Woodworking Clamps

Woodworking clamps hold your boards and joints steady while you glue, cut or sand. Get the type right and you can keep parts aligned while you tighten, hold a board to the bench or bring a corner together without fighting the assembly. Start with one-hand bar clamps and screw-handle bar clamps, then add the shapes your work calls for.

One-hand bar clamps leave you a hand for alignment

Buy a one-hand bar clamp when you need to hold the clamp and adjust the wood at the same time. Squeezing the trigger advances the jaw, leaving your other hand free to line up the parts. That free hand is the reason to buy one.

The IRWIN Quick-Grip 6-inch mini bar clamp and 6-inch bar clamp give you two compact starting choices. Jorgensen EZ Hold bar clamps include 6-inch, 8-inch, 12-inch, 24-inch and 36-inch sizes. Choose the shorter sizes for smaller assemblies and move to the longer ones when the work needs the span. The Jorgensen 18-inch bar clamp/spreader is the pick when your work calls for both holding parts together and spreading them apart.

What are bar clamps used for? Cabinet glue-ups, wide panels and other assemblies that need adjustable reach. One-hand versions are especially useful while you get those parts lined up. Montana’s winter interior renovation season brings cabinet work indoors, and keeping a hand on the joint while you bring the clamp up is a real advantage on that work.

Use the trigger clamp to establish the hold. When the assembly needs additional pressure, add an F-clamp or pipe clamp after alignment. Keeping parts where you want them comes before tightening harder.

Screw-handle bar clamps belong at the bench

For F-clamps for woodworking, start with the job you do most. Short F-clamps secure boards to a bench for sanding, laminating and other work. They also handle small glue-ups. Buy a short one for bench holding; save the long bar for work that needs it.

The Jorgensen 4-inch light-duty steel bar clamp fits light work. The 6-inch and 24-inch medium-duty steel bar clamps give you short and longer choices. Jorgensen heavy-duty bar clamps come in 6-inch, 12-inch and 36-inch sizes. Choose the duty level for the work and the length for the assembly. A heavy-duty 6-inch clamp and a 36-inch clamp solve different reach problems.

How do you use bar clamps? Position the jaws to hold the work, bring the movable jaw into place and tighten while watching the joint. A twisting handle and swivel head can shift parts during tightening. Put the movable jaw against the stationary part of the assembly when possible, and check alignment as pressure comes on. More tightening is not a substitute for correcting a shifted joint.

Spring clamps handle quick, light holds

Woodworking spring clamps are the ones to buy for temporary holds during assembly and small, light glue jobs. Their easy handling is the benefit. Use them where a quick hold does the work, then use a bar clamp where the assembly needs more pressure or reach.

Pony spring clamps include 1-inch, 2-inch and 3-inch sizes, along with 2-1/4-inch and 4-inch hand spring clamps. Match the size to the piece you are holding. Spring strength varies, so give the clamp a test squeeze when choosing it. Pick the grip you can operate comfortably for the light work in front of you.

C-clamps give you screw-applied pressure

Woodworking C-clamps apply pressure through a screw. Buy them for general holding when their size suits the work. How far in from the edge any clamp can press depends on its throat depth, not on whether it’s a C or an F, so check that number when the holding point sits away from the edge.

Pony light-duty C-clamps come in 1-inch, 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch sizes. Choose among those sizes for the workpiece, and keep the light-duty designation part of the decision. Soft jaw pads cushion wood against scuffs, scratches and dents. They belong in the purchase when the face you are gripping will remain visible.

For general holding with locking C-clamp pliers, choose an IRWIN VISE-GRIP locking C-clamp in a size suited to the work, with 4-inch, 6-inch, 8-inch, 11-inch and 18-inch choices.

Pipe clamps let you choose the length

The Pony 3/4-inch black pipe clamp is the pick when you want to build the clamp around the length of your project. Pipe-clamp jaws attach to separately purchased pipe, and the movable jaw slides along it. Changing the pipe length changes the clamp length.

For the question “what pipe for pipe clamps for woodworking,” match the pipe diameter to the fixture: choose 3/4-inch pipe for the Pony 3/4-inch fixture. Pipe-clamp fixtures also exist for 1/2-inch pipe, so diameter is part of the purchase, not an interchangeable detail.

Long clamps are heavy. Buy the length your assembly needs and account for that weight when laying out the work. Even 3/4-inch pipe can flex with excessive tightening. Tighten to hold the joint, and arrange the assembly to keep wet glue away from pipe-to-wood contact, which can leave black marks. Those habits make a long pipe-clamp setup more useful on the next glue-up.

Angle clamps hold woodworking corners

Buy the Pony 2-inch 90-degree angle clamp set for right-angle work. Angle clamps suit precise corners in cabinetry and framing, and corner clamps can hold mitered pieces in position while glue dries. That makes corner clamps for woodworking a direct answer when the joint’s angle is the part you need to control.

A longer bar clamp gives you more span. A corner clamp addresses the corner itself. For winter cabinet repairs or frame work in a Montana shop, choose the angle clamp when keeping that right angle is the job.

