Gorilla Tight, Monkey Tight and Finger Tight - More Clamps

 In this photo you see "light clamps". 

 Gorilla Tight is "C"clamps, Monkey Tight is Bessey bar clamps and Finger Tight are these clamps.

  The two clamps on the right were purchased 10 or so years ago when I was making a bunch of small boxes, I bought four of each size.  For the most part the boxes were held together with glue and maybe some very small brads. All that I really needed to do was hold the boxes together, finger tight as the glue initially set, and then just keep it from wiggling over night.

  I love these fiberglass/plastic clamps for just that purpose. The small clamp weights 328 grams and its larger brother 431, for reference both of the clamps sitting to the left of the photo weight 610+ grams. ( my triple beam balance scale only goes to 610 grams. As a comparison a Mars bar weights about 60 grams.)

  The light weight aluminum bar clamp on the left is one of ten I bought at a tool clear out sale.  These clamps are really not up to the task of gluing cutting boards or heavier panels, but I reach for them often to help align one side of a project while I fiddle with the other side.  Even though they are heavier than the fiber bodied clamps they are still much lighter than a full blown Bessey Bar Clamp.  I find the adjustment on the aluminum clamps quicker and more positive than with the fiber clamps too. 


   The clamp second from the left, sometimes called an "F" clamp falls somewhere between a "C" clamp and a bar clamp.  I use those clamps, I have three sizes of "F" clamps, as semi-permanent clamps.  They are often used to hold a jig together or a stop on the Sliding Mitre saw in place, tasks that require solid clamping, moderate ease of use and smallish size.


  I don't think that I could do many of the projects that I do without a selection of good clamps.  Learning to clamp things properly was one of the break throughs in wood working that changed the quality of my work notably.  Learning to clamp wisely is up there with learning how to use a hand plane properly or how to sharpen chisels.


  Clamping requires good tools too.  Once upon a time I bought cheap clamps thinking that the technology was so basic that it was not recessary to spend the extra money on name brand clamps. I have thrown all those cheap clamps away, cheap clamps slip, slipping clamps allow your work to twist, twisted work is poor work.


  Don't buy cheap clamps.