# Need ideas building a door/panel clamp table



## fge

I want to build a clamp table. My goal is to build the table/jig about 36"X96" to handle multiple glue ups at one time with 90 degree angle stops on the far left and far right for squaring doors. I would like to use the jig/table to assist in glueing up large door panels/table tops and also offer a downward pressure system to ensure glue ups are flat when applying clamping pressure from the edges. I want to build something similar to this pic but with an added downward pressure system and also a lot larger:










Ideally I would love to buy a clamp set up similar to the one found on this web site: http://www.quickmachinerycompany.com/products/CR/index.html

However, I am confident we are not going to be able to afford the price. I do everything COD and do not use credit so buying big priced equipment has been harder and slower. I am very confident that I can easily purchase about 1000.00 worth of pnuematic piston clamps or even screw rod type clamping mechanisms that could be tightened with a 3/8" socket drive set up and other misc accessories and probably build a unit that would allow me to glue up panels quickly

I plan to build one 8' jig, which will hold about an average of 3 panel glue ups, then as I have money I will build a few more.

My questions are:

Does anyone have suggestions? Any advice for such a jig set up?

Does anyone know of what online sources would be great for obtaining pnuematic piston clamps or screw rods for clamping. I almost prefer using a screw rod system, so that I am not dependant on air while I wait for panels to dry in clamps.

As a note, we build 80% of our doors, and enjoy doing it. But in a pinch, when slammed busy, we have out sourced our doors. So far that has happened three times. Last year we bought doors for a kitchen and asked for an ogee panel cutter, the shop gave us doors with a cove panel profile. This year we used that same shop again on a job, again my customer chose the ogee profile for the panel, we specified this and again they gave me the ogee profile on the panel. Then very recently we bought doors from a different shop, which markets themselves as a door shop. With every confidence after looking over their professional web site, we placed our order. The doors were very nice and accurate with the exception of thier lack of sanding regimine. I had linear sanding marks in the panels from their big sander. In some areas we even found some minor ROS sanding marks. Very dissappointing. Everytime I have built my own doors I have managed to have less issues. The sanding issues are easily corrected in our shop, except when I pay good money to another shop to build the doors, I should not have to spend time sanding. Anyway, just a small venting. And thus the reason I am looking at more efficient methods/jigs for building my doors. The only real complaint about our doors from my perspective has been that we are not nearly as fast at it as I would like us to be. But we can really knock out flat panel doors in a quick hurry. So the glue ups are the clog in the system for the most part.


----------



## fge

Oh, and the idea I have for the downward pressure would be some pnuematic piston clamp hanging above the work that could slide from left to right on a piston rod. Maybe something similar to what is found on a face frame table, which we do own and love.

At this current time, we use pipe clamps, and while my wife snugs the clamps, I stand up on the work piece, using my 190 lbs to push the glue up flat on the pipe, while forcing stubborn cupped boards to act right. This process works great, we always end up with very flat panels in our process, but it is just slow and time consuming.


----------



## fge

anyone know of any sources for the types of parts I would require? Thanks


----------



## tbear

Look up a company called Clippard Minimatic.
http://www.clippard.com
Just go on their web site and look up distributors etc.
They have all kinds of controls and cylinders of varying size that you can create your own system.
I have used their stuff for years.

As far as fittings go look up Parker Fittings. They are known as Parker Hannifin Corporation.
Here is web page with a list of Parker distributors.
http://mojo.cbs8.com/tag/parker-hannifin/san-antonio/tx
Also go to this web page to look up near your house buy zipcode:
http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.b7badf701c337c6315731910237ad1ca/?vgnextoid=37e47f71ad65e210VgnVCM10000048021dacRCRD&vgnextfmt=EN&divid=687547&divisionName=Fluid+System+Connectors+Division&catId=&catName=&partNumber=&srcTypeId=DIST_PAGE&country=United%20States&noun=&modifier=&divisionBrandVar=D&from=division&srctitle=Fluid+System+Connectors+Division.
Sort of long but it was easier than explaining it.

Also look at a company called 80/20 for ways of building the fixture and holding base etc.
Hope this helps.
T


----------



## fge

Thanks tbear. I looked at the links you provided. I am looking forward to the project in the near future.


----------



## Earache

Nothing like bringing an old thread back to life…..

Jerry - Did you ever build this thing? Any pics or info on making a panel clamp?
Thinking of doing one myself, but will utilize manual screws for clamps and no pnuematics. But I'd still like to see what you ended up with.


----------



## fge

Hey Eric,

No I did not ever build that clamp rack. It looks like a simple set up that could be done with simple pneumatic pistons and hoses and such. We began buying our cabinet doors from a door shop and have not looked back since. Our shapers have remained quite for more than a year now. Hope you have good luck with the build if you choose to build the clamp rack.


----------



## MT_Stringer

Check out Fright Props.
I bought some parts from them and other parts on ebay.

http://www.frightprops.com/

OOPS! I didn't see this ws an old thread. Sorry.


----------



## fge

That is cool Mike. I see you are also Texan. Enjoy.


----------



## MT_Stringer

> That is cool Mike. I see you are also Texan. Enjoy.
> 
> - Jerry


Yes sir - just east of HTown.


----------



## fge

Nice looking area. I would love to live there. We are from FL and I miss the water a lot. But we are blessed a ton here with our business doing well.


----------



## MT_Stringer

My foray into pneumatics was a simple one. I modified my Kreg pocket hole jig. I got tired of scraping my arm on the larger cabinet pieces, so I modified it!  It works great. All in a one car garage! 
http://lumberjocks.com/MT_Stringer/blog/series/6852


----------



## Earache

Thanks for the quick reply, Jerry. I'm in the process of moving my shop, but once the move is complete, I want to get going on this project.



> Hey Eric,
> 
> No I did not ever build that clamp rack. It looks like a simple set up that could be done with simple pneumatic pistons and hoses and such. We began buying our cabinet doors from a door shop and have not looked back since. Our shapers have remained quite for more than a year now. Hope you have good luck with the build if you choose to build the clamp rack.
> 
> - Jerry


----------

