5 Must-Have Clamps For Your Shop
Every wood shop has clamps, and never enough clamps! It is a true statement that a woodworker can never have enough clamps. Here, I explore 5 different types of clamps that I use in my shop and how I use them.
F-Clamps are probably the most versatile and most common types of clamps in any shop. They are also the cheapest type of clamp and most used in my shop.
Uses
Laminating 2 pieces of wood together on long-grain to long-grain.
Holding wood materials to a jig.
Holding wood materials to a workbench.
Holding cabinet sides to a back piece while installing screws / pocket screws.
Pad clamps are commonly seen in metal working shops but they are very useful in wood shops as well. They are relatively cheap and somewhat common as I find myself using them in different disciplines of woodworking.
Uses
Holding face frames flush to stiles.
Used with Kreg jigs:
Parallel clamps are essential to those woodworkers who commonly make cutting boards or table tops. The benefit of a parallel clamp over an F-clamp is that most parallel clamps have more surface area of clamping pressure. This helps in a large edge-grain clue up by lowering the risk of having a glue up pop up or bulge up in the middle. Parallel clamps also seem to have more clamping pressure that a F-clamp. Parallel clamps, however, are a little more pricey than the F-clamps.
Uses
Table Top Glue Ups
Cutting Board Glue Ups
Holding cabinet sides to a back panel while installing screws
Corner clamps are primarily seen in cabinet making. They are designed to hold 2 pieces in a perfect 90-degree angled corner, and tight together. There are both cheap and expensive corner clamp options.
Uses
Cabinet carcass assembly
Box-Making (in some cases)
Miter Joints
While C-clamps don’t have much use in my shop, they are cheap and plentiful so I have a few laying around. I don’t have specific examples of how I use them because I don’t use them often. However, like I mentioned, they are worth having a few around since they are so affordable.
The strap clamp is a very specialty clamp, but it comes in handy when you need it. I use mine primarily for circle or oblong/weird shaped glue ups as well as box glue ups. The strap clamp applies even pressure on all sides of the glue up at the same time.
Uses
Box Glue Ups
Cabinet Carcass Glue Ups
Circle Glue Ups
Oblong/Weird Shape Glue Ups
The spring clamp doesn’t have any specific uses in my shop but this is another type of clamp that is cheap and comes in handy sometimes.
Uses
Edge Banding Glue Ups
Small Parts Glue Ups
This specialty tool is handing to have if you do any type of pocket hole joinery. For those finding themselves fumbling with cabinet carcass sides and struggling to hold the pieces flush, this tool can help!
Uses
Pocket Hole Joinery Glue Ups
