Thoughts on Cam Clamps

[Bob Deroeck]

I'm curious about cam cleats. The limited advertising indicates they provide easy operation and decent reach (depth) when only a moderate clamping force is required. Are these claims accurate? And, what are the downsides of cam cleats? I'd appreciate hearing the pros and cons of these clamps from members who have used them.

Thanks.

[Mel Fulks]

I think they are most often used in musical instrument work. They can be bought or you can make them. They provide
enough pressure if the pieces fit properly.

[Rick Whitehead]

I used to use them a lot in guitar construction and repair. They are handy for gluing braces and bridges, where a long reach clamp is needed.
I have also used them for antique furniture repair, where I needed a deep throated clamp to glue down a loose piece of veneer.
However, in regular furniture construction, I haven't used them at all.
I made my own, using the cam that is centered in the upper arm, rather than the type that Irving Sloane shows in his book on classical guitar construction.Sloane's design seemed to be overly complicated to me.
Rick

[Bob Deroeck]

Mel and Rick, thanks for your input. I found a YouTube video by Paul Sellers that shows how he makes and uses cam cleats. It's pretty detailed and it's in 4 parts, probably about an hour total time, though you can fast forward through the repetitive stuff. I think I'll try making some.

Bob

[Paul Saffold]

Good tutorial in FFW March/April 1996.