Best Spring Clamps
Whether you are applying moldings and trim or whipping up a run of picture frames one of the biggest hassles in gluing up mitered corners is keeping them from opening up.Spring clamps are the quickest and easiest way to do it and the Collins Spring Clamp System is one of the most economical we've ever come across.The clamps spread up to approximately 2, so they will cover most trim sizes and any compound miter. Sharp points pierce the wood without cutting wood fibers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are very handy for holding wood pieces together when the following conditions exist: (a) a small dent in the material is acceptable."
"I love that I am able to transport a frame from one area to another as soon as it's been glued and clamped, and I'm able to have 3 frames drying at the same time."
"They are not strong enough to close a bad cut corner but are good for holding them in place."
"First time hanging crown moulding."
"Good for small picture frames."
"Dab a little glue on the miter, then clamp with one or more of these, and get professional results. on crown, base cap, chair rail and casing."
"These are tailor made for clamping molding corners together and they do an excellent job."
"I use them for mitered edges on wooden counter top and baseboard outside miters."
2 WORKPRO 16-Piece Spring Clamp Set, 3-3/8", 4-1/2", 6-1/2" Muslin Clamps for Photo Studio Backdrops
Style: 16-piece. Included: 6 PC 3-3/8" clamps, 6 PC 4-1/2" clamps, 4 PC 6-1/2" clamps.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"clamps were everything as expected, but packaging did not include carry bag as described."
"Nice assortment of rather strong clamps, however, after messing with them for a couple of projects, I think I should have just gotten the pack of all large clamps considering the applications I normally have for them."
"Nice variety of clamps, still holding up, husband bought them to clamp sheets and blankets for son to make a "fort" they are nice and springy."
"Easy to use for sealing dog food bags or clamping for a glue project."
"I'm a newborn photographer and use these to hold my backgrounds."
"Quality heavy-duty clamps!"
"Many were smaller than I thought they would be."
"These clamps squeeze things together, put to normal uses like keeping a cloth on a picnic table in a pinch and squeezing two pieces of a broken torso together until the glue dries."
Quick, versatile, and lightweight, they're easy to attach, release, and reposition, making them ideal for temporarily securing plastic sheeting, tarps, covers, fabric, and photography backdrops. Provides instant holding power and is easy to reposition during assembly, fastening, and gluing work.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They *will* open further but look, they are inexpensive small clamps and only someone with an extremely optimistic outlook would think putting them under heavy strain for long periods would end well. [EDIT 10/16/15] The clamps worked fine until the blizzard of January 2015, during which I was not there to sweep away the snow and the tarp collapsed. A couple had rusty springs when the thaw came and I was able to retrieve them, but all were still working as clamps with no perceptible loss of force."
"These are very nice for small plastic model work and I found that the plastic pads do not significantly disturb enamel painted surfaces."
"These are great little clamps."
"I got these for gluing up bent lamination on a wooden fishing net, which needs a good amount of pressure for the joint to glue properly."
"Perfect clamps to have in the garage or project bin."
"Good small powerful clamp- much better than cheap Home Depot equivalents."
"Strong and durable clamps."
"Incidentally, I did see a trick in a model airplane magazine for small clamps: Take an ordinary wood clothespin, take it apart and put the spring in backwards."
Best Spreader Clamps
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"CLAMPING PRESSURE: The Yost clamp is able to apply the most pressure of the three, followed by the Master Mechanic. The Harbor Freight clamp is cheaply made and the least rugged of the three."
"This is an awesome clamp."
"These are really nice, solid, heavy duty clamps."
"Very Good Product at a Great Price."
"Rubber grips hold onto my projects without scarring the surface."
"A great clamp!"
"Can not go wrong ever buying Yost clamps and these are no exception."
Best Strap Clamps
This angle strap clamp, with its various angles and swiveling pressure plates, provides infinite angle adaptability and continuous high pressure on all mitered corners and tightens automatically as it clamps. Make difficult frame and furniture clamping easy with the Bessey® Band spanner high-torque clamping system.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've tried the threaded rod version from Woodriver - leaves clamp marks; as well as parallel face clamps, which are hard to keep mitered joints square once glue is applied."
"After unclamping rubbing a drop of water on the pinhole and a light sanding typically makes evidence of the pin disappear. It can be a bit fiddly to get set up and at times will try your patience, I find it's easier if your project is elevated by bench dogs or some scrap wood."
"The other student was taught how to use a coping saw and cut the rectangle's triangular pieces into notched puzzle pieces, naming each type of triangle as we went along, the other student measuring the angles with a protractor, and labeling each triangle puzzle piece. My students were enthralled with the Bessey Angle Strap Clamp and with how easily it could be put together and then clamped so well. We still must put a finish on the puzzle frame, and when it's ready, I'll double back here and add a photo of the project that my students made, and you can see how well the strap clamp worked, holding each perfectly mitered corner in place."
