Clamps-Wooden Hand Screws

   We all live by the motto, "you can never have too many clamps".  
   It is true, clamps are a vital part of woodworking and since they come in dozens of styles, sizes and shapes you can never have all the clamps.  When I used to watch "the New Yankee Workshop" I said that his clamp rack was worth more than my entire set of shop tools and machines.  I've added to my shop since then, I've added a bunch of clamps too, I think we might be even now.


   Wooden Hand Screws are an old style of clamp, I've seen them made entirely from wood in shops like the cabinet makers shop at Colonial Williamsburg. Also there are kits available to make your own hand screws, you supply the wood.

I have aleast  two of each size, coffee cup for scale

   Over the the course of the years I have acquired at least two of these five sizes of hand screw: 4,6,8,10, 12 inch long with mouths from 2 1/2 to 8 inches.  The amount of pressure that these clamps can exert is more than sufficient for anything I do. 

   One regular use for these is holding boards for planning, since they are made mostly of wood

I needn't  worry that I will nick my blade on something metal if I side off the top. Also I can plane boards of any length, by adding a clamp in the middle.  If the board is very wide, then it is hung off the side of the bench. If the wood is very thin the jaws of the clamp support the wood while I work on it.

   Another use is holding small or rounded pieces for sanding, drilling or working with my wood rasps.  The clamps become extra strong fingers, they hold the piece, I hold the clamp and that way if something slips around the sander or grinder there is no blood.

smallest clamp holding a toy truck wheel

middle size clamp holding an oak puzzle piece
 for smoothing with a rasp