What kind of oil should I use on my wood handscrew clamp? I want to keep the glue off the jaw faces and yet minimize staining the wood I am clamping. – Bryan Augsburger
Tim Inman: Actually, I would prefer to soak the wood in molten beeswax. Dip the wood into the hot wax. Let it soak a bit, then withdraw the wood and immediately wipe away any excess wax. This is what I do to my handscrews.
Chris Marshall: I like Tim’s idea. You could also line the jaws with painter’s or duct tape if you don’t want to mess with molten wax. Tape won’t stain the wood, and you can peel it off and replace the facing whenever needed. I tape the top edges of a pair of clamping stands I use frequently to keep the glue from sticking.