# Wood Handscrew Clamp Size?



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I had a pair of Handscrew Clamps many years ago and somehow I lost them during one of my moves. I’ve been watching a lot of woodworking YouTube videos lately and noticed a lot of people using them. I have plenty of clamps and the cost of Handscrew Clamps just turned me off. Then I noticed a guy using them to reach over a 10” saw blade and it dawned on me that I don’t have anything with that deep a throat to do that. :huh:

Anyway I saw some 12” clamps on eBay and I was just wondering what the 12” meant. Is that the opening, the throat depth, or the length of the clamp?


----------



## SeniorSitizen (May 2, 2012)

Total length


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Well I just found a Size 4 or I guess 16” Hand Screw Clamp that would be better, but I’m just blown away by the prices. I even found a kit to make my own, but it’s almost as much so I guess I’m NOT ever going to have one.

Now I’m really upset that I lost my dad’s clamps. I just never knew the value of them because they were so big and primitive looking.


----------



## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Take a look at this recent thread, you might want to have a go at making your own from scratch. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f30/homemade-hand-screws-55064/


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

trc65 said:


> Take a look at this recent thread, you might want to have a go at making your own from scratch. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f30/homemade-hand-screws-55064/


 Perfect! :thumbsup: 

Thanks so much. I can do that. I actually thought of using all-thread, but I thought maybe it was two separate threads, one being reverse.


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Well I have everything I need except for the maple. I’m looking on line to see if I can have some shipped to me. The only thing that would delay the project is shipping cost. So far the shipping is about as much as buying one already built.
I may have to wait until I take a trip someplace where there is a decent lumber yard


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

How much maple do you need?
I may be able to help you out.


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

sawdustfactory said:


> How much maple do you need?
> I may be able to help you out.


 Well thanks for the offer, but I’m not exactly sure. :smile:

I’d like to make at least 4 clamps while I have everything set up and I’m thinking about 16” clamps, but I don’t really know what a good size is without actually having one in my hand. Maybe I should make a couple of 12” and a couple of 16”. 

The guy in the video glued two pieces together and I’m not so sure I like that, although it might make it stronger and I wouldn’t need as thick a piece to start out with. 

I don’t know anything about these clamps and I’m really only interested in how deep that are. I always have to come up with ways to clamp things that my standard clamps can’t reach and it usually ends up using weights from my barbell set. Positioning large pieces to use gravity as my pressure gets complicated at times. 

Anyway I’m in no real hurry and I have a lot of projects already lined up. My daughter is getting married next month and I have long honey do list at the moment. I’m going to need a break after this is all over and may take a short trip someplace. There should be some maple sold someplace on the way.

Hmm, I just remembered that my wife and daughter are driving to northern CA next weekend. I wonder if I could trust them to pick me up something while they are there :shifty:


----------



## nbo10 (Jan 26, 2011)

I wouldn't trust northern ca to have decent prices on lumber.


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

nbo10 said:


> I wouldn't trust northern ca to have decent prices on lumber.


Thanks, My wife is going to Sonoma County and passing through Santa Rosa. I just looked up lumber yards and found a place called Meadclark lumber. They kind of look like a big box store but they advertize Maple hardwood although their web site doesn’t have anything in the way of prices. 
I don’t know if I can talk her into stopping anyway. Her and my daughter has already given me a pretty stern “NO”. :huh:


----------



## nbo10 (Jan 26, 2011)

You call global wood source. They are in san jose. But it's going to cost an arm and a leg. nothing is cheap in ca.


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

nbo10 said:


> You call global wood source. They are in san jose. But it's going to cost an arm and a leg. nothing is cheap in ca.


Oh I hear you, I've been wanting to take a trip someday outside and buy a pickup truck full of as much a variety of hard woods as I can get. 
I would love have some cherry or walnut, but all I can get is stressed out oak. I love red oak, but its frustrating to pay big money and find stress cracks after its cut to size. 
I keep reading posts here about people buying huge amounts of wood on Craigslist and I nearly die of envy


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Sleeper, maple is plentiful and relatively inexpensive here in the NW. I'd be happy to ship some down if you let me know what sizes you need.


