How to make a Luthier clamp

[@trahtrebor]

I made some of these years ago and they are awsome. They're actually strong enough for gluing up thin counter tops. I also experimented on the thickness and found that the overall thickness can be considerably thinner than expected. Thanks for the video. I picked up some of your ideas for my own use. I need to build a few more of these and the tips will help very nicely.

[@aze216]

Very nice! Thanks for posting. It'll be nice to have more clamps - especially ones that I don't have to pay an arm and leg to purchase.

[@deezynar]

Hi, Steve, Great video, thumbs up & a favorite. I've been thinking of making a bunch of these for a long time, thanks for the good instructions and the prodding.

[@SteveMaskery]

Thank you. Yes NTSC is available, just select it from the drop-down Format box. Regards

[@LutherRayable]

Great Video Steve! Thank you and cheers from Seattle Washington. Subscribed

[@synapse131]

There's a small modification that would make these perfect. This man from Japan has a similar design that uses an angled surface on the inside of the tenon (that falls away from a small flat section) on each side to wedge the movable part of the clamp on the bar. When angled it moves freely but when straightened, it locks on the flat section of the tenon. Check out his video under, "A simply handmade wooden clamp 簡単手作り木製クランプ." It's in Japanese but the video gets the idea across.

[@TomDodsonMusic]

Great and helpful videos :) I needed some quick and easy clamps for clamping and gluing bracing to a guitar soundboard and back. Very helpful and i've subscribed :)

[@alexmade8434]

AH I just think this is great, Im gonna get making this straight away. More ingenious ways to make your own tools please!! love it. where are you from steve i wanna come over for a cuppa and some workshop talk!!??

[@ImperialistRunningDo]

Will do. I'd been thinking about making some cam clamps for some time, but most plans require making precise mortises (not my strong suit). Your idea of making laminated bits and letting the thicknessing sander handle the precision was BRILLIANT. What kind of wood would you recommend? I wish I had loads of scrap, but I don't. I could make them out of maple or oak (using BOTH would be very attractive) I don't think softwoods like poplar would do.

[@SteveMaskery]

@wolfe1701 Yes to both. The dimensions are not critical, and in fact most of the clamps are made from off-rips of ex-2" stuff, so finish at about 45mm. But you can make them any size you like really, according to what material you have to hand, and it's quite handy to have a few smaller ones (I must make up some myself) and a few chunkier ones for bigger capacity. S

[@praxisnode]

oh thats nice, great idea, i will make some nice small ones for clamping boxes

[@WV591]

That is one heck of a band saw

[@SteveMaskery]

I don't see why not. These clamps produce modest pressure, so I think maple or beech would stand up quite well. say 5/16" (8mm) diameter? Try it and let us know! :) Steve

[@1777DK]

Is that a Scheppach band saw? It cuts like a dream. Great video, thanks.

[@SteveMaskery]

Yes, it's a Scheppach. It's not bad. Yes it does cut like a dream, but that's becasue I'm using a good blade and it is set up properly! :) Any bandsaw can function as well, really.

[@LukeMcMullin]

I too noticed the beautifully quiet bandsaw, what make and model of bandsaw do you have? Is it a 20"? I think I'll be lucky if I can afford a shop made bandsaw and I have to save up for the $20.00 plans... :)

[@someonespadre]

I am a Land Surveyor. I have plenty of 1-1/2"x1/4" lath by 4 feet long. They are pointed and can be driven into the ground (like a stake). So I'm trying it using a couple of them. If it doesn't work, oh well, it cost me a Sunday afternoon and 35 cents worth of lath.

[@sebuteo]

Great video, thanks for sharing. Most luthiers I've seen making similar clamps use metal (steel?) for the stock. I note you use wood: what wood have you used?

[@SteveMaskery]

They are a mixture of oak and ash. I use just whatever scrap I have. You can use steel pins if you want to, but I have not found it necessary, they last for years just like this.

[@sebuteo]

Thanks Steve

[@potaylo]

Holy shiate You probably need to make the clamps after paying for that band saw I have Band saw envy bad thanks for sharing

[@woodstoney]

Steve, very nice info and tutorial on the clamp. I noticed your videos are PAL. In the USA we use NTSC. Do you have both types? Thoughts? Thanks!!

[@gamer-y8m9o]

great clump god bless you,how can i get the DVD to st lucia west indies?

[@SteveMaskery]

I'm not sure that laminating them is MY idea, but thank you anyway. Maple would make an excellent choice, as would oak.

[@ImperialistRunningDo]

I have a sawstop table saw (wonderful things, those... I've seen it save an inattentive student from taking a quick trip to the hospital). Sawstop does NOT like any metal near the blade. Could I use a hardwood dowel for a pivot, instead of a nail or stainless pin? An all-wood clamp would be ideal for using on my table saw.

[@wolfe1701]

Another great video Steve - thanks! I'm going to attempt a Luthier Clamp myself, based on your video. I've made some notes however have a question re the dimensions of the stock you've used. I know the thicknesses of the stock and 'thin' centre (9.35mm) and the 'thick' centre is 9.5mm. My question : Are all 5 pieces used to make the 2 heads (this excludes of course the thick centre), and the stock for the bar, the same thickness? Is the stock used about 50mm wide?

[@zenbooter]

nice sounds

[@SteveMaskery]

@synapse131 Excellent, thank you.

[@kornar76]

Thank you sir.

[@SteveMaskery]

Yes, no proble. Just check out an PayPal will do it for you. S

[@SteveMaskery]

I don't really think that that would work very well. I think it's likely that the paper would delaminate. After all, when gluing a turning blank for turning, it's common practice to put a piece of paper in the joint to make it easy to get apart. It's not actually that difficult to mill the parts to this accuracy, especially if you have a drum sander. Even without, it's quite straightforward.

[@thibaultjaberg4658]

Why does it have to be stainless steel when you use oak? Is it because of the tanin in the oak?

[@SteveMaskery]

Yes.

[@asssnatchfanclub]

Could I obtain your DVD's using these "$" because I don't have any of these "£" ?

[@SteveMaskery]

@fighter70847 Thank you. Just order it from my website. If you have problems, you can email me, steve at workshopessentials etc.

[@embwee]

"I rather like that!"

[@SteveMaskery]

No he didn't. That guy used spalted beech from the scrap box to make a clamp.