Lining clamps?

[Matthew Tucker]

having just finished gluing the linings on bass #2 i realise that i still don't have a great clamping system.

I've tried bulldog clips, clothespegs, cheap hobby clamps from $2 shop, big F clamps, spring "A" clamps and none of them are perfect. either too big, or not enough pressure, or they damage the wood, or the pressure is uneven ...
Best I have found are small 50mm G clamps. But these only have small clamping surfaces which dents the wood a bit, And I need lots of them, so I don't want to pay lots for goldplated clamps.

I've searched the web but so far, not much suitable.

Actually, I'd love to find some even tinier 25mm clamps with a large clamping surface. Anyone seen any? or got any other ideas??

Chet? you've gotta have a great idea for me!

[ArenW]

Have you checked these out? They seemed to work pretty well for me. Ideal? Maybe not, but they didn't damage the wood and seem to maintain enough pressure.

[RCWilliams]

spread the clamp force with a counter form , 1/4" plexiglass or poly carbonate heated with a heat gun and bent close to the shape clamped with the rib in the form and the counter form on the inside of the lining works fairly well. another piece of lining should work too. stronger clamps can then be used w/o damage to the lining or rib.

[Bob Branstetter]

I've always used modified cloths pins. I wrap rubber bands around them just in front of the spring to increase the tension. I cut off the every end and flatten the clamping surface with a quick pass on the band saw and/or a rasp. I use them on everything from violins to basses, just varying the jaw opening as required.

[Don Harris]

Originally Posted by Bob Branstetter

I've always used modified cloths pins. I wrap rubber bands around them just in front of the spring to increase the tension.

That's what I did. For the few spots that needed more pressure, I used little c-clamps and lining wood for cauls.

[Damon Rondeau]

Clamping surfaces -- a long time ago I made up a bunch of pieces of quarter-inch thick poplar, about an inch and a half square, whatever fits the metal pad of a Pony bar clamp head. I sunk a little hole in each square to recieve a quarter-inch rare earth magnet, then epoxied a magnet into each square.

They are the best clamp pads ever, as long as your clamps are made of ferrous material. The magnet draws them up to the clamp head real easy and keeps 'em there. No fuss, no third hand necessary, no damage to the stock.

However, if you've got visions of using a few dozen little C-clamps then you're gonna need a bunch of clamp pads...

[Ken McKay]

I use these Klemsia type clamps. You can make a batch of them for different uses. Make the shaft longer than the width of you sides for top/back clamping etc. They also reach into the rib for clamping reinforcement strips.

[Matthew Tucker]

Thanks for those ideas. I don't know whether its my technique or the woods am using but I am finding it hard to get even contact all the way around, even if I get the linings fitting really well. Well, I think they are bent well Bulldog clips work quite well, every bit as good as modified clothes pegs, which I have tried. but if I need to add extra pressure, the only thing that works well is g clamps or something like that.

I can get good contact at the gluing edge, but the inside edge often ends up with an ugly gap in places. If I clamp further into the rib, the opposite happens. Then I need to go around again wth more clamps, hot water and a heat gun to pull all the edges together neatly.

[ArenW]

I'm currently struggling with getting linings where I want them as well. I bent them to fit and everything looked really good, but after they dried and I took the clamps off, the edges aren't as even as before. The bottom bouts are a bit mishapen now as well as the upper right bout.

I am going to try kerfing the linings to hopefully relieve a bit of the problem. Good luck, I feel your pain!