Issue 596

Clamping Tricks

Gluing and clamping is one of woodworking’s bread-and-butter activities. If you prepare your stock well, dry-fit the pieces carefully and then move on to glue and clamps, assembly can be pretty mundane. But, it can also be quite stressful — it’s very hard to unglue something.

There are also times when assembling a project can drive you batty. Small parts or irregularly shaped stock are two examples of clamping challenges you’ll encounter sooner or later. I’ve clamped quite a few guitar bridges in place, and it always seems a wrestling match: awkward clamp placement, limited access through the sound hole, weirdly shaped wood and the demand that something be located precisely. I’ll admit it…at times I’ve expressed some bad words.

But a few pointers can sure come in handy. Our featured video today offers some tips for gluing and assembling. We also take a look behind the scenes at the development of Rockler’s popular Bandy Clamps. I hope you find these videos interesting. But I would also like to hear some of your go-to tricks for glue-ups. I’ll share what you share!

Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal

Featured Videos

Gluing, Clamping and Sanding Tips for Small Box Parts

Carole Rothman expands on her tips and tricks for gluing, clamping and sanding small box pieces. Learn the benefits of new thicker glues, planning glue jobs, using a Mac Mop sanding disk, and a sanding on a flat surface, and using a slightly larger metric drill bit for dowel holes.

Who Designed the Bandy Clamp?

Meet the designer of the Rockler Bandy Clamp. Take a closer look at this innovative tool and how it was designed. The Bandy Clamp was originally designed for clamping edge banding, but it works great in many other applications. The strong rubber band conforms to any shape and the pivoting pads won’t slip.