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

sawdustfactory said:


> Sleeper, maple is plentiful and relatively inexpensive here in the NW. I'd be happy to ship some down if you let me know what sizes you need.


 Thanks so much for your offer. I decided to glue two pieces together and I figure I would need 8 - 1x3x16” per pair of clamps. I would like to have at least 2 pair and although I would pay you, I just would feel real funny about imposing on you for that much wood.

I just watched the videos again to get all the dimensions and I realized that John Heist was using regular pine construction lumber so I may do the same. The only reason I was thinking maple was because it was recommended on the Jorgensen Hand Screw Wood Clamp Kit.

I do very much appreciate your help, but I’m just going buy something locally so thanks again.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Hey no worries. Just trying to help a brother out. If you change your mind let me know.


----------



## nbo10 (Jan 26, 2011)

How much does maple run in the northwest?


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Depends upon where I get it. Local hardwood dealers it's around $4-5 per board foot. But I know several people with bandsaw or chainsaw mills and can usually get it for about $1-1.50 per board foot. The cheaper is usually not as dry (which is ok as I usually just stockpile it for a while) and is also much rougher and sometimes knottier.


----------



## nbo10 (Jan 26, 2011)

Wow, I'm jealous. I have to really look around to find poplar at 2 bdft.. the company I mention earlier, global wood source, was selling maple, at over 15 bdft with some boards at 30. I might have to plan a trip to the NW next summer to buy wood.


----------



## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Is there a Harbor Freight on your beaten path?


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

MT Stringer said:


> Is there a Harbor Freight on your beaten path?


Yes why? Do they have maple?


Oh You must mean these for $11.99 :









Now that's an idea. I think I'm going to buy them instead. Thanks :yes:


----------



## SeniorSitizen (May 2, 2012)

I like a build challenge occasionally but in the video, unless I totally missed it in the screw segments, I see no mention of left and right hand threads. Tell me if I missed it. Without that feature the HS clamp would be virtually worthless to me.

If this is the trend it makes me wonder if the cheaper imports have gone to this cost cutting measure. Anyone seen this in their new purchases?


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

SandburRanch said:


> I like a build challenge occasionally but in the video, unless I totally missed it in the screw segments, I see no mention of left and right hand threads. Tell me if I missed it. Without that feature the HS clamp would be virtually worthless to me.
> 
> If this is the trend it makes me wonder if the cheaper imports have gone to this cost cutting measure. Anyone seen this in their new purchases?


In the video he has one side floating free without thread and uses nuts to keep the threaded rod positioned in the clamp and it only screws on one side slowing the movement to half the distance. 

The Harbor Freight has two threads R & L to double the movement speed. For $12 I would rather have the Harbor Freight even thought its not 16" like I had planed. I haven't had a chance to go buy one yet, but if it turns out to be too small then I'll build the one in the video.


----------



## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> The Harbor Freight has two threads R & L to double the movement speed. For $12 I would rather have the Harbor Freight even thought its not 16" like I had planed. I haven't had a chance to go buy one yet, but if it turns out to be too small then I'll build the one in the video.


If it is too small, consider gluing a longer sole on the bottom of each jaw to get deeper capacity.


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

MT Stringer said:


> Is there a Harbor Freight on your beaten path?


 Thank you again MT Stringer! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

I had a chance to stop Harbor Freight today and the clamps were on sale for $8.99 so I picked up two. I’m so happy with them that I may go back this weekend and buy two more. 

I wish I had a coupon that works on sale items because I may also buy a spindle sander that's on sale too. :yes:


----------



## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

@Johnny - Look in some of the magazines. I subscribe to Wood and there is a HF ad in every issue including a 20% off one single item. I bought the spindle sander a year ago for $89.

Good luck.
Mike


----------



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

So I went back to Harbor Freight today and all the 12" clamps are gone.:huh:

I guess I should have kept my mouth shut. :blink: :laughing:


----------

