# Share Your Clever Uses of Universal Fence Clamps!



## WorksInTheory (Jan 5, 2014)

I love a good, clever jig or creative uses for things. We've all seen those universal fence clamps... you know the ones where you drill two holes on a piece of flat stock or plywood and quickly clamp to your table saw fence for a sacrificial fence?

But what other uses has this crafty ommunity come up! Would love to see it! 
Driving force behind this - I admit I just bought a set of these for myself for Christmas and need to justify more uses for it ;-)


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

I use these on the chop saw (miter saw) fence also.


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

I'm looking forward to this thread and the ideas. I have a set that have never been used. I bought them, put them in a drawer, and they haven't moved in 15 years.


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

I have a pair of those, laying in a drawer. A valuable, indispensable addition to any woodworkers kit. Sometimes I look at them when the drawer is open, and remind myself that I should probably use them some day.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

wildwoodbybrianjohns said:


> I have a pair of those, laying in a drawer. A valuable, indispensable addition to any woodworkers kit. Sometimes I look at them when the drawer is open, and remind myself that I should probably use them some day.


I think I have three sets. Probably bought a set every time I walked thru Rockler, thinking, "I should get a set of those.", never remembering I already owned them ......... because I've never used them lol


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## jkm312 (Jan 13, 2020)

I use them when I am cutting repeatable cross cuts. I have a piece of maple that I milled to exactly 1 inch thick. Installed a digital scale on my table saw long ago. So for example if I want the finished piece to be 6 inched long a set the scale to 7 inches. Slide the piece of maple back along the fence before the saw blade and clamp it down. Make the cuts and cut offs do not get trapped between the blade and fence.


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## WorksInTheory (Jan 5, 2014)

haha! So indispensable ;-)



wildwoodbybrianjohns said:


> I have a pair of those, laying in a drawer. A valuable, indispensable addition to any woodworkers kit. Sometimes I look at them when the drawer is open, and remind myself that I should probably use them some day.


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## Dajur (Jun 4, 2020)

I bought a pair from Rockler a few years ago, thinking they would be a great addition to my shop. I haven't used them yet.


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## RCCinNC (Jul 4, 2017)

I love these things…and use them for holding a resaw extension to my bandsaw fence, a vertical stabilizer board for my tablesaw fence for making raised panel bevels and a board with a 1/8” rabbit on the bottom edge that keeps laminate flat against the table while cutting it to size on the saw. As described by jkm312, I also have a dedicated 1” block with a hole drilled into it that I clamp to the fence...Probably my favorite use…same size parts in a snap and no fear of kickback. Also, they’re handy for an impromptu stop block.

Good tip OzarkJim! Hadn’t thought of that one. 

Looking forward to more ideas from the LJ braintrust… ; )


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

OzarkJim said:


> Those come in handy when your doing cabinet work. They are part of a 90 degree corner clamp set. Particularly useful for the back end of corner cabs where you use angled back wall as this style corner clamp can catch the sides several inches away from what would be the actual corner. IE: it keeps the two sides square even though they don't actually join at the corner in a 90.


Great idea, I would like to see how that works, I can't picture that in action. 
Do you have any pics of the corner clamp set you are referring to?


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## abie (Jan 28, 2008)

Rather than pay Rockler's prices I made my own from wood scraps and hooks from the hardware store.. Pictures when I can find them . Shop closed for renovation..


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## ddockstader (Jun 21, 2009)

I bought the first-generation clamps from Rockler. They fit fine on my old Shopsmith fence, but they weren't big enough for my table saw fence. I just picked up a U-bolt from my local Menards. Make sure you get the square ones, not the round ones. Take the U-bolt and cut it in half with a hack saw or cut-off wheel. You might have to grind the cut surface of the cut to remove sharp edges. Then simply make yourself a couple of wooden handles to hold the nuts and you have some good-sized fence clamps that easily span the wider fences. Like JKM, this shows a piece of oak milled to exactly 1" thick. Makes repeatable cuts simple. Yes, my handle is walnut.


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## WorksInTheory (Jan 5, 2014)

Let's keep this thread going! 

But so far usual suspects with the alarmingly common answer of "unused in a drawer". Maybe I didn't need to get a set of 4? So far...

