Martha Graham
Update, 02/01/2022 — I updated the link to Shopsmith Woodshop Tips, Tip #115
I need some clamps to hold guitar sides against the guitar top while I am assembling the guitar on the work board. I really wanted to make all wooden spool clamps, but I am facing a deadline. To make wooden spools clamps I would have to buy a wood threading tap and die set, then wait 2 weeks for Lee Valley to ship me some nice maple dowels. Then I'd have to turn the spool tops and bottoms on the lathe, not that that would be a bad thing, but as I said, I'm on a deadline.
The plans that I followed to make these clamps can be found here. I thank ShopSmith for posting all those wood working tips!
The plans are quite straight forward and easy to follow, though there is a misprinted dimension, it has to do with where the hole for the pivot is located on the cam lever. Double check all the plan measurements before you begin.
There are also plans for making laminated cam clamps out there on the Internet, you just gotta do some surfing.
I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so that ruled out buying a bar of aluminum to cut into bars. I ripped some 3/8 thick strips from a nice Douglas fir 2x4x10, then ran those strips through the thickness sander so they finished to 5/16 of an inch thick. I cut all the parts, then began laminating every thing. The bars were laminated into the lower jaw so I didn't have to drill a bunch of holes to make the mortise. Then I laminated the upper jaw around the bar making sure that the jaw could slide along the bar.
Why laminate every thing? Why not, I don't have to drill and trim mortises. I spent maybe 6 six hours making these clamps.
Why Douglas fir? I had it on hand, it is one of my favorite woods. Douglas fir is strong and this stud was milled from a third or fourth growth tree, this wood is awfully light which is a plus at this point. Remember, these clamps are going to be used only to hold guitar sides in place during assembly. I don't need clamps that can produce 300+ pounds of pressure to squeeze out a bunch of glue.
Wow, how nice to have a bunch of clamps that didn't cost me $20-$30 a piece.