Suggestions for clamping a desk longer than my clamps?

[Yelverton]

So I'm just about at the assembly stage for a desk. The desk is 6' long and my longest clamps are 4' parallels. The apron and stretchers are M&T'd into the legs, so I need to figure out how to clamp things up. My plan is to glue up the subassemblies for the sides first, then the back apron and stretcher in a second glue-up. Any suggestions for how I can clamp them with no long clamps?

 

[mdbuntyn]

A few guys on another forum use ratchet straps, or you could drawbore the M&T joints.

 

[Yelverton]

A few guys on another forum use ratchet straps, or you could drawbore the M&T joints.

Thanks Matt. Yeah I considered drawboring them but they're not through tenons, they're only 3/4" long and I don't think it will work. Hadn't considered ratchet straps but that's a good idea. I broke one of mine the last time I used them so I might have to pick up a pair. I guess I could use some cardboard or something to protect the piece when I tighten it down. Doing it that way I might also need to do the back apron/stretcher glue-up first so the side aprons/stretchers don't interfere.

 

[creasman]

If you use simple round pipe clamps you can use two of these by rotating the end stops 90 degrees to the front stops. Then have the ends locked against each other while you screw the fronts to apply pressure. Not something you can do with flat bar clamps.

 

[Gofor]

When using ratchet straps, it is very easy to get uneven pressure between the two sides of the strap, resulting in them pulling the assembly out of square. One way to reduce this is to put waxed paper (several layers folded) over the cardboard edge protectors (corner molding also works instead of cardboard) to allow the strap to more easily slide over the corners. Another way is to use two straps, with the ratchets on opposite sides, so you can apply alternating pressure as you tighten them.

 

[jfynyson]

Not sure how many 4' parallel clamps you have or how many you'd need for this glue up but for my recent wide computer desk build I connected my parallel clamps end to end to make them longer clamps and it works great. I know you're trying to clamp length-wise but same principle applies. See below as one option:

 

[Steve_Honeycutt]

Izzy to the rescue with his version of wooden bar clamps.

 

[Yelverton]

When using ratchet straps, it is very easy to get uneven pressure between the two sides of the strap, resulting in them pulling the assembly out of square. One way to reduce this is to put waxed paper (several layers folded) over the cardboard edge protectors (corner molding also works instead of cardboard) to allow the strap to more easily slide over the corners. Another way is to use two straps, with the ratchets on opposite sides, so you can apply alternating pressure as you tighten them.

This is really good real-world advice. Thanks very much.

 

[Yelverton]

Not sure how many 4' parallel clamps you have or how many you'd need for this glue up but for my recent wide computer desk build I connected my parallel clamps end to end to make them longer clamps and it works great. I know you're trying to clamp length-wise but same principle applies. See below as one option:

Wow, that worked better than I expected. Definitely an option as I have 6 48" parallels.

 

[zapdafish]

I've never tried this but using a handplane and timber dogs

 

[JimD]

I mainly use pipe clamps so it is easy to screw on a coupler and thread pipes together. 1/2 inch pipe clamps won't apply much pressure when longer than about 4 feet but 3/4 pipe clamps work pretty well out to at least 8 feet. They are not very expensive either. Black pipe, which is cheaper, works best (fixed jaw may slip if they are galvanized).

 

[Bill Clemmons]

If none of the above suggestions work out, come see me in Liberty. I can loan you several 4-6' pipe clamps w/ couplers, or I have 3, 10' pipe clamps you can borrow.

 

[Henry W]

So I'm just about at the assembly stage for a desk. The desk is 6' long and my longest clamps are 4' parallels. The apron and stretchers are M&T'd into the legs, so I need to figure out how to clamp things up. My plan is to glue up the subassemblies for the sides first, then the back apron and stretcher in a second glue-up. Any suggestions for how I can clamp them with no long clamps?

More than a few years back I was faced with the same embarrassing situation - a woodworker that did not have enough clamps! I believe the post was titled "Oh the shame of it - WWer with too few clamps.". I too publicly acknowledged my failings (at least as public as NCWW is!).
What saved me were several generous offers to lend clamps - like Bill offered you above. At that point I was able to borrow enough clamps from a single individual and therefore did not have to drive all over town (I was gluing up a 4' wide x 10' long table top and needed 8 or so, and had 2).

Anyways there are work-arounds, but if I were you I'd look to borrow a few. As far as I know my 2 longest clamps won't span 6'; if you want me to check I can, but I don't think so. If you want 2 you can certainly borrow mine, but we'd do a length check first. I am in SW Raleigh near Cary. Depends on where you are in Durham, Bill may be closer.

 

[Mike K]

If you are using Bessey clamps you might want to look at clamp extenders. They work great.

 

[Yelverton]

More than a few years back I was faced with the same embarrassing situation - a woodworker that did not have enough clamps! I believe the post was titled "Oh the shame of it - WWer with too few clamps.". I too publicly acknowledged my failings (at least as public as NCWW is!).
What saved me were several generous offers to lend clamps - like Bill offered you above. At that point I was able to borrow enough clamps from a single individual and therefore did not have to drive all over town (I was gluing up a 4' wide x 10' long table top and needed 8 or so, and had 2).

Anyways there are work-arounds, but if I were you I'd look to borrow a few. As far as I know my 2 longest clamps won't span 6'; if you want me to check I can, but I don't think so. If you want 2 you can certainly borrow mine, but we'd do a length check first. I am in SW Raleigh near Cary. Depends on where you are in Durham, Bill may be closer.

Oh, the shame, indeed. That's a generous offer, much appreciated. I think that at this point the 45 minute drive from N Durham to SW Raleigh is probably about as expensive as some pipe clamps or clamp extenders, but otherwise I'd take you up on it.

 

[Yelverton]

If you are using Bessey clamps you might want to look at clamp extenders. They work great.

Wow, I had never heard of clamp extenders. It sounds like a "board stretcher" that you send the new guy to get from the store. Mine are actually DeWalt parallels (my wife's father worked there, so the price was right) but I'm going to see if there's an equivalent to the Bessey extender that will work.

 

[Rwe2156]

If they are Bessey you can get an extender attachment.

 

[jfynyson]

Just came across another option that may work & is very quick & easy but won’t work if you really have to crank down hard to close your joints.

See this video around the 7min mark you’ll get the idea of CA glue clamping blocks

 

[KurtB]

I've done what Jim and Jeremy suggested with pipe clamps before on table tops. Easy to do and works great.

 

[tvrgeek]

Rope, tape, straps, pin nailer, DIY 2 x 4's with wedges, bags of cement mix.