The Framers Forum

Hi framers

Could anyone advise the best corner clamp for a home framer to join large float frames?

The profile I mostly use is 39mm d x 55mm w.

I have up until now been using 4.5m band clamps when joining 1m square frames. Which I’ve been perfectly happy with.

However the artist I’m framing for is now doing much bigger pieces (180cm x 130cm) and I don’t have a long enough band strap.

Any suggestions welcomed as always!

You can get the webbing used in the straps from various DIY suppliers. All you have to do is just add a extra length to extend it.

I use some strong ratchet clamps and these;

https://www.rutlands.com/sp+clamping-sq ... X20?tyah=y

I much prefer ratchet clamps to framing band clamps they are much cheaper and tighten up much tighter. I've got more clamping squares than you can shake a stick at and you can use them in so many different ways. I don't know where I would be without them - they are dead square in every direction and if even built them in to jigs as well. They are also extremely strong and you can even drill them and put screws in to them.

I got some of these....

https://www.rockler.com/rockler-1-x-15-band-clamp

Which are simple and well-made. They are similar to the Stanley ones I use all the time. (Which are no longer made).

Alas they aren't too strong. I sheared the spindle on one when I gave it too much welly.

Hi Peter,

Rockler make some great stuff, I did not know that it was possible to get their stuff in the UK. They are probably a bit expensive, I don't expect really good stuff to be cheap! May I ask how you managed to get them in the UK?

Thanks.

To be honest, I can't remember. Somewhere on the net. They were about £20, which isn't too bad.
I got 4 (inc the one I broke). I tend not to use them as they are really only suitable for light-duty work.

The Stanley ones are MUCH stronger construction. You can get a spanner on and really apply a lot of tension.

I ase some very cheap ratchet luggage straps which I buy from my local harewhere shop. Most of them are made by Blackspur. The ratchet machanism is produed from pressed steel and the belt is made of a strong woven orange nylon material. I can get a lot of force on these and they are really cheap to buy. There are a few of these and various things are held in place with them, I even ratchet strap my underpinner to the side of my bench to stop it moving around.

Lots of things, which could be screwed down tend to get straped down instead. I currently used some power saws and the electric surface planner out of doors to avoid too much saw dust in the shop. I currently operate such items on the top of a copy of a black and decker workmate and othen strap these items on to the top of the workmate for safety. I don't know where I got this idea from, but I assumed that this was just common workshop practise.

If you google 'Rockler strap clamps uk',there are a couple of UK suppliers offering them at £20+, or there is this ebay listing where they are considerably cheaper

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/402032529796

Slightly related. If anyone is interested Lidl sometimes sell them for £6. I think straps are about 10ft long.

http://www.eoffersuk.com/wp-content/upl ... ly_020.jpg

I bought four. The cams didnt grip always but I roughened up the cams with some crosshatching from a stanley knife and now they are fine....

There was little stretch in the strap first time I used them but I thing after a use this should fix itself.

Thanks everyone.

I actually found a 7m Bessey clamp which I think will do the job for this one (just) but I’ll have some larger ones to do shortly so this is all very helpful.

Mark I really like the squares and ratchet strap. Thanks for sending this. I’ll definitely be trying this out.

Thanks again,

Kitty

Hi Kitty,

Old school cabinet makers always would say that you can never have too many clamps. I have found this to be true with the volume of jobs that I can have on the go at times, but take your time getting yourself the clamps which you need. As time goes by, you will realise that some of the clamps which you have bought at first might not have been the ones which you wish you had bought at a later date. Many of these clamps with a squeezy handle, which seems so easy to use, don't tighten up as well as the old fashioned ones.

A lot of the ones mostly made from plastic, also become less effective as they get older, because plastic is not as durable as steel. Take your time getting the clamps you want and be aware that a smaller number of better quality clamps is often better than a larger quantity of cheaper clamps which will become less effective as time goes by. I have a mixture of clamps which I bought because they seemed to be what I needed at the time and they were good value for money, but more recently I have been buying the better quality ones.

