Help with a cache of old clamps I picked up

[Jeff Merchant]

Hello everyone,

First post here... just getting into wood working so it will probably be the first of many :) I just purchased my first home and intend to make some furniture to fill it up. It's a 1957 home with a mid-century modern feel so I plan on doing some mid century, danish modern type furniture. Ordered a few old books including a 1967 shop manual titled Cabinetmaking and Millwork and have been reading, reading, reading while I scour craigslist for some basic tools.

I came across a guy selling a whole load of clamps that I went ahead and picked up. From what I've heard you can never have enough clamps! There are 40+/- clamps in total in varying degrees of rustiness and I got them all for $240. So my questions are as follows:

1) How'd I do? Good deal, or at least not a major ripoff?

2) Suggestions on refinishing rusty clamps? I've had good luck using electrolysis to remove rust from cast iron pans... would it work here too? How should I finish them once the rust is gone?

3) Any idea what those vice looking things are in the 5th picture, next to the corner clamps?

Thanks in advance for any help/insight you can provide.


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[Michael W. Clark]

Jeff,
Welcome, I'd say you did pretty good. Looks like a good assortment and some heavy duty clamps at that. I wouldn't worry about the rust unless it is a functional issue or you think it may get onto the wood. I use Boeshield for my rust removal projects, and it works very well, but it is quite smelly. The vises are drill press vises, one is a standard vise, and the other is a cross-slide vise. If you don't have a drill press, you could mount them to boards that you clamp to a table or bench and use them like vises until you aquire a drill press. If you want to get rid of the cross-slide, let me know.

Now you have to build some storage for all those clamps!:)

Mike

[Jeff Merchant]

Thanks Mike. I do have a drill press so perhaps they'll be of use one day. I like clean tools and have lots of time but little money (see house purchase) so I will probably restore them at some point here.



Other info: red handled clamps are marked Wetzler as is the strap clamp, wood handled clamps say East Hartford Clamp Co, orange ones say Jorgensen as do the wood block clamps. Those 8 blue T-beam things have no markings at all... likewise for the vises and other stuff.

[Michael W. Clark]

Do an internet search of the manufacturers and see what comes up. Of course Jorgensen is still popular today. The blue ones may be made by Record. There was a FWW article where they made a storage rack for similar clamps. Search for "Record beam clamp".

[HANK METZ]

You did beyond well Jeff, it's doubtful you'll need to buy any more clamps period.
My favorite treatment for old iron like this is simply a wire brushing and boiled linseed oil, wiped on- wiped off.

- Beachside Hank
The use of nails in fine furniture is to be abhorred- drywall screws are preferred.

[Jim Matthews]

It's an awesome deal - the I beam clamps alone would cost you that much, retail.

I would recommend you post the picture frame clamp on one of the auction sites - it's unlikely to see much use, and could net you enough to offset much of the purchase price.
The massive clamps might be useful if you do lots of work at the drill press, but I don't like running my expensive bits into steel.

Lastly, I recommend the simplest clamp rack (http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?search=PIPE%20CLAMP%20STORAGE%20RACK) that amount to a wall mounted shelf with slots.
I have one of the mobile base racks from Rockler, and it's not exactly maneuverable, fully loaded.
(And I'm always reaching for the clamp on the OTHER side.)

[Larry Craft]

The blue ones are likely Harbor Freight. I have a couple, they hold well and don't deflect, but are a pita to install as you have to insert the pin close to final location and not let it fall out.

[george wilson]

Lightly constructed bar clamps are more correctly called sash clamps.

[Bill Huber]

So it looks like you will have enough clamps for your firs project but then you will have to buy more, you never have enough clamps.

The number 5 picture are Cabinet Frame Clamps.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/frame_clamps.htm

[Michael W. Clark]

Lightly constructed bar clamps are more correctly called sash clamps.

If you do a search for "sash clamps", you get a lot of images that look like pictures 2 and 3. I didn't know HF sold them, I thought they just had the light weight aluminum bar clamps (which I have several, and they work pretty good). I guess the clamps in the pictures are fastened to the wood boards for panel glue-ups or are the boards not attached to the clamps and just happen to be there?

[Jeff Merchant]

Good to hear I did okay! Thanks. I will start cleaning them up and build myself a rack in the near future.

Those blue ones (sash clamps I guess?) are mounted to the boards on the one end. They are definitely not aluminum... too heavy.

[glenn bradley]

Looks like a good haul to me. Those I-beam clamps are very cool. the large strap clamp in the last pic retails for about $100 today (although a bit more refined). I would make some clamp racks to get them off the floor and put a big smile on my face.