Clamps belong to the group of manual locksmith tools, more precisely to the gripping /auxiliary/ tools. In addition to clamps, this group also includes vises, clamps, and pliers. Their task is to fix details for subsequent processing.
Clamps are a tool that is used to press and hold two or more parts together in a fixed position until they are permanently joined by gluing, welding, bolting or other means. Therefore, a certain force must be exerted, which depends mainly on the type of objects and the material from which they are made. It is very important that the clamping force remains unchanged until the need for this is no longer necessary and the clamp is released. The clamps used in mass production do not have an indicator of the clamping force, relying solely on the operator's sense.
WHAT ARE CLAMPS USED FOR?
Clamps are among the must-have tools for any carpentry workshop, whether professional or home. They are an indispensable tool in any work on parts and objects that require their secure fixation to the workbench or counter. The same applies to various fixtures and tools, which also need to be securely fastened to the tabletop while working with them.
Assembling furniture and frame structures, repairing rocking chairs and tables, edging furniture boards with natural veneer, making all kinds of wooden structures, including in the garden, making window frames and many other activities are impossible without the use of appropriate clamps. The same applies to the assembly of various metal structures by welding and brazing. Clamps are also used in construction carpentry - for building roofs and other structures from solid wooden elements, such as beams, battens, boards or stems (ritlovitsa), when installing parquet flooring, door and window frames, etc. Even the plastic clips that do not allow the wind to lift the tablecloth on a table placed outdoors in the yard are also a type of clamp.
In any assembly work, the parts must be precisely and stably fixed to each other in advance. They must be pressed firmly until the glue has completely hardened or they must be connected in another way - by screw or rivet joints, welding or soldering in the case of metal products.
COMMON TYPES OF CLAMPS
Screw carpentry clamps are the most common and still the most commonly used type. They can achieve a high clamping force, and their mechanism is as simple as possible, so there is simply nothing to damage. Screw clamps have a steel bar at one end, to which the fixed arm is attached - most often made of precision casting of tempered cast iron. The movable arm has a hole through which it slides onto the bar and can move along it. The smaller the gaps between the bar and the hole in the arm, the better the clamp will work. The other end of the movable arm ends with a hole with an internal motor thread with a trapezoidal profile. The clamping screw is screwed into it. In amateur models, its handle is made of wood, while in professional ones, various plastics are used. The screw ends with a hemispherical head, onto which an easily removable tip is slipped. This allows it to fit snugly against the surface of the pressed object and thus distribute the applied pressure evenly over a larger surface area. This reduces the likelihood of unwanted deformation of the pressed part.
In the most common amateur types of clamps, the steel bar has a rectangular cross-section and fine cross-serration along the narrow edges. This ensures secure fixation of the movable arm when tightening the screw. The support surface of the fixed arm is machined so as to facilitate holding the clamp in place, which is necessary when gluing parts together. These clamps are designed for assembling small-sized structures, as well as for fastening various devices and workpieces to the workbench.
In this product group, we also offer two other types of gripping locksmith tools - vises and clamps. They also serve to fix the workpieces in a stationary position during the work process for the sake of its precision and accuracy.
