Favorite clamps?

[Larry]

A woodworker can never have too many clamps. I may be an exception to that rule.....tons of clamps of every style and most brands.

These are my favorites. Pony 72's and old Hargraves. Made in the USA, mostly bought at auctions or estate sales so they give me a connection to woodworkers in the past.



I do use my "K" bodies a lot. Favorite is the scarce Stanleys, than Jorgy Cabinet Masters, and of course Bessy's. I've applied hockey tape to the handles on the Jorgy's and the Bessy's. I do not have any of the newer Revos so I guess I could add a few just to round things out.

[21incher]

I'm probably over 300 by now if I count them all. Pipe, bar, strap, c, f, welding, handscrew, can't twist, spring, and antique. Still run short

[Ljohnsaw]

Ok, post a few then edit.

I've got a lot but never enough. Probably 30 pipe, 40 bar from 4" to 3', a few f's, 20 or 30 C's and a lot of spring.

[Dan_Shade]

I like the bessey f clamps.�

[bluthum]

Once a friend visitor to my shop noted my clamp racks and sarcastically asked "do you think you have enough clamps?"

I could only shake my head and reply "pfftt....."

[tino]

I like the old Record Sash clamps, but I have a mixture that I use for metal work or carpentry.

[21incher]

Many don't consider them clamps but vise-grips are actually  my favorite clamp. Have used them to clamp wood for fixing things, clamp off blown brake lines, clamp metal for welding and machining, clamp metal to the drill press, and just about anything  else that needs to be temporally held in place. I consider them to be the best clamp ever invented. 

[DWyatt]

@Larry those I beam clamps on the bottom of your panel are my favorite. I have all of my Gramps tools from his wood shop. He had 4 of those that are about 36" - 42" and they are hands down my favorite. I wish I had a dozen of them. 

[Don P]

I don't use them but these old all wood handscrews of Dad's are hanging on a nail in the shop

[beenthere]

Don, I have several of those that size and find a lot of uses for them.. clamping as well as just using as a base to stand something upright. Have three smaller sizes as well in the shop. 

[Larry]

I have a bunch of hand screws and use them frequently.  My friend makes lots of wood art.  Clamping a rotten log while she carves it.


Went to a large shop auction one time and they had about a dozen lots of hand screws.  I got out bid on the first two lots and the winner came over to talk to me.  She was a commercial interior designer and was buying them to hang on the wall for decoration.  She only wanted the ones with the wood screws so I ended up getting all the ones with metal screws.  She did not realize that folks actually used these things, believing they were just antiques.

I've refitted a couple with straps, or bicycle chains to clamp round stuff.  They also work good with the strap on picture frames.

[21incher]

I use my hand screws to hang stuff off the upstairs floor joists in my shop. Those handles are very strong hangers.