Clamping Cauls

[George Bokros]

How many of you use them?

If you use them did you make them or buy them?

If you bought them where did you buy them?

i am thinking about getting some.

[Chris Padilla]

Look no further than bowclamp.com. There is even a quote on the Testimonial page from Yours Truly. :)

I bought the 3 pair package several years ago.

[glenn bradley]

Easy enough to make. I'll assume we are talking about bowed cauls and not just a milled piece of hardwood. Mine are pecan in pairs of about 2, 3, and 4 foot lengths. A nice straight grained hardwood will serve you best as it will give a fairly consistent pressure although other material can certainly be used as well. You can't use them for everything which is what the advertising would have you believe just as you can't mix a souffle with a router despite some folks videos and books :D. However, they can be a life saver for middle of the panel pressure requirements and mine get enough use to warrant the "new" set I made after the original set proved so useful.

Here they are with wax applied to one side of the first caul. They shed glue easily with a touch up about once a year.

330605

The arc is 1/8" difference from centerline to the ends on the 2', 1/4" for the 3' and 3/8" for the 4'. This will vary with your material of choice and pressure requirements. I had the pecan left over from a project. If I was going to buy a quality hardwood and mill them to accept clamp heads and all that I would seriously consider just buying BowClamps (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=67309&cat=1,43838) ready made. If you just want something simple, they are quickly made.

[Paul Cahill]

Use them all the time. I made mine based on a tutorial by Mike Henderson:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?126343-Tutorial-Shop-Made-Cauls&highlight=

Easy to make and work great!

Paul

[David T gray]

u can also make them on a jointer in 30s

[Peter Quinn]

u can also make them on a jointer in 30s

This. Its not magic for sure. I make them at work, keep a few different sized sets under my bench. I've made them from maple, oak, poplar, or what ever stuff drops of appropriate dimension from my project or somebody else. Don't think I've ever used material that could have made product. Its always stuff with some inclusions, stains, maybe pin knots or something that got rejected for cosmetics but is still strong. I chuckle at the idea of buying them. Maybe buy one...use that as your pattern and flush trim your own to that if necessary. I've read the sales pitch about "CNC machined to the perfect arc considering the wood's modulus of elasticity....." Really? Its wood. Do you test each piece and make a custom arc? Do you think every piece of maple has the exact same modulus of elasticity? Its a tree, not an aluminum billet. Call me dubious. Not that they aren't good, just that you can achieve a very excellent functionality from drops in minutes, and the bought ones are probably the single most expensive way to buy hard maple I can think of.

Any way you come by them, they sure are handy.

[Tom M King]

Working with Yellow Pine allows easy pickings of pieces that are plenty perfect enough just by setting the right pieces aside left over as offcuts from something else. I wouldn't pay 5 bucks for one, much less anything more.

[David Eisenhauer]

Use them regularly. Mine are made from old 2x4 drop-offs. I did write "caul" on them after accidently cutting one up for something. Not that big of a deal to make up, but rather not have to stop and remake them every time I use them. I have always intended to re make them for good out of some decent, straight grained hardwood, but 20 years later still using the SYP 2x4 versions.

[Jay Aubuchon]

I use them whenever I glue up panels. Mine are made from Borg 2x4s. Someday I will find time to make better ones. Someday.

[Clint Baxter]

Made my own of ash and maple. 2', 3' & 4'. Bent them into a bow and trimmed off the ends to create the "supposed perfect" arc. Don't know if that is entirely true or necessary, but they work just fine. Used a method similar to that of post 11 of thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?209901-Make-Your-Own-Curved-Clamping-Cauls. A bit of effort, but appears to be well worth it

Clint.

[Bill Orbine]

Reasons why we keep scrap. Make 'em quick on jointer. Boom! done! pennies saved.....a lot of 'em.

[Bill Sutherland]

I have the Bowclamps and love em.

[jack duren]

How many of you use them?

If you use them did you make them or buy them?