"I only have 2, but they are just right when. all the other options don't work."
"I bought several lesser quality strap clamps because they were cheaper and this one wasn’t available around where I live. It is much easier to use and set up and because all the extra strap is captured and rolled up, there is nothing to drag across your work and get full of glue or knock something over."
Best Angle Clamps
Size: 2-Pack. The large face of the clamp keeps the joint perfectly flush.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I did my best to make sure the face frame joints turned out flush by setting them on a smooth surface and applying pressure."
"High quality clamp, strong very useful."
"The clamps are durable and of quality."
"I ended up using pocket-hole screws for nearly every joining piece and covered with wood filler."
"This was advertised as a companion to the KHI-PULL cabinet hardware jig."
"works well I do a lot of projects using my kreg clamp and its help soo much my only complaint is that the smaller rubber cover on the bottom half of the clamp comes off easily, but it does not interfere with the function of the clamp I just opt to leave it off.."
"It just does not feel as nice using it after the plastic cover came off."
"I was unable to get the clamp to function properly, from trying to clamp the jig would move about 1" in another direction or once I got it clamped in the correct position, if you looked at the back of the jig you could see it was not 'even' anymore."
Best Edge Clamps
All-In-One Clamp is a contractor-grade straight edge clamp used primarily as a guide for making straight cuts with circular saws and routers. The Contractor C50 straight edge clamp is one of the most valuable and useful tools in the workshop or work truck. Nylon jaws hold work piece securely and are predrilled for accessory Wide Jaws and Tall Jaws.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I used feeler-gauges to interrogate its straightness side-to-side with the Starrett straight-edge, and found small gaps along the length, but no more than a couple of thousandths. The hole on the clamping end allows you to hang this safely away from other tools that might bang it out of kilter. Pressing the blue-lever fully down increases clamping force, which is better for thicker sheets or solid wood. (I have three) But that's not why I love them so much... You can use this to make your own track saw at a fraction of the price of expensive teutonic tools! On the left side, I added a 1" thick, by three-inch wide piece of hardwood and routed two grooves to accept splines that match the profile of this guide. If you just need to cut sheet goods accurately, this is a great money saving tool! If you are a pro and need other features like easy-set scoring, soft-start, dust-collection, cutting very near to walls, riving knife for tricky lumber, ...then you might be better off with the expensive saws. Professionals can justify the expense of fine tools because they save labor and because pros write-off depreciation. Even if you pay retail plus shipping, you can use this guide to make your own accurate and convenient track saw for less than a hundred bucks. The only reason I knocked off one star is the lack of a square on the clamping-end and the initial stickiness of the moveable piece on the other end. I understand that Emerson now makes a squaring device you can buy separately, as well as accessory bases and guides for various tools. I like to include tips in my reviews: So in addition to the track-saw / jig-saw / router-guide ideas, remember this: No matter how you use this straight edge, the other end must be adjusted to size so it fits the material you cut."
"I used this to cut down doors I was installing."
"Worked really well on my clamping and routing project -. I used this as a routing guide and also as an additional clamp for the gluing stage."
"Great for use with router or circular saw for cutting straight lines {rip cuts}You can also use tee clamps on with these and the ruler gauge on top is priceless almost as easy as a tape."
"Worked just as I expected."
"The Emerson C50 Saw Guide Clamp lets you make straight cuts and grooves effortlessly."
Best Bench Clamps
Self Align Pipe Jaws conform to the part they are gripping, reducing marring and increasing clamping pressure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Product came with liberal amount of oil to keep from rusting on boat from china and seems to be machined fairly well."
"As far as shop tools go, it is a general rule that anything that claims to be a multipurpose tool is going to be, at best, mediocre at all of the tasks it claims to work for. The casting quality is visibly better than other ones you will see for the same price: no voids in the casting, no odd rough patches, the machined surfaces are cleanly milled and the powder coating is evenly applied. The ACME threads were cut a little sloppily, so I stuck it into the lathe and cleaned up the thread faces with a fine triangular file."
"the advantage of this yost is the 3-d positioning that i can now hold my work."
"My experience with vises is pretty limited but this vise works just as well as any vise we have in our shop."
"This is some serious heavy metal \m/!"
"HEAVY DUTY AND WELL MADE."
"After much searching, my husband decided on this vise because it can be used vertically as well as horizontally."
"I've used and abused vises for 30 years, never had one break."
Best Toggle Clamps
This versatile and handy clamp makes woodworking perfection a breeze. Specifications: Type: Horizontal quick release holding clamp Measurement: 5.90*3.74*1.41 inches Handle Opens Angle: 60° Holding Bar Opens Angle: 85° Holding Capacity: 90Kg / 198Lbs Hole Dimension: 0.5cm / 0.196" inches. Material: Cold-rolled carbon Steel with Zinc plated coating for corrosion resistance; Oil and Stain resistant red vinyl solid hand grips, complete with adjustable rubber pressure tips.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"These are about 6 inches long and very similar to the "American " brands but half the price."
