digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Most beginning woodworkers can get by with a small core set of essential clamps: four bar clamps, four pipe clamps (with four sets of jaws), and one strap clamp. The speaker argues that bar clamps handle about 90% of his clamping, while wood hand screw, spring, and C-clamps are rarely needed in his shop.
Key Points
- Pipe clamps are the cheapest option: buy the jaws separately, then add black pipe from a home center, lumber yard, or hardware store. He recommends 1/2-inch pipe over 3/4-inch, and finds 36-inch pipes the most versatile for panel glue-ups.
- Bar clamps are the most-used clamp; the speaker has six Bessey-style clamps in about 6, 12, and 24-inch effective sizes and uses them for gluing, holding stop blocks, and as a "third hand."
- A strap clamp is treated as essential for boxes and picture frames because it squares four-sided glue-ups.
- Wooden hand screw clamps, spring clamps, and C-clamps are considered overrated for woodworking, mainly due to slipping, limited grip or pressure, and time-consuming threads.
- Before buying extra or specialty clamps, the speaker advises asking whether they solve a real problem rather than just seeming handy.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Buy 1/2-inch black pipe rather than 3/4-inch; the speaker says the extra strength is unnecessary for clamping. Pipes may come with threads on both ends, or a store may cut them to length and thread them.
- Screw one jaw onto each pipe end, then slide the other jaw along the pipe for quick adjustment.
- For a pipe glue-up of edge-joined boards, place two clamps on each side, using four sets of jaws total. For a very long glue-up, join two clamps together.
- Make clamping blocks that slide onto the pipes to cover more surface area and protect project surfaces from metal jaws.
- If budget is tight, buy four sets of jaws and swap them between pipes as needed.
- If you want more clamps beyond the essentials, buy extra bar clamps rather than specialty clamps.
- The speaker's suggested starting setup is four bar clamps, four pipe clamps, and one strap clamp, and he says these may serve a beginner for years.
- Pipe clamp lengths he uses: four 36-inch pipes (most versatile), four 48-inch pipes for larger table tops, and a couple of 16-inch pipes for smaller needs.
- Spring clamps can cause glued boards to slip because their pivoting heads do not apply straight horizontal pressure like bar or pipe clamps, and larger ones require more hand strength.
- The speaker notes his opinions are based on about 40 years of his own experience, and other woodworkers may disagree.
Bottom Line
A small, well-chosen set of bar, pipe, and strap clamps covers most beginner woodworking needs, and extra clamps should only be added when they solve a specific problem.
