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Just mucking about in the workshop. I needed some long clamps and felt stomach-sick at the price. So I went and got just under US$10 of meranti (Philipine mahogany, but not the good grade) and US$3 of brass rod. It was also an opportunity to practice some long disused skills, so I made them mainly by hand with hand-cut mortise-and-tenon and other bits. OK, I cheated on the sanding machine and bandsaw…

There are two long ones, just under a metre, and three at about 600cm.

I need to add some cork to the jaws. Otherwise they work OK. They won't get a bone-crushing bite, but so far they've done all they needed to. Maybe, next time, I'd cut the shoulders back further as they sometimes interfere a bit with the work - you have to clamp at an angle. But heck, about US$140 saved.

Gallery

Comments

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Sitting here trying to work out how they clamp…...

I think the tongue is a cam lever? and the slot below it works as the part the cam pushes against?
 

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I love the dragon head carvings. I always need clamps as well but now I need dragon head clamps.
 

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They look cool but I don't understand how they work ether
 

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Just guessing but I think if you rotate the tongue up, it pushes down on the lower jaw of the dragon.
 

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I'm thinking maybe the tong is a cam that tilts the jaw so it locks ?
 

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They are cam clamps or luthier cam clamps. The tongue applies pressure to the lower jaw as pinebox mentioned.

LeTurbo, nice job. Very creative for a practical tool. Love the designs.
 

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LeTurbo,
Nice work. I like whimsical stuff. Did you work from plans?

BJ
 

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Someone has way to much time on their hands…

Love the look of the clamps… that's just sick…
:)
 

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Thanks all for the comments. Yes, they're cam/luthier clamps. Slide the two faces tight together, flip up the tongue (or horn) and it pushes the animal's jaw down. It's an old design that's been around since … oooh, I dunno, medieval times? No plans, BJ, I just studied some pics I found on the net. And yes, waaaaaaay too much time on my hands, bwahahaha! (Still, a lifecoach once said to me "You're either earning or your learning", so I put this down to honing some new skills, when I'm not honing chisels.)
 

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Klemmsia make similar clamps, only difference being the bar is steel. As you say they were originally used used by Luthiers, I have used them and they are really easy and quick to use. And here's the bonus for you, they retail at around £9 ($14) EACH. So well done.
 

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Very cool clamps and I like the faces carved in some of them…great job and thanks for sharing.
 

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Very Nice and Well done! Thanks for Posting.

Rick
 
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