If you bought them where did you buy them?

i am thinking about getting some.

I don't have any but if i wanted them I would just buy the Bow Clamps. From time to time you'll hear "the one with the most tools when they die wins" But then again the one with the most hand made crap doesn't. Buy the brand name and be proud...

[Rick Lizek]

Been making and using curved cauls for 40 years. Inexpensive and easy to make. Can be as simple as using 2 x 4's. Would buy a push stick? You took up woodworking to make things. If you can't make cauls I can't see being able to make anything. The thought you need a CNC to make cauls is total nonsense and marketing talk. Curved cauls have been hundreds of years. The first veneer presses were caul based.

Follow Mike Henderson's directions. All you need is one and you can use a router and pattern bit to make as many as you need.

[jack duren]

Been making and using curved cauls for 40 years. Inexpensive and easy to make. Can be as simple as using 2 x 4's. Would buy a push stick? You took up woodworking to make things. If you can't make cauls I can't see being able to make anything. The thought you need a CNC to make cauls is total nonsense and marketing talk. Curved cauls have been hundreds of years. The first veneer presses were caul based.

Follow Mike Henderson's directions. All you need is one and you can use a router and pattern bit to make as many as you need.

He's not saying he can't make the cauls. Not everyone took up woodworking to make jigs for the shop.

[George Bokros]

u can also make them on a jointer in 30s


I am having trouble seeing how you could make them on a jointer, can anyone shed some light on making them on a jointer?

[Bill Orbine]

I am having trouble seeing how you could make them on a jointer, can anyone shed some light on making them on a jointer?
This link to you tube will give you an idea........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hKxKagdjpo

[Rick Lizek]

http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworking/forum/archives_handtools.pl/bid/3001/md/read/id/149802/sbj/making-curved-cauls/

Use a sander or hand plane to trim down to the line.
Here's way to do it. Make master caul and use a router and pattern bit to make duplicates. Very easy and quick.

[Dave Zellers]

Natural cauls are cool. Next time you pull a board off the rack that has a nice bow to it, think of it differently.

[Jim Becker]

Like Chris, I have the Bowclamps. Unfortunately, I too often FORGET that I have them. LOL But they'll be getting some action on my current project... ;)

[Pat Barry]

Question - my cauls are shop made but I use a straight caul on the bottom that is thicker and not supposed to bend and the curved caul on the top so as to press the boards against the reference cauls. Is that what you folks do or do you use curved top and bottom?

[Peter Quinn]

He's not saying he can't make the cauls. Not everyone took up woodworking to make jigs for the shop.

At the point where you are paying $25/bf for hard maple cauls....snicker snicker.....its pretty clear not every one is in wood working for the same reason. Lots of room for everyone in the pool. I get piles of catalogues monthly filled with gadgets and gizmos meant to facilitate or improve the wood working experience, all at a relatively heavy price tag. Every hobby has its gear, every profession has its tools. Every wood worker had the right to buy what ever gear they want to pursue the endeavor.....and the rest of us reserve the right to poke fun at them for spending piles of cash on shiny over priced gimmicks. :rolleyes:

Before I buy anything I run a quick cost benefit analysis. There are oodles of videos on making a tenon jig for the table saw, its certainly possible, when I ran the numbers it was cheaper to throw $100 at a machined iron jig on a time and materials basis. But cauls? It takes me maybe 8 minutes and a trip to the scrap bin to make all the cauls for a giant assembly....I could spend $1000 buying the same, add to that not every assemble is the same size, so I would have to buy that many in each length. I question and reject the very central assumption to the bowcaul sales pitch, that there is some perfect arc that can only be constructed using a cnc and making your own will result in faulty assemblies do to voids in clamping pressure. Phoey. When its absolutely critical...and it almost never is.....I have a roll of cork I bought real cheap.....quick spray of 3M super 77....now I have cork lined cauls that take up any voids and equalize pressure! Pushes my cost up to almost $.50/caul, but I'm worth it. I guess if I were making $750/hour my calculations might be different...thats right about the point that purchasing cauls would start to make sense for me.

