Sacrificial Fence Clamps were mentioned on a post a while back and a
link to Rockler or similar site led to a pair of clamps that featured
what looked like a "C" clamp with one of the pads replaced by a
quarter-inch bit of steel rod. With postage and handling, they seemed
a bit too pricey considering I'd been able to work around the problem
previously with jury-rigs and scraps.
Tonight I thought, why not modify a regular old clamp?
So I dug about and found two little (four-inch) Ratchet Bar Clamp/
Spreader (s) from Harbor Freight Tools (SKU 46805) which I seldom used
but never threw out.
The clamp end is removable so one can stick it at teh opposite end of
the clamp and make a "Spreader."
So, I removed the one end and took a quarter-inch bit of steel rod and
ground a bit of flat at one end to match the flat end of the clamp's
bar and brazed them together at 85 degrees or so. I did it twice and
drilled a couple holes in a bit of wood that fit alongside my Sears
Fence and clamped it up with my new gadgets.
And, they ratchet tight and have a quick release rather than a
threaded approach as in the "factory" versions.
As I recall, the two clamps cost me under three dollars with the tax.
I'd upload an image but I don't know how. If you want a picture,
please e-mail me and I'll send one.
"Hoosierpopi" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:f572206f-02e5-4ea4-bf44-4c6b21e7e563@g23g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
Snip
>
> And, they ratchet tight and have a quick release rather than a
> threaded approach as in the "factory" versions.
>
> As I recall, the two clamps cost me under three dollars with the tax.
> I'd upload an image but I don't know how. If you want a picture,
> please e-mail me and I'll send one.
Several years back I bought a pair of the Rockler "Blue" aluminum fence
clamps for $15. They work great. Wood craft sells a not so elegent looking
set for about $30.
I was thinking D A N G when you mentioned too expensive.
Then I read your solution and thought again D A N G.... good on you!
"Hoosierpopi" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:f572206f-02e5-4ea4-bf44-4c6b21e7e563@g23g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
> Sacrificial Fence Clamps were mentioned on a post a while back and a
> link to Rockler or similar site led to a pair of clamps that featured
> what looked like a "C" clamp with one of the pads replaced by a
> quarter-inch bit of steel rod. With postage and handling, they seemed
> a bit too pricey considering I'd been able to work around the problem
> previously with jury-rigs and scraps.
>
> Tonight I thought, why not modify a regular old clamp?
>
> So I dug about and found two little (four-inch) Ratchet Bar Clamp/
> Spreader (s) from Harbor Freight Tools (SKU 46805) which I seldom used
> but never threw out.
>
> The clamp end is removable so one can stick it at teh opposite end of
> the clamp and make a "Spreader."
>
> So, I removed the one end and took a quarter-inch bit of steel rod and
> ground a bit of flat at one end to match the flat end of the clamp's
> bar and brazed them together at 85 degrees or so. I did it twice and
> drilled a couple holes in a bit of wood that fit alongside my Sears
> Fence and clamped it up with my new gadgets.
>
> And, they ratchet tight and have a quick release rather than a
> threaded approach as in the "factory" versions.
>
> As I recall, the two clamps cost me under three dollars with the tax.
> I'd upload an image but I don't know how. If you want a picture,
> please e-mail me and I'll send one.
Ingenious! And thrifty too.
I love it.
Art