Woodwork project: Make wedge-based bar clamps using hand tools

Clamps are an essential part of woodworking, and you can never have enough. There are countless types to choose from, but this is how you make wedge-based bar clamps.

YOU’LL NEVER hear a woodworker say that they have enough clamps in their workshop. Such a scenario just doesn’t exist. Clamps are essential, coming in many diverse sizes and configurations for everything we build. From creating large table tops to chairs, cabinets, small boxes and cutting boards, clamps are key to top-quality outcomes. I confess to owning 120 clamps, including sash, parallel-jaw, spring, quick-release and wooden hand-screws – I use them all and I still don’t have enough.

Far too many woodworkers still don’t grasp the concept, that it’s not about how much pressure you apply with a few clamps placed far apart, but rather about applying a reasonable amount pressure with many clamps spaced closely together. The idea is not to force joints together with crushing pressure, but rather to first create a properly fitting joint and then firmly hold it in the correct position until the glue dries fully. It annoys me when manufacturers state that their ‘clamp x’, for example, produces 745 kg of force (that’s ¾ of a metric ton!)… Why is that ever necessary? My intention is not to crush the wood fibres, or drive all the glue out of the joint – this would be completely counterproductive. Brute force will never improve a bad joint, and at some unfortunate point in the future, it’s likely to break apart due to the internal tension that was created while making it.

The point is, lots of clamps, good fitting joints and reasonable clamping pressure are all you need for success.

Easy to build and use, wooden bar clamps are cheap and incredibly effective in the workshop.