[dan petroski]

I use 4 pieces of unistrut with long bolts and wing nuts and springs to separate the pairs. Handy and assembled all the time. I imagine I've used them for 40 yrs with good success. Dan

[Al Launier]

Made my own of ash and maple. 2', 3' & 4'. Bent them into a bow and trimmed off the ends to create the "supposed perfect" arc. Don't know if that is entirely true or necessary, but they work just fine. Used a method similar to that of post 11 of thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?209901-Make-Your-Own-Curved-Clamping-Cauls. A bit of effort, but appears to be well worth it

Clint.

Clever indeed!

[jack duren]

At the point where you are paying $25/bf for hard maple cauls....snicker snicker.....its pretty clear not every one is in wood working for the same reason. Lots of room for everyone in the pool. I get piles of catalogues monthly filled with gadgets and gizmos meant to facilitate or improve the wood working experience, all at a relatively heavy price tag. Every hobby has its gear, every profession has its tools. Every wood worker had the right to buy what ever gear they want to pursue the endeavor.....and the rest of us reserve the right to poke fun at them for spending piles of cash on shiny over priced gimmicks. :rolleyes:

Before I buy anything I run a quick cost benefit analysis. There are oodles of videos on making a tenon jig for the table saw, its certainly possible, when I ran the numbers it was cheaper to throw $100 at a machined iron jig on a time and materials basis. But cauls? It takes me maybe 8 minutes and a trip to the scrap bin to make all the cauls for a giant assembly....I could spend $1000 buying the same, add to that not every assemble is the same size, so I would have to buy that many in each length. I question and reject the very central assumption to the bowcaul sales pitch, that there is some perfect arc that can only be constructed using a cnc and making your own will result in faulty assemblies do to voids in clamping pressure. Phoey. When its absolutely critical...and it almost never is.....I have a roll of cork I bought real cheap.....quick spray of 3M super 77....now I have cork lined cauls that take up any voids and equalize pressure! Pushes my cost up to almost $.50/caul, but I'm worth it. I guess if I were making $750/hour my calculations might be different...thats right about the point that purchasing cauls would start to make sense for me.

Here again it's a choice. You could make many things and save money or you could just purchase a dedicated accessory. I'm a poor furniture maker by trade but won't snicker at someone for purchasing an accessory to there hobby or trade that I feel I can make myself. We are all different when it comes to + or - accessories for the shop

I actually have access to a couple morbidelli CNC's but don't use them for these things. Buying BowClamps just aren't that expensive. It's a choice....

[Chris Padilla]

.....and the rest of us reserve the right to poke fun at them for spending piles of cash on shiny over priced gimmicks.

Not really, Peter. We want a friendly site for ANYONE of ANY skill level to visit. I value your opinion but there is no reason to make fun of someone wanting to buy something that they'll think might aid their woodworking. Now if you want to suggest an alternative, that is great! THAT is what this site is for but lets keep things friendly as much as possible. It doesn't take much these days for things to be taken wrong and go downhill quickly. Practice just a tad of restraint and keep criticisms constructive and friendly and it does go a long way.

[Chris Padilla]

Question - my cauls are shop made but I use a straight caul on the bottom that is thicker and not supposed to bend and the curved caul on the top so as to press the boards against the reference cauls. Is that what you folks do or do you use curved top and bottom?Pat, it depends on your clamping situation. In some cases, your straight caul may be just find but in others, it might bend a bit and cause a lack of pressure along its length. Most of the time I use cauls in pairs and in opposition to each other. You just need to analyze your particular case and see what happens.

[George Bokros]

This link to you tube will give you an idea........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hKxKagdjpo


I watched this video and I do not see how you get a taper doing this. To me it looks like you will have a high spot in the middle and the remainder of each end is 1/32 narrower. If I am correct you will not get clamping pressure over the full length of the caul, am I correct? May be you don't need even pressure, I would think want even pressure the full length.

