wooden hand screw clamps aren't just old-fashioned tools there's a reason they've remained popular for about 200 years they can do things that no other modern clamps can at least not as well I've made videos in the past about some of the ways that they may be used but today I want to show you a clever modification that really takes these clamps to a new level of usefulness it's an idea that was shared with me by Mike Taylor from Taylor toolworks Mike runs a small family business in Missouri if you ever need tools for your shop you should check them out first use the link pinned to the top of the comment section below I'll also put it in the video description in fact bookmark that link so you can use it in the future and then they'll know that we sent you I've talked many times about why I think it's good to support small businesses like Taylor tools but this sort of innovation just really reinforces that Mike has modified the traditional clamp design so that it can be used for all sorts of clever woodworking tasks I'm going to show you some of the things that you can do then I'll show you how you can make the modifications and even how you can make your own clamps the key is the addition of various holes and grooves in the Jaws now before you go drilling holes in your clamps you have to watch to the end of the video because there is more than meets the eye here you're going to need a couple of these clamps as well I prefer the match fit brand because they have a longer reach which I think is important for some of these tasks because it's going to add some extra stability but these fence clamps will also do the job and they're a lot less expensive I'll put links to both Styles below the video whichever style you choose will be taking advantage of the straight pin like upper jaw this will slip inside the various holes in your modified clamps body so that it may be flush mounted on a bench top the first orientation you might try is fully on the bench top with the clamp secured in this position you can hold work pieces on edge for planing sanding mortising cutting whatever you need to do I like this method of securing the clamp to the bench because I don't need any dog holes and there's nothing sticking up above the clamp and in the way you can also use the holes on the ends of the Jaws to secure it perpendicular to the end or edge of a bench top if I move the inner jaw flush with the edge of the bench top I can utilize the hole inside the jaw now I have a way to secure a work piece on its end in front of the bench even larger pieces which can be supported with the addition of a second clamp another option is to roll the clamp upward and utilize the holes on the side of the jaw this is one orientation where the longer reach of that match fit clamp comes in handy there are many more ways that the various holes may be used to solve work holding challenges for any number of cutting or shaping tasks it's really just a matter of a little thought and some experimentation Mike's design also includes some v-grooves that have been routed into the Jaws to help hold round stocks such as dowels don't underestimate how useful this can be not just on the bench top the V groups can also keep Square project parts or even pen blanks perpendicular for tasks like Drilling of course there are many other ways to utilize wooden hand screw clamps this one is a ready-made Vise for face frame assembly I use them all the time to safely hold small parts in a drill press or at the router table and they make excellent stops for saws and router fences we could go on and on about the ways to use these but you won't get half the use out of them without these modifications and unfortunately you can't make all the modifications to your existing wooden screw clamps because some of them have to be made before the clamp is assembled and you can't easily disassemble a wooden screw clamp without removing the handles which may be pinned or even epoxied in place plus some of the additional holes require the Jaws to be an inch longer than a typical wooden screw clamp but fortunately you can make your own because Taylor tools has Hardware kits with everything you need except the wood for the Jaws it's a fun project and a good way to use up some of those scraps of hardwood you've been saving the kits come in four different sizes I love these smaller clamps for holding parts and other tasks but for many of the work holding operations I just showed you I recommend a 10 or a 12 inch kit in fact buy at least two kits so you can use the clamps in pairs they're really not that expensive inside you're going to find instructions for making your own clamps you can also download the instructions for free at the bottom of the web page where you buy the kits I'm going to link to that page below but here's some important points you have to keep in mind you'll have to add that one inch to the heel of each jaw if you want to make these modifications and since the layout instructions show the screw holes measured from the heel you're going to have to add that inch to those measurements as well as I said some of these modifications have to be made before the clamp is assembled particularly the V groups one Groove goes right down the center of each jaw and another crosses it about two inches from the toe these are best made at the router table with a v-groove router bit you could do this with a handheld router if you secure the jaw to your bench top before you cut and a third option is to use a table saw tilting the blade at 45 degrees and cutting in both directions to create that V shape be sure to use a miter gauge to keep the piece from turning while you're cutting or routing those short grooves that go across the ends of the Jaws next come the additional mounting holes these are done with a half inch drill bit the trickiest might be at the heel you can do this with a handheld drill if you're careful to keep it straight just Center it on the end of each jaw the other holes can be drilled freehand as well but I think a drill press is the best option one goes near the heel another between the two spots where the screws go through those spots of course are explained in the clamp making instructions these holes go all the way through the jaw another pair must be bored through the adjacent face they don't have to perfectly intersect with the previous holes but it's nice if they do it's also nice to chamfer the rim around each hole just to keep things neat do the same thing to each of the two jaws and then you're ready to assemble your clamp and get started trying out new ways to hold your work without a vise please use the links below to thank Mike and Taylor toolworks for sharing their ideas freely with this audience and don't forget to bookmark the link below for future tool purchases they help support our Channel and when you use that link you offer us support too see you next time when I decide to get more serious about woodturnin
