Do YOU use handscrew clamps?

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have 6 handscrews and use them often, mostly for gluing rings of blocks for segmented turnings, in this case banjo rims. I also use them to clamp a neck blank by the sides of the heel, and then use a c clamp to hold the handscrew down to the workbench to rout the truss rod slot. I use a piece of straight board as a fence by putting it in the woodworker's vise, and then the necks just have to be secured with the centerline of the cut 3" away from the fence. I had some all wood handscrews but have worn them all out, eventually the wooden threads began to crumble. Of course they weren't new when I got them, so that may have contributed.

[glenn bradley]

Almost forgot. They are my go-to for reinforcing narrow things when pounding square holes into them ;-)

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[mike stenson]

Almost forgot. They are my go-to for reinforcing narrow things when pounding square holes into them ;-)

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Nice, I hadn't thought of that. Next time.. I will use that.

[John K Jordan]

There's another thread where a guy in europe is buying a bunch of clamps and asked for advice. There's some back and forth about wooden handscrew clamps. (Like these) One man says everybody has some but most people don't use them often. Another man says he uses them for a lot of things. I didnt want to hijack the other thread, so I started this one.

In what ways do you use your wooden handscrew clamps? I have 4 and I use them seldom. So I'd love to see pictures or hear descriptions of how others make use of them.

Thanks guys!
Fred

I have only a few and don't use them often but I'd hate to be without them for some things. Besides holding small parts for drilling and such, I use mine when I need to crosscut oddly shaped and especially round stock such as a large dowel or cylinder turned on the lathe. A cylinder gripped in a clamp held flat against the bandsaw table makes for a safe cut. Also, I've used them to hold oddly shaped wood for carving/rasping, holding the wooden clamp in the bench vise.

JKJ

[lowell holmes]

I use them when cutting small pieces on the table saw or radial arm saw to hold the wood. This keeps my fingers clear. A also have a plywood ripping hook for ripping wood on the table saw.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have one that I put 2 opposing V grooves in it and use it, like others, in the drill press. I drill my pen blanks (woodturning) with this. Makes almost certain to center the blank in the clamp. I have another permanently mounted on a home made carving vise. That way, my errant chisel runs into a wood, vice a metal clamp.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Not in 20 years, not ever, not once. I have some nice Jorgensen's and they just sit on the wall.

[mike stenson]

So, for those who have them.. and refuse to use them.. did any of the usages in this thread even raise an eye brow?

[Jeff Bartley]

What a great storage solution Glenn!

I'd hate to be without them. Like any tool their value will vary with what you do. I keep mine handy hanging in a knotted cord in an otherwise useless corner.

Attachment 438481

I use one in place of a board jack at the bench.

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Of course, they excel at clamping irregular surfaces. I also use them as small parts holders; any time I paint myself into a corner and have to mill a small blank I clamp it into a hand screw to make it larger. This allows safe router table work holding, sanding, drilling. Anywhere that clamping the small part directly is awkward, clamp it in a hand screw and clamp the hand screw to the machine or table.

I have leather liners on some for delicate work, grooves in others for holding round stock. I think the time Rockler had them on sale for 75% off during one of their garage sales back in the mid-2000's could have had something to do with my collection. The 4" are Harbor Freight I think. They work fine but the larger HF hand screws use an odd thread that slips. Glad I only tried one of them ;-) New Jet and Rockler along with some used Jorgensen and old no-names are the bulk of mine.

[Randy Heinemann]

I tend to use them when I need clamping power over a somewhat large area in from the edge of a board. I also use my smaller ones to clamp wood to jigs (including my Incra). Those are the regular uses and some other miscellaneous situations where I need to clamp small boards together like gluing up layers for a bowl blank. I don't use them a lot but, when I do, it usually is the best way to clamp.

[Ron Selzer]

Found over 30 in the shop last night, probably more if I look a little harder. I don't keep a organized shop. I do try to keep it clean and can find most of what is in it. Sometimes it is like Christmas when I dig deep and find something I forgot about
Ron