Weird clamp ups

[richard b miller]

i'm just beginning in wood working and have had a few clamp up problems in the past.

that made me think - would this be a forum topic that is beneficial. "WEIRD CLAMP UPS"

clamp ups that took you pros, a while to figure out how. (with pictures of course)
which would give us newbe's ideas

[Kelly Cleveland]

I am not a 'pro', and I wouldn't really call this weird, but maybe you could still learn from this. The main challenge here was a general lack of clamps suitable for the task.
349422
This is a part of a pipe organ windchest and these channels all needed to be airtight. All of these slats are glued down to a panel, which is about 25" across. I don't have any clamps that could reach in and clamp down the center of each bar, so instead I cambered the bar so the ends would be slightly higher. Then I applied clamps just to the ends, and the center of each bar was pressed flat against the panel without clamps directly applying pressure.
This same concept can be used to join boards edge to edge.
It's a good idea to plan out the glue up before you even start making parts, because you might end up with something you can't put together. Also taking the time to make joints fit well can save time and effort when clamping, sometimes you might not need clamps if joints fit perfectly. For big glue ups make sure you have enough clamps ready to go, and maybe someone to help should things not go smoothly.

[John K Jordan]

I'm certainly no "pro", but this is the weirdest one I have a picture of. A glue-up of three pieces of partially hollowed pieces, the bottom one already partially turned with a little lip to catch the clamps. I just grabbed every clamp that would fit. The other picture is the result.

349427 349428

JKJ

[Dick Mahany]

I was teaching my son how to make cutting boards and the need for using clamping cauls. He managed to use most of my clamps at one time. I thought my assembly table was going to collapse under the weight of those clamps :D

349453, 349454, 349455