Band clamps suit round and irregular shapes

Buy the Pony 15-foot Rapid band clamp for round, irregular or multi-sided assemblies. Woodworking band clamps, also called strap clamps, conform to nonsquare shapes. That is their advantage when opposing straight jaws do not give you the hold the assembly needs.

Choose the band around the shape of the whole assembly. For a right-angle joint, buy the angle clamp; for an irregular assembly that needs a surrounding hold, buy the band clamp.

Choose clamp sizes around the work

Two numbers matter on a clamp. The opening is the widest the jaws spread: the most material they can close around. The throat depth is how far the jaws reach in from the edge of the work. WBC’s Jorgensen heavy-duty bar clamps are labeled that way: a 3 x 12 has a 3-inch throat and a 12-inch opening, and they’re rated at 1,000 pounds of clamping force. Leave room in the opening for the protective blocks or pads you put between the jaws and the wood.

Use these named sizes to narrow the purchase. Then match the clamp to the assembled work, including any protective pads or blocks between the jaws and the wood.

Clamp	Named sizes or configuration	Buy it for
IRWIN Quick-Grip bar and mini bar clamps	6-inch	One-hand holding and alignment
Jorgensen EZ Hold bar clamps	6-inch, 8-inch, 12-inch, 24-inch and 36-inch	One-hand holding across different project sizes
Jorgensen bar clamp/spreader	18-inch	Clamping and spreading work
Jorgensen light-duty steel bar clamp	4-inch	Light clamping work
Jorgensen medium-duty steel bar clamps	6-inch and 24-inch	Short bench holds and longer glue-ups
Jorgensen heavy-duty bar clamps	3 x 6, 3 x 12 and 3 x 36 inches, 1,000 lb	Heavy glue-ups needing real pressure and a 3-inch throat
Pony spring and hand spring clamps	1-inch, 2-inch, 2-1/4-inch, 3-inch and 4-inch	Quick, light holds
Pony light-duty C-clamps	1-inch, 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch	General screw-applied holding
Pony black pipe clamp	3/4-inch pipe size	A clamp length selected around the project
Pony angle clamp set	2-inch, 90-degree	Right-angle assemblies
Pony Rapid band clamp	15-foot	Round, irregular and multi-sided assemblies

The best clamps for woodworking are the ones that cover your actual holding jobs. Start with one-hand clamps for alignment and short F-clamps for the bench. Add longer bar or pipe clamps for wider work, then corner or band clamps for those shapes.

How many clamps do you need? Count the holds on your largest planned glue-up and include the clamps needed to secure work to the bench. Lay the assembly out before applying glue and position clamps to distribute force uniformly. Buy enough to cover those holds without borrowing a clamp from a joint that still needs it.

Store woodworking clamps by type and length where you can reach the short bench clamps easily. Give long clamps a secure place where their weight is supported and their bars stay out of the walking path. An orderly clamp rack makes choosing the right one part of the work instead of a search through a pile.

The Pick

Buy an IRWIN Quick-Grip 6-inch bar clamp or Jorgensen EZ Hold 12-inch bar clamp for one-hand alignment, and a Jorgensen 6-inch medium-duty steel bar clamp for bench work. Choose a longer Jorgensen bar clamp for wider glue-ups, or the Pony 3/4-inch black pipe clamp when you want to select the pipe length around the project. Buy the Pony 2-inch 90-degree angle clamp set for corners and the Pony 15-foot Rapid band clamp for irregular shapes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What clamps do I need for woodworking?

Start with one-hand clamps for holding parts while you align them and short F-clamps for bench work. Add length when your assemblies need it, and choose corner clamps for right-angle joints or band clamps for irregular shapes. Match the clamp to where the pressure needs to land, because extra length won’t help if the jaws can’t reach the holding point.

What are bar clamps used for?

Bar clamps give you adjustable reach for holding parts together. Short F-clamps are useful for securing work to a bench during sanding or laminating, and they handle small glue-ups. For bench work, position the clamp where it holds the piece securely without putting the handle in your working path.

How do you use bar clamps?

Position the jaws against the work and bring them snug before applying the final pressure. A twisting handle and swivel head can move the parts, so put the movable jaw against the stationary part of the assembly when possible. Watch the joint as you tighten, and use soft jaw pads to cushion finished surfaces against dents and scratches.

What pipe should I use for woodworking pipe clamps?

Match the pipe diameter to the clamp fixtures: fixtures are made for 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch pipe. The pipe length determines the clamp’s length, so choose it around the assembly you need to hold. Even 3/4-inch pipe can flex with excessive tightening, and wet glue at pipe-to-wood contact can leave black marks.

How many woodworking clamps do I need?

You need enough clamps to hold the whole assembly with pressure distributed across it; the count changes with the job. Lay out the clamps and rehearse the assembly before spreading glue, including any clamps needed to secure the work to the bench. If a joint shifts as you tighten, correct the alignment or clamp placement before adding more pressure.