F-style clamps are named for their shape which look like the letter "F" and is one of the most common style of clamps found in a workshop. F-style clamps have a long handle and two metal jaws that are mounted to steel bars that come together to grip whatever you're working on. These are typically the cheapest clamps you can buy and where quality is not a big concern when looking for good clamps. F-style clamps are available in a different sizes, and they can be adjusted to fit the thickness of the wood that they are holding. Most f-style clamps come with protective pads to prevent slipping and protect your work surface from scratches. The adjustable pressure ensures that your project is held firmly in place and increasing pressure with a quarter turn.
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F-style clamps are great for clamping down boards or panels, and I consider them as a universal clamp for any purpose. I find myself using the f-style clamps when assembling smaller projects and don't want to use a larger heavier clamp. A great way to use them is with angled clamping blocks to glue up and clamp different angles in your projects. With them being fairly cheap, you can quickly build up a large collection of clamps and be able to work faster during your big projects.
Large wood clamps are great for woodworking projects. Learn how to build pipe clamps for almost any size wood project in this tutorial.
12+ years ago, as we were starting our renovation journey, I had no idea what type of wooden clamps to buy for projects. We had some spring clamps in our tool collection but those had mainly been used for hanging sheeting for when we used our paint sprayer or holding edging on to the end of wood pieces.
After a trip to the hardware store, I came home with a couple ratcheting c-clamps. At around $20 though, and for only a set distance amount, I quickly realized that we still didn't have the right type of tool. We needed large woodworking clamps and what we owned didn't cut it.
I honestly had no idea that pipe clamps were a thing at this point though so we just kept doing projects without having the right set of clamps for them. One day, at my Grandpa's workshop, I was looking around and helping him with something (oh, I think it was when he helped me strengthen and fix wobbly chairs!). Anyways, he had a bunch of pipe clamps for wood.
I asked him about them and he said that the adjustable pipe clamps are great and he uses them all the time. After seeing his collection, I set out to make some of my own.
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The pony clamps will come in two pieces (a clamp and a spreader). Half of the pony clamp that you buy is going to look like this:
The other side (the spreader) is going to look like this (but won't be on a pipe at this point):
I'm hesitant to call this "DIY" pipe clamps because it's really just buying two parts and putting them together. But, since I didn't know about these when I started my woodworking journey, I'm sharing about how to make these clamps for woodworking.
To build your wood clamps, place the spreader and the pony clamp on your threaded galvanized pipe at opposite ends. One part of the pipe clamp will be stationary and the other part of the pipe clamp will allow you to move it to hold wood in place.
You can make these woodworking clamps at different sizes. To do this, you just need to cut your pipe at different lengths. In my grandfather's workshop, he had probably thirty pipe clamps and most of them were on pipes that were ½" thick and were around 3-5' long.
What is the total cost to make cheap pipe clamps?
A pipe that's around 3' will run you around $20. Pipe clamps are normally just under $20. So, one pipe clamp will run you right under $40.
What type of pipe is used for pipe clamps?
Usually threaded galvanized pipes in ½" or ¾" are used.
One way to save money would be to thread your own pipes. If you have a pipe threader this can be a great option as you can find pipes often at garage sales, restores, etc., pretty often.
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We borrowed a pipe threader a few years' ago from my dad when we were working on customizing our living room light. It was a fun tool to use. A small learning curve, but definitely doable for sure.
Well, I hope this was helpful to hear about! We've slowly added to our woodworking clamps. I've found a few bar clamps at garage sales and picked up a few C clamps up at the hardware store. The more woodworking you end up doing, the more you'll need.
If you are interested in trying your hand at an entry-level woodworking project, I still love these two projects that I did:
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Large wood clamps are great for woodworking projects. Learn how to build pipe clamps for almost any size wood project in this tutorial.
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You can make these woodworking clamps at different sizes. To do this, you just need to cut your pipe at different lengths. In my grandfather&#;s workshop, he had probably thirty pipe clamps and most of them were on pipes that were ½&#; thick and were around 3-5&#; long.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Adjustable pipe clamps.