Unused in a drawer
Attach secondary fence
Attach stop block
Use in conjunction with corner clamp system


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

LeeRoyMan said:


> I still not getting this one, I know Jim is not going to answer me, can anybody else tell me how it's done with a corner clamp, I know I must just be missing something.


I have my saw set up so can't take a pic. This cut is done in conjunction with the miter gauge. Say you want to cross cut a length of wood. You place the 1" block against the near part of the fence at the start of the cut to offset the piece being cut, from the face of the fence by 1". You push the stock forward with the miter gauge and beyond the 1" block and into the blade. Now the piece being cut cannot get trapped between the blade and the fence, yet it will be cut to a specific length based off of the distance measured between the fence and the blade, less 1" for the block. Hmmm, I hope that is a clear picture lol


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

Bill, Thanks for that explanation, I do get that.
I'm not understanding this.

Jim said:
_" They are part of a 90 degree corner clamp set. Particularly useful for the back end of corner cabs where you use angled back wall as this style corner clamp can catch the sides several inches away from what would be the actual corner"_

I can't picture what he is talking about.


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## JRsgarage (Jan 2, 2017)

Maybe something like these corner clamps but not 100% on how it is used as described..


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

LeeRoyMan said:


> Bill, Thanks for that explanation, I do get that.
> I'm not understanding this.
> 
> Jim said:
> ...


Doh. I think I'm getting a little loopy from the Watco fumes lol Yeah I have those corner clamps too. I used them on two carcass assemblies for test fitting, but they were a pita during final assembly, so I ditched them. IMO they're probably good for pocket hole assembly and not for wood joinery assembly.


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

OzarkJim said:


> There is a purpose to the angle in the back corner of a corner cabinet. Anyone who has ever worked in a house with out of square walls will understand.


OK, nothing to do with the fence clamps, sorry WIT

Honestly, the little angled piece in the back "might" help with the taping mud in the corner, but it won't do anything for walls that are out.
Whenever I do a corner, before building I check it with the square to see how much it's out and then I plan the scribes accordingly. Typically 1/4 - 3/8" is enough.
This is how I make mine to allow for out of square walls. Then just use shims when screwing it to the back wall. Shimming to get both sides as close to 90 as possible. (normally adjacent cabinets will also have 1/4" scribes to allow for a corner cabinet that's not 90 to the wall.









Take it as you will, is meant to help.


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## Crashpilot_dave (2 mo ago)

WorksInTheory said:


> I love a good, clever jig or creative uses for things. We've all seen those universal fence clamps... you know the ones where you drill two holes on a piece of flat stock or plywood and quickly clamp to your table saw fence for a sacrificial fence?
> 
> But what other uses has this crafty ommunity come up! Would love to see it!
> Driving force behind this - I admit I just bought a set of these for myself for Christmas and need to justify more uses for it ;-)
> View attachment 3862490


I have a 24 x 36 tabletop with T tracks installed, I built it for a drill press table originally. It was too large and cumbersome for that, I now use it assembling my small children’s toys. I use my clamps for hold downs to the work table. I used to use bar clamps, but they were needed for other uses. So I drilled a couple of holes, and solved the issue. Also, these are small enough they don’t get in my way! Handy as a pocket on a shirt, as grandpa used to say.


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## JeffVic (Jan 27, 2020)

I previously used those and liked them, but once I bought a set of Microjig dovetail clamps, I've totally switched to using the dovetail clamps. Incredibly versatile. I've attached a presentation I gave to my local woodworking club that details many different ways I use these clamps


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

JeffVic said:


> I previously used those and liked them, but once I bought a set of Microjig dovetail clamps, I've totally switched to using the dovetail clamps. Incredibly versatile. I've attached a presentation I gave to my local woodworking club that details many different ways I use these clamps


Did you purchase the router bits from them also? I didn't at first but I eventually did and I'm glad that I did. What a difference. I use these clamps on my Festool FMT as well. I purchased a set of the expensive Festool clamps and could not get them to hold at all. I took them back to the store and we tried 3 more pair and at least one clamp in each pair wouldn't hold. They even called Festool while I was there to trouble shot the problem. I grabbed a pair of the Microjig clamps and have never looked back. As a bonus the Microjig clamps actually go on sale and qualify for most woodworking store coupons!


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

I have built literally 100s of kitchen cabinets (in the old days) - which is why I dont anymore. Lol. It is not uncommon to build them like this below, as Jim pointed out. 

