Clamping question

[patrick ramsey]

I'm about to embark on a new project. It's a chess set with storage box. It's from a British woodworker. The discription of the project constanly referrs to "sash clamps". I have no expierence with sash clamps. I have looked them up on the internet. As far as I can see I don't know why I couldn't use my K body clamps just as affectively. I don't want to buy a uni task clamp if I don't have to. Anyone got any helpfull information about this?

[John Thompson]

I'm about to embark on a new project. It's a chess set with storage box. It's from a British woodworker. The discription of the project constanly referrs to "sash clamps". I have no expierence with sash clamps. I have looked them up on the internet. As far as I can see I don't know why I couldn't use my K body clamps just as affectively. I don't want to buy a uni task clamp if I don't have to. Anyone got any helpfull information about this?

Morning Patrick... I see you don't seem to be getting an abundance of replies on your question so I will pipe in just for fun. You state your project is from a British Woodworker and they keep referring to "sash" clamps. You ask if you can use your K body's in lieu of "sash" clamps.

Now of course you won't be able to twist the "tommy bar" to tighten the clamp if you go with the K body. You'll have to use the threaded twist handle at the end of the K body. But... when all is said and done you will achieve the same result IMO.

I say that as "sash" clamp is a British term for bar clamp which is similar to our aluminum clamps available in the U.S. with the metal rod at the end of the threaded screw (tommy bar) to tighten. The K bodies mainly have a cylindrical wooden handle as opposed to pipe or aluminum bar clamps.

Bottom line it won't matter as they are both bar clamps so to speak with different nick-names depending on what part of the world you reside or were trained. You won't hear many British WW'ers refer to a planer or jointer as we call it here in the states. They use a surface planer (jointer) and a thickness planer in lieu of our terms.

Have fun with your K bodies.. bar clamps.. pipe clamps.. sash clamps.. etc. as you are basically using the same beast to plow the field. :)

Sarge..

[patrick ramsey]

John
thanks alot for th eexplanation. Sounds like I should use my bar clamps instead of my K bodies. More importatnly it sounds like I don't need to "find" and buy sash clamps.

[John Thompson]

The solution would be to slap a piece of duct tape on the bar and write sash.. bar.. K.. pipe or whatever type you prefer with a magic marker. You just can't have enough of any of them from my experience. :)

Sarge..

[Chris Padilla]

Clamps come in all shapes and sizes but they all do the same basic thing: hold two pieces of material together. That is all you're doing but in your case, it is likely two pieces of wood with glue between 'em. Your project and its joinery will dictate, often, the best clamp to use. That is why in most ww'ers shops, you'll fine an entire arsenal of clamps of all different shapes and styles. :)