"A little cheap, but very functional."
"Did exactly what i needed."
"i got this for a project i was working on and they perform great just what i needed."
"Just what I needed for making table saw sleds."
"Great tool to use holding down projects."
"I really like these clamps."
"Great little clamps!"
Best C-Clamps
The perfect complement to the Festool MFT or Guide rail system, the Festool Quick Clamp secures your workpiece for precision cutting, sanding, routing, sanding, or just about any other application. The perfect complement to the Festool MFT or Guide rail system, the Festool Quick Clamp secures your workpiece for precision cutting, sanding, routing, sanding, or just about any other application. Works seamlessly with holes and channels of the the MFT table and can be inserted into bottom t-slot of guide rails for limitless positioning.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is a good clamp just overpriced and no better than another high quality clamp."
"Really expensive, and I don't think they are worth the money."
"I can operate them with just one hand but I don't consider tightening them to be a one handed operation as it's much faster to pull the bar with one and lock the handle with the other hand."
"Good for cutting, gluing- you name it."
"Since I don't need an incredible amount of force to hold my tracks in place when cutting, routing, etc."
"Nice clamp, works well for holding down the saw guide."
"Only thing I can say about Festool is that if my shop was a total loss, I would sit down and replace all my Festool equipment before anything else."
"These clamps are extremely well constructed and will last a very long time, the only parts that are not made of metal are the two pieces that are Festool green."
Best Bar & Pipe Clamps
The IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Clamp Set includes six One-Handed Mini Bar Clamps and two handi-clamps ideal for smaller projects and clamping in confined spaces. All clamps constructed of high-tech reinforced resin for strength and durability.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They aren't the kind of thing you use for glue-ups in woodworking, but these are all perfect for a quick hold when you need it (for sawing, drilling, sanding, etc.)."
"You just can't have too many of these clamps."
"You can never have too many clamps."
"I've never met anyone with enough clamps."
"I love these clamps and the price was fantastic!"
"Good clamp set for the price."
"Work great much stronger than I expected."
"Shipped quick does what it says, very useful tool."
Best Hand-Screw Clamps
For securing guide rails. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I can even clamp them with one hand, so ha ha to those people who don't like these because they have to use two hands. Anyway, I have yet to find a need nor even a desire to get the other Festool clamps."
"Price was great (I think it was $33), but not a great price for one."
"I still use these Festool clamps to hold things down on the Multi-Function Table as the DeWalt clamps do not fit in the table holes like the Festool clamps do so they are not totally wasted but I just do not prefer these style clamps."
"Acceptable price and a MUST HAVE with the Festool track saw."
"On a couple projects I already wish I owned the quick clamps when I had to clamp/unclamp 50 things or so but the $80 for 2 clamps can be put to better use for now."
"I have also used with the MFT table and they work just as well horizontally as vertically in the holes."
"You simply cannot go wrong with Festool!"
"I like the Dewalt DWS5026 TrackSaw Track Clamps and the Festool 491594 Quick Clamp much better."
Best Hold Down Clamps
Festool 488030 Safe and Exact Fixing Clamping Elements, 2-Pack. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They don't require an white knuckle effort to hold wood firmly and make so many sanding jobs simple."
"If you're a Festool fan and invested in an MFT a pair of these clamps are a must have in your kit."
"Awesome clamps, work well."
"These clamps really work well on worktops with the 20mm holes like the ones on Festool tops."
"Works as expected."
"I used to fight with every board I needed to sand on my bench."
"I keep a variety of clamps inside the box for portable use on top of my sys cart and/or on top of my dust collector."
"Sure other tools and clamps will the the job done but speed and repeatability are key if you are making production pieces."
Best Pneumatic Clamps
The hilmor Dual Readout Thermometer is the industry’s only manifold-compatible compact thermometer with two readings to make calculations simple. Two K-style tube clamp thermocouples making temperature readings faster.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Comes with one battery and has storage space for a spare battery."
"Nice and easy use."
"Has worked well so far accurate readings as long as tool is calibrated."
"Used this for the first time today."
"This thing is an awesome tool!"
"I bought this because someone told me it was good quality and would hook to my manifold."
"i like this tool it help to trouble shoot great tool."
"Can't go wrong with these."
Best Squeeze Action Clamps
Size: pack of 10 clamps of various sizes |. Style: Bar Clamps.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"CLAMPING PRESSURE: The Yost clamp is able to apply the most pressure of the three, followed by the Master Mechanic. The Harbor Freight clamp is cheaply made and the least rugged of the three."
"This is an awesome clamp."
"These are really nice, solid, heavy duty clamps."
"Very Good Product at a Great Price."
"Rubber grips hold onto my projects without scarring the surface."
"A great clamp!"
"Can not go wrong ever buying Yost clamps and these are no exception."