UPDATE on 1st POST RE: Getting together to make some handscrew clamps?

[scsmith42]

As part of the outfitting of my new shop, I’m going to need a good quantity of handscrew clamps. Commercial prices vary, from top of the line Dubuque / Jorgensen’s for over twenty bucks each to the inexpensive imports for 4 - 8 bucks each.

In researching the clamp options, I discovered that kits are available for making your own handscrews, for around half the price of the clamps themselves. Not only are inexpensive import kits available, but also high quality US manufacture kits (same as used by Jorgensen) are available, again for about half the price of the complete clamp.

That got me to thinking…. would it be of interest to fellow North Carolina Woodworker members to get together one weekend to manufacture a slew of clamps for ourselves? If so, we could make it an official North Carolina Woodworker event and cook up some BBQ!

If several folks are interested in dedicating a day to the effort, we could probably divvy up the workload and have someone cutting out the blanks to length, someone sanding the sides on the WBS, someone else using the table saw to cut the slope on the nose of the jaws, someone using the drill press to drill the holes for the steel pivoting nuts, someone else doing the finish sanding, edge rounding, etc. Some of these tasks could be done by the same person, but you get the idea.

Although the traditional material for making clamps is hard maple (which is not commonly found near me), I do have some really nice and large hickory logs that could be quartersawn (and dried) into slabs suitable for clamps. For that matter, if any participants had some of their own lumber it could also be utilized (wouldn’t it be nice to have some Claro walnut handscrews???)

I could also make my shop available for the group to use for the manufacturing effort.

We could put the hickory scraps to good use in the smoker, and have a nice lunch being cooked while we “suffered our way through” a good day woodworking!

Here are some links to some hardware kits; hopefully we may be able to find some of equal or better quality for a better price:

http://woodworker.com/8-handscrew-kit-mssu-125-055.asp
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Handscrew-Kit-4-/H2849 (scroll down to see all of their available kits)

(Perhaps Rick DeNardo at The Moulding Source may be able to get us a good group rate on some Shop Fox handscrew kits...)

Other options include purchasing wooden dowel rods and using a threading tool to make wood screws instead of buying metal ones.

It will take me a few months to get the hickory ready, so this may be a good January or February project, but I thought that I’d toss out the idea to see if anybody would be interested in participating. Please respond to this thread and let me know if you might be interested in participating. Thanks!

Scott

UPDATE ON 9/29/09

For those who will be providing their own blanks for manufacturing their handscrew clamps, below are the recommended finished sizes of the blanks, courtesy of Jorgensen Clamps. Keep in mind that these are recommended finished sizes, so if you have rough stock it will need to be a bit oversized. Also, although the height of the clamp can probably vary a bit, the width will need to remain close to what's recommended.

Jim (Froglips) has been working on the sign-up form, which will allow y'all to enter the sizes and types of clamps that you're interested in making. It should be available within the next day or so.

More to come...

Scott

[scsmith42]

UPDATE on 10/2

I've received all of the evaluation clamp kits, save for the ones from Dubuque Clamp Works (should receive early next week).

Thus far, approximately 2/3 of the initial respondants have completed the survey, and we are in excess of 160 clamps (which doesn't even include the ones for me)! It's looking like we will exceed 200 kits, which is great, as this may provide me with an opportunity to negotiate additional discounts.

Over 90% of the respondents thus far have requested US Manufactured kits, and all of the import kit respondants have indicated that they would switch to US Manufacture if we could get at least another 25% discount from the estimated kit price.

Dubuque has the handles priced as an option, whereas they are included with the Jorgensen and Shop Fox kits. This represents an additional potential cost savings if we manufacture our own handles as part of the workshop and select the Dubuque kits (and if you've used a Woodcraft branded handscrew, you've used the Dubuque hardware as they are the OEM for the Woodcraft clamps.).

The desired clamp sizes are fairly well distributed thus far, with 6" being the most requested, followed by 8" and then 16". 4", 10" and 12" are tied at 20 kits each too, with 14" bringing up the rear at 14 kits.

If you haven't already taken the survey, please do so as soon as possible. Although we're still a couple of months away from ordering, I need the info in order to negotiate kit prices as well as determine how much hickory to mill.

Thanks.

Scott

[eyekode]

Scott,
Thanks for the update. I would bet that many people would go one size up or one size down if it helps to consolidate an order.

[Douglas Robinson]

Eyekode makes a good point. I would be willing to adjust my order for just such a reason.

[ScottM]

+1 on adjusting my order if needed.

[scsmith42]

Originally Posted by eyekode

Scott,
Thanks for the update. I would bet that many people would go one size up or one size down if it helps to consolidate an order.

Salem, thanks for the thought.

Thus far, the manufacturer's / distributors have indicated an opportunity to discount based upon the entire order size, as opposed to buying more of an individual clamp kit. So we may not need to adjust; however it is a good option to "keep in the back pocket", so to speak, in the event that it is needed.

[McRabbet]

If I can make it back to the Triangle for this session, I'd love to make some, too. Probably some 8" and some 12" ones.

[LeftyTom]

Late to the party, as I was on holiday until this week. I filled out the survey, but may add another size/change quantity.

What is the cutoff date for making changes?

[Dust Storm]

I would really enjoy chipping in to build a bunch of clamps. Count me in!

[scsmith42]

Originally Posted by LeftyTom

Late to the party, as I was on holiday until this week. I filled out the survey, but may add another size/change quantity.

What is the cutoff date for making changes?

Jim and Tom - welcome to the party! All that you need to do is to fill out the survey. I'm going to give it another week or so and then see which dates work best for everyone.

Folks can still join in up until the point that we order the clamp kits. Most likely, this will be in early to mid January. Prior to ordering the kits, I will post the quantities and sizes that everybody has signed up for and ask for any final modifications, etc to be made.

Thx.

Scott

[scsmith42]

I'd like to take a few minutes to update everybody on the status of the hand screw event.

Thus far, 32 people have expressed an interest in participating in the event. Of these 32, all but 4 have filled out the survey.

Regarding the date for the event, it's looking like it will be either on Saturday February 20, or Saturday February 27. Of the respondees, we only have one person that can not make the 20th, and a different person that cannot make the 27th. For now, please reserve these dates in your calendar, and I'll report back when I have the final 4 surveys.

Based upon the response thus far, we'll be lined up to build 220 hand screws! Fortunately, that works out to only be around 7 per participant, so that ought to be doable.

Of the 220 clamps, they are distributed as follows:

4" = 26
6" = 48
8" = 40
10" = 24
12" = 36
14" = 14
16" = 32


I have received all of the evaluation kits (Shop Fox, Jorgensen, and Dubuque), and have put together a comparative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each kit. If anybody wishes to stop by and review my evaluation before I post it, you would be most welcome.

We're in the stage of obtaining more accurate prices, based upon the quantities that everybody has signed up for. Probably sometime early to mid next week I'll have the numbers and will merge them in with the evaluation form, and post it here.

More to come.

Scott

[rahimlee54]

I am in as well. If it hasn't been suggested maybe we should each try to bring a dish of food since it is going to be a decent size event.