Anyone have/used the "Bowclamp" setup? I've used a caul setup before, but never had one with a "bow" in it like this. Greg
[OP]
Contributor
Anyone have/used the "Bowclamp" setup? I've used a caul setup before, but never had one with a "bow" in it like this. Greg
Member
Years ago I made several "bowclamps" as I imagine that you're referring to. In my opinion the only reason to make or use one would be to compensate for a lack of clamps while gluing edging. If you lack enough clamps for a large job then they're worth making up. I haven't used my bowed clamps in years but haven't disposed of them because, well, I made them and that took effort. They are effective dust collectors and conversation starters.
Member
I assume you are talking about the commercial product. If so they are great, they do exactly what they say they will do. If you have or have access to a CNC machine you can make your own.
Contributor
You can make your own bowed cauls without a CNC machine. See here.
Mike
[Cost is just a few dollars - but you provide the labor. So if you have more time than money, make your own.]
Last edited by Mike Henderson; 01-11-2011 at 12:04 AM.
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Member
haven't used my set in ages...
Moderator
Love 'em...come in very handy. They aren't only for situations arising from a lack of clamps but can be used to clamp situations where it is impossible to fit a clamp and one can only reach the ends of the caul.
Contributor
Yep
I just used them recently to do a large, 7/8" thick curved panel lamination. I had male and female forms and used the Bowclamps to bring everything together. No way to get a clamp into the middle of those forms.
I also just used one, in concert with a hydraulic floor jack, to jack up one side of my Mini Cooper, then the other side, to rotate tires and do a brake job, but I don't think that's an advertised use of a Bowclamp.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
Moderator
That use for jacking up a car requires a pic, Mike! Next time!
Member
Hadn't given pause to think about using them on panel work as others have. I needed them for edge gluing a large number of panel and clamps/time were my concerns. I guess I missed the forest for the trees on this one. When I have needed a bowed caul to apply pressure where my clamps won't reach, I've sanded the bow profile on my edge sander starting at mild and then trying the caul under pressure to make sure that the bow is approriate for the pressure. I continue to add more bow until I get the clamping action that I need. I pretty much consider cauls for this application to be one use unless it's a small production item that I am making.
Member
I've seen the bow-clamps at a show once, and thought they looked very nice. I actually almost bought a set, but I couldn't bring myself to spend the money. Since then I've made a couple cauls after seeing Mike Henderson's tutorial posted above.
They turned out great, only took maybe 10 minutes to make a set. I even made mine out of some scrap oak that had been lying around the shop.
They aren't as pretty as the bow clamps, and I don't have the nice little track for my f-clamps to slide in, but the price was right.
Member
Mike, in the first picture that looks like an I-beam type caul, how did you make that one? Great tutorial, thanks.Originally Posted by Mike Henderson
Scott
Member
They are simple to make and effective...I made them after seeing Mike's excellent tutorial.
Contributor
"That use for jacking up a car requires a pic, Mike! Next time! "
It might have to wait a few months 'til I put the summer wheels back on.
You can jack up one side of a mini with just the front jacking point, but to get it safely onto jackstands, for the brake job, it had to all come up at once evenly. A 36" Bowclamp does a nice job.
I was going to email Craig a pic, but I got immersed in the work I was doing.
Last edited by Mike Cutler; 01-11-2011 at 12:16 PM.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
Moderator
He'd love the pic for sure!
Member
I have a set of the Bowclamps and use them on almost every project. Mostly I got them because getting Bowclamps was cheaper than buying a bunch of clamps that I didn't have right then. My thought was I could build up my clamp collection over time but use the Bowclamps in place of all the clamps I didn't have. Still use them because I haven't needed to buy a lot more clamps since I have them, I have bought a few clamps just not as many as I thought I would of by now.
On a side note: There is only one thing I didn't like about the Bowclamps and that was releasing them. There is a lot of pressure built up in them and when you loosen one end the other end and clamp could let loose.....then there is this big "spring" effect that scared the heck out of me the first time it happened. Just takes a system to get the clamps off so doesn't jump around, just have to release a little pressure on each end a little at a time.
Also.. clamping them down with parallel clamps is not that easy, can be done but I haven't found an easy way yet. Reason being is the clamp you do first will become loose when you tighten the other end, well if you don't have any threads left for tightening then you have to try and slide the jaw but the bowclamp has pressure on it so you can't just let the parallel clamp loose or the bowclamp will spring out. My solution so far is to use a third clamp and use it on the first end to re-tighten that end down and then just take off the one that was there.
Just some thoughts on what I have noticed using them, I do like them, just took some getting used to, maybe others on here have some tips.
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