Would like help identifying clamp and suggestions where I might buy some

[Csimoni]

Hello all,

 

I wonder if anyone can tell me where I might find clamps like that below (throat = 1 1/4”).  I have been able to locate them only on Japanese and Finnish sites through an image search (I am new to modeling so it’s likely I’ve missed some specialized sites where these are to be found).  The plan is to use them to secure planking during glue ups.  Thanks, Chris

[TBlack]

Is there something special about those clamps for your project? There are a lot of other ways to secure planks that might be more readily available. I 

personally use alligator clips and elastic bands.

Tom

[Dziadeczek]

I once made a handful of such mini C clamps from a length of aluminium U channel, slicing it on my Preac saw into narrow sections, drilling holes and thread tapping them to match my screws. Mine have 1/2 inch throat size, but perhaps you could also find your size in a hardware store.

These are not heavy duty, plenty of power to hold planks, though.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Dziadeczek

[Jaager]

It is not an ideal shape for me, but I tried another armchair experiment.

 

I checked McMaster-Carr and they have Aluminum "U" bar stock with dimensions that are close.  A 2 foot bar is <$50.  

a box of 1/8"-1/4" ( or what works) long enough thumb screws

A pilot drill bit and a tap 

How many can be had  depends on how wide are the slices  but if the whole bar is done, I am betting that the cost per unit would be less than ready made.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Jaager

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

https://www.amazon.com/Mini-C-clamp-1-3-piece-Set/dp/B00VUGKIKA

 

[Csimoni]

Thank to all for the suggestions. I am impressed by your but ingenuity unfortunately they are beyond my capabilities. 
 

TBlack:  I like the ones I have because they do not mar the wood. Having said that I have never tried the alligator clips but see they are commonly used. Do they leave dimples on the planking?

[Bob Cleek]

45 minutes ago, Csimoni said:

Thank to all for the suggestions. I am impressed by your but ingenuity unfortunately they are beyond my capabilities. 
 

TBlack:  I like the ones I have because they do not mar the wood. Having said that I have never tried the alligator clips but see they are commonly used. Do they leave dimples on the planking?

 

Marring the wood is a function of how soft the wood is and how hard the jaws of the clamp holding it are tightened. Denting can be prevented by placing a weight-distribution pad beneath the clamp jaws. This might be a scrap of wood or plastic. Even a piece of an old credit card or even matchbook cardboard.

 

That said, if you have to tighten a clamp so much that any of the usual planking wood species would be dented, you have one or more of three interrelated problems: 1) You are clamping too hard and/or 2) your plank is not properly bent before gluing and/or 3) you are using the wrong species of wood (e.g. balsa or other soft wood.) Number 2 is probably where the greatest problem lies.

 

Planking should be spiled and cut or bent to shape using heat (from a planking iron or a small clothes iron) such that the plank fits perfectly on the frames or bulkheads without requiring any significant tension to bend it into place.  This is a "perfect world" goal, but, in any event, the plank should be pre-bent to shape to the point where very little, if any, clamping tension is required to pull it into place. The frames or bulkheads are not intended to serve the purpose of forming the shape of the planking under tension. The solution to the problem addressed here isn't sourcing suitable clamps on the retail market, but rather shaping your planks correctly before you glue them in place.

 

Read the "Planking Downloads and Tutorials and Videos" section in the "More" drop-down menu at the top of the forum page: Planking Downloads and Tutorials and Videos - Model Ship World™ These essential tutorials teach the basic techniques and skills for plank-on-frame modeling which are unfortunately too frequently omitted from kit instructions and consequently pose a stumbling block for beginning modelers. If you are struggling with clamping planks, you are doing it the hard way and creating a lot of grief for yourself. Planking correctly is a much more enjoyable task than what you've apparently been experiencing.

Edited December 6, 2021 by Bob Cleek

[Csimoni]

Creating lots of grief?  That a firm yes. Will report back once I’ve wrapped my head around this a bit more. 
 

What I like about the clamps I have is not that I can torque them but that they have relatively large clamping surfaces and I can make fine adjustments to the pressure by way of the knurled knob. My thinking was that the pressure would be more controllable than with spring clamps. 
 

Thank for the tips. Coming over from solid hull models has been an interesting experience. 

[Roger Pellett]

The clamps in question are called “C Clamps” or in Great Britain “G Clamps.”  A well equipped shop never has enough of them.  They are readily available commercially in sizes from 1/2 in to over 12in. Any store selling tools should offer a selection.   Mine range from 1in to 8in and I use them constantly, from clamping tiny brass parts for soldering to clamping an entire hull under my drill press.

 

Much of what I know about woodworking, I learned from my father, a builder of Ship models, boats, buildings, and even an airplane.  He taught me when clamping wood to always include wood padding under then clamp screw to avoid marring the surface.

 

Roger