Do you use Spring Clamps?

[Frederick Skelly]

I've had 2 of these Great Neck Spring Clamps just laying around my shop forever - maybe they are my Dad's. LINK.

I never really found a use for them. And when I DO occasionally need something like this, I usually use these plastic Milwaukee beasts I bought at the BORG on sale. LINK. But today, I really needed to place a light pressure clamp in a place that was too small for my Milwaukees. So I pulled out the steel Great Necks and they were just the ticket!

Does anyone else use steel spring clamps? What for?

Fred

[Ralph Okonieski]

I do use spring clamps very rarely but do use them. Mostly used to hold something temporarily. They come in handy at times.

[marlin adams]

once in awhile, sometimes when I use corner clamps

[Dick Mahany]

I have used them for a number of things where I need quick action typically on a temporary basis such as early partial stages of glue-ups, holding light brackets on tools and photo tent. They also come in handy on occasion for holding small parts against the crosscut sled on the table saw.

The big red handled ones seem to take both hands to squeeze so either they're getting stronger or I'm ...........never mind

[Jim Becker]

Occasionally but despite having a bunch of them, they have not proven quite as useful as they originally were thought to be. The last time I did pull some out, it was to hold up a backdrop for photographing a piece.

[Charles Taylor]

My most valued use of a small spring clamp was years ago when I used a walk-behind lawn mower and wanted to keep the handle that keeps the engine running held down. Nowadays I use them to hold up plastic sheeting when spraying, and not much else.

I actually did use the drawerful of them that I have to hold wood yesterday, the first time in, well, ever. Probably will be another forever before I have occasion to do that again.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have 15 steel spring clamps and use them often, sometimes all of them and sometimes fewer. The most frequent job they get used on is gluing up banjo armrests, I use 4-5 per armrest and since the glue area is small they provide plenty of pressure. I also use them to glue the tops and backs onto mandolins, fiddles and dulcimers, and sometime with a caul to glue peghead overlays on instruments. I would be lost without mine. I have never found a plastic one that I liked. There were 3 1.5" steel clamps and 2 2" here when I came, and I got another 10 2" ones at estate auctions over the years. I have never used them much other than for instrument building except that I use two to hold a wooden salad grinder base in place on the kitchen countertop when I make roadside potatoes.
Zach

[Steve Eure]

I use them whenever I'm putting on edge banding on ply or mdf. Mine look similar to the one in your link but mine have a steel strip inside that puts pressure on the face of the work piece. Works similar to Rockler's Bandy Clamp. Wish I had bought twice as many when they were offered on sale. Invaluable for face frame work.

[Tom Bain]

I have a bunch of Jorgensen spring clamps of various sizes I bought at a yard sale for like $5. Don’t use them often, but handy to have. Sometimes I find myself using them to position something on a jig, especially if its tricky, and then use a f-style to clamp more securely.

[Herb Smith]

I have maybe 12-15 but no longer can use them because I can't open them because of arthritis in my hands. Whenever using them makes sense it is usually for a light duty clamping application in a confined area. I've never understood why someone doesn't make a spring clamp with a much lighter duty spring. I can't be the only one that encounters this problem. Don't know why but I've never liked ratcheting clamps, although they do solve the strength-to-open issue.\

[Charles P. Wright]

I would use them to hold my shop made circular saw guide to plywood that I was cutting. I have a track saw now, with appropriate clamps so have used them less. I also used them when making a torsion box to cut on, to hold the skins to the frame.

[Mike Henderson]

I have a bunch of them - I bought them cheap from a commercial woodwork shop that was going out of business. I don't use them often but for certain things they just can't be beat. If you put several on a small glue-up, the pressure is pretty high. I wouldn't want to be without them.

Mike

[Bruce Page]

I have several and use them occasionally. They're nice to have when you need them. I even have a small plastic container full of clothespins that have come in handy at times.

[Mel Fulks]

I use them for flat gluing veneer. Cover work with plastic sheeting, then plywood . Put spring clamps around perimeter,
and a weight in the center.

[Bill Space]

I have some that I use regularly in situations like others have described above.

But one thing I do more regularly than anything else, is to use two strips of wood to measure distances between two points where I am going to fit something. I use the spring clamps to hold the two strips together, after positioning the strips between the two points I am interest in.

Great way to avoid measurement errors! For me anyway...