Bar clamps, cam operated

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The idea for this clamp, suitable for light-duty assemblages, like guitars, comes from Robert Wearing’s excellent book, “Woodwork Aids and Devices”.

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I have had this book for many years. I have completed many of the projects in it, but not more than half ! (The annotations show the ones I HAVE done)Attachment 30344.

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Here is a view of the cam, which is rosewood, showing how pressure is applied. I made the stocks in maple, which I retrieved from a colleague who had cut up some lengths for firewood, but it splits very readily, so a better alternative would be elm. The bars are mahogany, I think. At any rate, they needed handplaning parallel for fit. I made about two dozen, all by hand.

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Nice work. You can never have too many clamps!

As for the Maple, what sort of Maple was this. I have some hard Maple that would be very hard to split. Ive heard that Silver Maple is terrible for Wood working thus the use as Fire wood.

Can’t tell you what sort of maple, Wizard. I use what is available, although clearly it would be a factor if you want to make some. When I saw that my colleague had cut all these pieces, already PAR & to length, instantly I thought “clamps!”