit the nut. It may seem easier to take a longer tube, but it will be much more difficult to penetrate.
After driving the stick, remove the burrs with sandpaper. Wooden rods made in this way may have minor imperfections that do not affect the overall shape of the cylinder. At the beginning of setting up a home workshop, when there are no special machines yet, you will not find more simple way making a round stick with your own hands.
Draw on the workpieces the upper parts of the stops in the right amount and mark the centers for drilling holes.
Using a feather drill, make indentations half the thickness of the material. Start drilling at low speeds, pressing lightly on the drill. At the moment of contact, marks will appear on the surface, which will show where the tool should be deflected for perpendicular drilling.
Saw the workpieces, sand the ends and countersink the holes for the screws.
Apply wood glue to the stud and into the recess.
Connect the parts, press them with your hands and wipe off excess glue. Insert the rod into the hole in the tabletop and tighten the screw.
After ten minutes, carefully remove the stop, pushing from below and without moving the parts. Leave the device until the glue dries completely.
Drill holes for bench stops where you consider necessary. Most often they are needed on the left side of the table for planing workpieces and next to the vice for joint use. The distance between the centers of the holes should be the same everywhere and correspond to the size of the long stops. Before drilling, attach an unnecessary board to the bottom so that there are no chips when the drill comes out.
How to make a stop for cutting boards
The stop located on the side of the tabletop is convenient for cross-cutting boards. When it is not needed, its rotating part is lowered and is out of the way. Use the tool in conjunction with a long bench stop, holding the board firmly with one hand while using the hacksaw with the other.
Cut the wooden stop pieces from leftover hardwood. Make two countersink holes in the fixed part and one in the turning strip, exactly matching the diameter of the screw being used.
Mark on the end of the table the location of the moving part in line with the bench stop.
Secure the turntable first, adding a block if necessary to increase the thickness of the tabletop. Next, install a stationary part perpendicular to it.
Universal bench clamps
Movable fasteners allow you to fix various workpieces and removable work panels on the carpentry workbench. The clamps move in metal guides with a T-groove (T-slots) embedded flush with the table surface, which can be aluminum or steel.
How to make guides with your own hands
An analogue of factory rails with a T-slot can be easily made from metal pipe rectangular or square section. A profile with a height of no more than half the thickness of the table top is suitable. Immediately select the bolts and mark the cutout on one side of the pipe in proportion to the diameter of the bolt.
Cut out the groove with a grinder, trim the edges with a file and round the edges with sandpaper.
Select suitable profile trims for making sliders if the hex head is smaller than the groove and rotates in it.
Drill holes for the bolts and cut the brackets, calculating their height to be 1-2 mm less than the internal passage of the profile.
How to embed guides into a tabletop
Use manual frezer for making a recess in the countertop. If the profile being cut is wider than the cutter, make the groove in two approaches.
Draw a marking on the surface and install a flat panel parallel to it. To prevent chipping when the cutter comes out, attach a wooden strip close to the end.
Adjust the routing depth stop and select the groove in several passes.
Rearrange the panel, cut out the remaining material and sand the recess with abrasive paper.
Secure the guides with screws, making recesses in the metal for the caps.
How to make a simple clamp bar
Customizable clamping systems provide a variety of options for securing parts to your woodwork. The most simple design– a clamping bar fixed by bolts sliding in T-shaped tracks.
Saw strips of plywood, adding 20 mm to the width of the parts indicated on the drawing, in order to later trim the glued workpiece and get perfectly straight ends. For the middle part, plywood scraps of the same thickness will do.
Glue the parts together, drill holes with a countersink 25 mm from the edges and tighten the screws on both sides. After the glue has dried, saw the workpiece to final size using a circular saw.
Cut plywood washers with a diameter slightly larger than the width of the clamping strip.
Carefully drill holes for the bolts.
Place the tool on the surface of a woodworking bench, put on washers and tighten with wing nuts.
The clamping bar is excellent for holding large workpieces and also as a side stop, along which the tool can be guided, for example, when milling a longitudinal groove.
How to make clamps from plywood
Simple and convenient clamps in the form of brackets are fixed on the workbench in the same T-slots, are easy to move and allow you to fix a variety of parts in any position.
The device consists of a plywood part with a groove, a bolt with a slider, washers, a wing nut and a metal sleeve.
For the manufacture of wooden elements You will need a template; it can be easily drawn on paper following our instructions.
The procedure for making a template
Trace the template onto the plywood and use an awl to mark the center of the drill.
Make a hole with a 22mm diameter drill bit.
Prepare the remaining pieces and attach them together using wood glue and screws. Sand the ends, paying attention Special attention the upper semicircle and the lower rounded parts.
Take a half-inch tube and measure a length on it the length of the plywood staple. Drill a hole in the center for the bolt and cut the bushing to size. File off the metal burrs and sand the surfaces.
Assemble the clamp by placing washers under the nut.
The clamp in the photo below is simpler and is made in a similar way. When using this design, you have to place a pad of approximately the same thickness under the second arm of the lever, otherwise there will be a misalignment of the bolt, leading to deformation of the guide rail.
Increase the capabilities of your clamping system by making profile pipe another T-shaped track. By placing the guide between the rails embedded in the table, you can fasten parts anywhere on the carpentry workbench.
This additional strip is fixed at the edges with short bolts, and inside the profile there are small plywood inserts with holes.
The considered devices for a carpentry workbench are easy to manufacture and are suitable for securing most workpieces. Further work in carpentry will require new stops or clamps, which ingenuity will help you come up with, and experience that comes gradually will allow you to do them.
A clamp is a tool that allows you to fix a part during processing. Masters often use different kinds clamps in their work. Whether you are a carpenter or a metalworker, there is always a need to use it.
This device is available in different options, from universal to specialized. Relatively recently, a new modification has appeared: a quick-release clamp. Develops compression force up to 450 kg.
The task for all types is common - to fix the workpieces for processing or connecting to each other.
Like any other tool, clamps can be purchased at the store or made yourself. The second option is often chosen by professionals. It's easier to come up with own design than to look for an option for individual tasks.
Homemade clamps - varieties and manufacturing technologies
Angle clamp
Such devices are used to fix two objects (not necessarily the same size) at right angles, to connect them together in any way. It can be wooden blanks when gluing or assembling using corners and confirmat.
However, most often, an angle clamp is used as a jig for welding metal parts at right angles.
For production you will need:
- steel corner 40 mm, thickness 3-4 mm;
- steel plates 40-50 mm wide;
- threaded studs, preferably hardened;
- rods for gates;
- nuts for the worm gear;
- welding machine;
- drill, taps.
We weld the corners to the steel plates at a strictly 90° angle.
We attach a worm structure to each side by welding. This is the same corner with a welded-on thrust nut or thickening, in which a thread is cut in accordance with the collar pin. The width of the working gap is selected according to the potential workpiece.
IMPORTANT! If the range of sizes of the parts being processed is too wide, it is better to make several clamps. Too much movement of the knob does not contribute to a strong fixation.
A collar pin is screwed into the working nut, after which a stop is assembled at its end. As a rule, this is a design of two metal washers different sizes. The stop should rotate freely on the pin.