There's a big difference between tools made to get you by and tools which have been made to be the best. It's surprising how long it takes for something you bought, because it's something which you must have, to become the item which you later realise you needed to be something better. My table saw which I have not had much more than two and a half years, I am already wishing that I got one with accurately machined slots in the table top. It's got loads of power, but really accurate slot in the table top a very important thing after you have really got in to how many things you can do sucessfully with a decent table saw.

I've already changed my original band saw for a better one and I'm now thinking that a better table saw is probably already on the cards, as you become more skillful, this tends to be what happens and eventually you start to realise that the make do equipment is beginning to hold you back. Some equipment items may do the job, but actually hold you back and slow you down. The trick is knowing which tools are going to make the difference and which ones don't make very much real difference and believe me that at first you may not realse this yourself until later, so take your time buying to much to soon.

Thank you Mark. I will have fun exploring all the options available along the way I’m sure.
I already own a fair few things I definitely wish I hadn’t purchased. But it’s all part of the journey right?

I do have one question. When you use the ratchet straps do you put anything between the straps and the frame corners?

I cut up some strips of backing board to use on the corners as protectors.

That thought never even crossed my mint, I just used little bits of wood. I wish somebody told my eariler, I could have saved myself a lot of bother. A lot of the time, I never knew what had happened to the little wooden blocks and had to make some new ones. Some of my clamps have squeezy bits of plastic which act as non marking pads, they sound like a good idea, but they don't always tighten up quite so much. I rely up on the clamps producing a really tight glue line, so that nothing is visible throgh the final finish.

I like the polycarbonate clamping squares, the give you a lot of area to clamp with. They are very hard plastic, but they don't seem to mark the frames. The glue does not stick too much to them and they are easy to clean with hot soapy water and one of those green nylon pan shiners. I find the clamping squares very useful and they save me quite a lot of time. They are very easy to drill holes in to and screw them to wooden table saw sleds to locate bits of wood for repeat cuts which all need to be the same dimensions.

After I have finished, I just unscrew them and continue the use them as before. I does not bother me, drilling holes in a table saw sled. Clamping to a table sled is not the easiest thing too do and you never seem to have enough hands available while you doing it. I just drill the clearance hole for the screws, drop the screws in place and give the screws a firm tap with a hammer to mark the spolt and then drill the pilot holes for the scews. I have several table saw sleds for different uses and although people like the base board to be kept thin, I like thicker boards capable of accepting a reasonable length of wood screw.

I also use little blocks of wood and loner bit of wood that can use as hold downs and screw these down to clamp the wood in place. I am reasonably used to working with a table saw, but they can be a bit scary and I don't like my hand anywhere near the wurling saw blade. I think that table saws are probably the most dangerous power tools which you can have. Clamping squares are great for holding the wood square while you are cutting the wood and are keeping your fingers at a safe distance.

As for corner pieces..... I never use them.

Most (all) of the stuff I strap clamp is unfinished, so any crushing will be made good in the finishing process as
I always slightly radius the corners. One moulding I use a LOT of has a groove along the back which the webbing
neatly goes in. Same thing with using spring clamps. They leave a little 'divot' which gets filled as I do the finishing.
Spring clamps are good for reverse profile moulding where you cannot easily put a strap clamp on.

Hi Peter,

Do you mean the spring clamp with the sharp metal points that dig in to the wood? I've got a set of them, but they are not normally my first choice for most wood types, but they work really well on oak mouldings where the wood as so hard, the the little divet is very small indeed. I try to avoid using fillers if at all possible as I have limited manual dexterity and saving time is critical to to keeping my business viable, With the very small diviets and bare wood oak, I find it much easier to just sand it down very slightly on my bench top belt sander with the finest available abrasive belt and it's job done in seconds.