Clamps

[Marty Olsen]

Does anyone know a source for deep bar clamps? I have a bunch of spring and bar clams, however there are times when I need some deeper bar clamps for such things as clamping a deck where I need to reach from the sheer to the centerline. Thanks

 

[RussF]

Does anyone know a source for deep bar clamps? I have a bunch of spring and bar clams, however there are times when I need some deeper bar clamps for such things as clamping a deck where I need to reach from the sheer to the centerline. Thanks

While it is true that you can never have too many clamps, there are also many ways to use what you have available without spending big $$$ on specialized clamps that may not be used that often. In your particular example, applying pressure on the center of a deck. Stretch some rubber bands around the hull where you want to apply pressure to the deck, being sure to protect the edges of the hull from compression damage with a couple of pieces of scrap wood. At this point, the rubber bands may or may not be touching the center of the deck, but even if they are, there won't be much pressure there. Now, just start stacking pieces of scrap between the stretched rubber band and the center of the deck until you achieve the pressure you need. Simple and only used rubber bands and scrap (things that you should have plenty of if you're a modeler)!

 

[Voncarlos]

Try a search for "Luthier clamps," it is a common tool used for guitar and violin construction.