My idea if I make some is to layout a taper and cut the taper on the bandsaw then plane smooth to the line on the jointer. Now you have an even taper. Not likely as quick but you would have consistent contact the full length of the caul.

The other thought is to by oen pair and use a flush trim router bit to make more using the purchased set as a template. If I made one more set the cost would be 1/2 and if I made two more it would be 1/3.

[Bill Orbine]

I watched this video and I do not see how you get a taper doing this. To me it looks like you will have a high spot in the middle and the remainder of each end is 1/32 narrower. If I am correct you will not get clamping pressure over the full length of the caul, am I correct? May be you don't need even pressure, I would think want even pressure the full length.

My idea if I make some is to layout a taper and cut the taper on the bandsaw then plane smooth to the line on the jointer. Now you have an even taper. Not likely as quick but you would have consistent contact the full length of the caul.

The other thought is to by oen pair and use a flush trim router bit to make more using the purchased set as a template. If I made one more set the cost would be 1/2 and if I made two more it would be 1/3.

Experiment is one of the best teacher...... go see for yourself! Safely please! You saw how one man does his cauls, now time for you to try it!

[George Bokros]

Any one use this system

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/125392/woodriver-clamping-system.aspx

Thanks

[Erik Christensen]

I have made cauls out of 2x4's and they worked ok - better than nothing. I now have a set 4' long made out of 3 layers of 3/4" BB - they are dead flat and unbelievably strong.

[Max Neu]

I have made cauls out of 2x4's and they worked ok - better than nothing. I now have a set 4' long made out of 3 layers of 3/4" BB - they are dead flat and unbelievably strong.
Thanks for the tip!What dimensions do you use for the BB,3 1/2" ,like a 2x4 ?

[Glenn de Souza]

I have made cauls out of 2x4's and they worked ok - better than nothing. I now have a set 4' long made out of 3 layers of 3/4" BB - they are dead flat and unbelievably strong.


Hi,

With a dead flat 4' length caul, how are you exerting the same pressure in no man's land (the middle) as you are on the ends where your clamps are located?

Are you using your dead flat caul on one side of the glue-up and a cambered caul on the other side?

[Max Neu]

Hi,

With a dead flat 4' length caul, how are you exerting the same pressure in no man's land (the middle) as you are on the ends where your clamps are located?

Are you using your dead flat caul on one side of the glue-up and a cambered caul on the other side?
I'm guessing if they are strong/stiff enough,you won't need a camber,assuming you are clamping material that's flat and square to begin with.

[Jeffrey Martel]

If you just go to Home Depot/Lowes and buy a couple of their 2x2's or 2x4's, you won't even have to do anything to them. They're already pre-curved usually.

[Peter Quinn]

Not really, Peter. We want a friendly site for ANYONE of ANY skill level to visit. Practice just a tad of restraint and keep criticisms constructive and friendly and it does go a long way.

Give a man a fish. Teach a man to fish. Tell a man about a really expensive place to buy decent fish. Some of the "friendliest" people I've met didn't have my best interest at heart. Sorry my approach is so heavy.

[glenn bradley]

Any one use this system

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/125392/woodriver-clamping-system.aspx

Thanks

I tried those years back and found them to be usable but, they don't work like magic. They are not much less effort than plain bar clamps. That is; you still need to help the boards get aligned and the cauls force the squeeze out into the wood fibers and so on. I sold mine.

[Tom Deutsch]

I actually did a google search to find out what a caul is; turns out I've been using them for years, using the warped BORG board - some of which I got from the cull pile. (Cull/caul. Coincidence?) Sighting the crown of a board is maybe the most useful skill I was taught early on.
But ... I totally get spending money on hobbies or professions. A hardware store yardstick measures practically as well as a $300 ruler, but the $300 ruler is a lot cooler to hold and look at, for sure.