Shopmade Cam Clamps

Like’em a lot! I’m gonna borrow your design… :-)

Great work…

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Great Douglas. Some fantastic wood.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

I’ve made a bunch of these and they’re great, but yours are much nicer with the scales. All tools should be decorated!
Tip: don’t try to apply too much pressure as the handle will break at the pivot.

-- gene@toronto.ontario.canada : dovetail free since '53, critiques always welcome.

Those are nice looking clamps. I must say that I have made similar, just not as nice.
I wonder how much clamping pressure you gain using aluminum for bar stock over wood?
The other thing I noticed is your cam lock if over centered will release pressure it moved too far. On mine the cam is more teardrop shaped and will continue applying pressure until the lever hits the clamp.

-- Mel

Very nicely done. Sure is better that the outrageous amount of money they want for clamps.

-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net

sweet, my to-do list just got bigger!

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

Very nice Douglas.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Those are great, Doug! Clamps like this have been on my to-do list for awhile, but just haven’t risen to the top of the list yet.

-- http://www.peteroxley.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --

How timely, I was just thinking the other how I would like to make some of these. Very nicely done.

-- Doug - Make an effort to live by the slogan "We try harder"

Nice work. Very economical.

Since most of my clamping is light duty, these would be a great addition to my shop.

-- A childs smile is payment enough.

Mel, I followed the plan from the March/April 1996 Fine Wodworking for most of this and I totally agree. If the bug me enough, I may swage out the pin and replace the cams.
That article mentioned the tendency to crack at the bottom if at least 3/4 inches of stock was beyond the bottom of the bar, but nothing about the pivot point and I have noticed a crack on one of them there. Fortunately I am drowning in little bits of stock, so I may tinker with a wooden bar and cams…

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Douglas, I have been meaning to make some of these fior a while. Thanks for the inspiration.
I love the way you dressed them up too. I usually end up doing the same thing to my shop projects.
I can’t leave anything plain!

Thanks for sharing
Great job

-- She thought I hung the moon--now she just thinks I did it wrong

Nice work! With the cost of good clamps, I wonder why more of these aren’t shop made?

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

Nice job Douglas.

Clamps that money can´t buy

-- Back home. Fernando