Just a sample I grabbed off Pinterest, ie., not my build. That back corner is dead space anyway.


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

No, Tony, I get it. I was just pointing out that blanking off that back corner is standard practice - for those who didnt know.

And Jim just gave everyone the degrees at which to bake those cabinets to perfection.

Now, what were we saying about clever uses Universal Fence Clamps? Oh yeah, I still havent used mine. I am not that clever.


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

Okay... now back to *Clever Uses of Universal Fence Clamps.*


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## DougC (Mar 10, 2011)

Like many above, I have a set and each time I see them in the drawer, I think how useful they look.  Haven’t used them yet though, so I am also looking forward to reading ideas and uses that others have come up with.


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

Look at the bright side to all of us that have a pair sitting in a drawer not getting used, they are most likely blue anodized aluminum. If they were red they probably would have cost $150 more for the set and if we ever wanted a second pair we would be SOL because they only made them one time!


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## rhodessam (3 mo ago)

JeffVic said:


> I previously used those and liked them, but once I bought a set of Microjig dovetail clamps, I've totally switched to using the dovetail clamps. Incredibly versatile. I've attached a presentation I gave to my local woodworking club that details many different ways I use these clamps


Thanks for responding to the original forum post about clever clamping. I am here to learn more about the finer arts of woodworking. The visual demonstration helps a lot for us visual learners.


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## Underdog (Oct 29, 2012)

Anyone want to get rid of their unused clamps that are just sitting in a drawer somewhere? 
I'm in the market for some.
Every time I want to use my tablesaw for cross cuts, I've wanted a set of these.


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## WorksInTheory (Jan 5, 2014)

Okay feeling like this post got a bit hijacked and not for good - maybe there is an Octagon forum that the rivalry can take place in. Tis the holidays too right? ... moving back to fence clamp uses...

@Crashpilot_dave that's hilarious and so true, whenever I have a shirt on with no pocket and reach to put something it and get nothing - what an empty feeling! ha

@JeffVic I have been a lurker on those microjig things. Before they got big, I got some T-track clamps and with the price of the microjigs just finding it hard to make that plunge. I know they say the dovetail design is stronger I guess. But then again I got these fence clamps because I thought it would be faster to drill holes than to get the router or router table set up and run those grooves. But then again, I am a hobbyist so not like I have time constraints. 

I tried to do a google search for hacks or creative ideas using these and surprisingly not much popped up other than the standard fare so far.


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## LumberJockDude (4 mo ago)

You can use them to attach a "sacrificial fence" to your shooting board too. (If your shooting board adjusts for different angles, the fence will get worn out)


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## JeffVic (Jan 27, 2020)

northwoodsman said:


> Did you purchase the router bits from them also? I didn't at first but I eventually did and I'm glad that I did. What a difference. I use these clamps on my Festool FMT as well. I purchased a set of the expensive Festool clamps and could not get them to hold at all. I took them back to the store and we tried 3 more pair and at least one clamp in each pair wouldn't hold. They even called Festool while I was there to trouble shot the problem. I grabbed a pair of the Microjig clamps and have never looked back. As a bonus the Microjig clamps actually go on sale and qualify for most woodworking store coupons!


I use a standard dovetail bit. I found the clamps slide better if I cut the groove about 5/16" deep rather than the recommended 3/8" depth. Haven't had any issues doing it this way


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## patchencindy (Nov 26, 2012)

Yikes! After reading through all the posts, I hope I actually use mine, seeing as how I just asked for two for Christmas.


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## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

We expect our members to treat each other respectfully on LumberJocks.com. Although ideas and opinions may be challenged, name-calling, personal attacks, or other inappropriate behavior will not be allowed and may cause your account to be banned. Harassment is not tolerated in this community.

I have cleaned up the bickering in this thread.


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## JRsgarage (Jan 2, 2017)

Sometimes, you learn a lot from disagreements...


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## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

JRsgarage said:


> Sometimes, you learn a lot from disagreements...


Disagreeing and being disrespectful are two very different things.


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## WorksInTheory (Jan 5, 2014)

Okay opened my set of 4 of these clamps that "Santa got me". Still looking for cool uses beyond sacrificial fences. 

Hope everyone had a great holiday!


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