# Home made hand screw clamps



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

In Lee Valley's monthly e-letter were plans for these home made hand screw clamps. The only purchased materials are threaded rod and t-nuts. Lee Valley Tools - Woodworking Newsletter


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I saw those, Charles, and thought that mini versions might be great for luthiers or model makers...bigger ones for boat builders. As LV and yourself point out, bought Jorgensens ain't cheap. You start buying 20 or 30 of them and that's getting expensive.
Dubuque Wooden Handscrews - Lee Valley Tools
_(I see they've got a new name for wooden screw clamps...not Jorgensens anymore?)_


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

Thanks for posting that Charles - just what I was looking for!


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I also so those and know the cost of the LV and Jorgensen. I bought some Chinese made versions of the Jorgensen from Harbor Freight that seem to be made quite well and are much cheaper. I've been using them for several years now with no problems at all. You may want to look at these before trying to make your own.

12" Handscrew Clamp

8" Handscrew Clamp

10" Handscrew Clamp

Charley


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

DaninVan said:


> I saw those, Charles, and thought that mini versions might be great for luthiers or model makers...bigger ones for boat builders. As LV and yourself point out, bought Jorgensens ain't cheap. You start buying 20 or 30 of them and that's getting expensive.
> Dubuque Wooden Handscrews - Lee Valley Tools
> _(I see they've got a new name for wooden screw clamps...not Jorgensens anymore?)_


The price was always what held me back. I found some knockoffs that were about the same price as the Harbor Freight ones that Charley linked to at a woodworking show in Cloverdale quite a while back. I don't find that I need them very often but there are times when other clamps just don't work as well or don't work at all. There have been times when a lot longer reach would have been good too and these are easily scalable. You could go up to 1/2" threaded rod if you want and use 3x3 or bigger for the arms. You don't have to use t-nuts, a standard hex nut epoxied into a counterbore would work just as well with a flat washer in between the tightener and the nut.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

How difficult would it be to make a bunch of threaded dowels? Big enough to take say, 1/2" threaded rod? That's really the central issue to making knock off Jorgensens, isn't it?
Mind you, at some point the excellent prices that you guys posted for the commercial knock offs would make DIY ones not worth the bother.
By the time you buy steel rod, a tap, and threaded rod, and make wooden handles...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Speaking of clamps, I bought a web clamp from LV last week...
16' Web Clamp - Lee Valley Tools 
$13.50+tax
Yesterday, I grabbed a web tie-down at Summit Tools for $5. actually a much nicer ratchet device and I believe better webbing. Only problem is...and I completely forgot about this when I bought it... the tie down is a two part system_ whereas the web clamp has the long strap sewn onto the ratchet._ Now I need to figure out how to remove the short hooked section on the ratchet, and install the long separate web. Hand sew it?!
"JAaames..."


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Lol...


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I broke a strap in half once and my wife sewed the ends together on her sewing machine. It held together just fine. I bought a couple of those LV straps a few years back and they are really handy, especially for repairing chairs. You can use a regular ratchet strap but the LV ones are a little nicer to use.

I looked into making my own Jorgensen's a few years ago. The threaded rods are right hand thread half way and left hand the other half. By the time you buy left hand tap and die it's not worth it.


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