Toolmakers Clamp Kit

[Doug Gray]

Post about the Toolmakers Clamp Kit here. Questions, Concerns, Answers, Bragging rights lots of photos please. All things Toolmakers Clamp Kit here.

 

[jaded13640]

Cool! I see that the clamps are for sale in pieces and you assemble them? Neat idea! I made one like that in college for a class project. The project was about using as many machine tool processes as possible so we had to make everything, cut the threads for the screw, drill, tap etc. The hard part of the project was that the body pieces had to be filed in....my memory isn't perfect on this but I think we were given a cardboard pattern. We had to cut the blanks and then scribe the shape on them and then file the shapes in. I remember thinking that it was the stupidest thing in the world to "file in" something given all the modern machinery around us but worse yet we were graded on how close we were able to file our steel into the shape. I remember thinking well, of course it'll be graded but they'll HAVE to give you A LOT of room for error given the antiques we were expected to use to make it.... I was wrong about that. I was really good on the shop floor and the class was set up so that you could get a few extra points here and there and since I aced everything I could have turned in a clamp that had no attempt come close to the scribed lines and still ace the class but I found out that I didn't get every point on the clamp project because of the filing accuracy. As first I was kinda miffed until I weighed it all out. If I only knew then how much filing I'd end doing over the next 30ish years! LOL

What a great memory that brought on. Thank you so much for that! I really haven't found my clamp to be all that handy but that's partly because I always forget I have it. At the moment it's hanging on my wall as art. LOL

Thanks,

Wayne

 

[Doug Gray]

Thanks Wayne.

The clamps certainly do involve many operations. There are several parts, all offering tons of opportunists for fun shop time. This is not a kit someone can knock off in a couples of hours. Thankfully the plates are laser cut for you, no "filing to the line" required. Glad it brought back some memories for you.

Regards D.G.

 

[NC Rick]

I still use a chisel I made in HS shop class which involved a lot of file work. We also learned a little forging flame hardening and tempering. Very valuable lesson and humbling to me seeing what could be made with a few simple tools and careful hand work. The absolute sign of craftsmanship and the foundation on which everything else is built.

 

[benmychree]

Cool! I see that the clamps are for sale in pieces and you assemble them? Neat idea! I made one like that in college for a class project. The project was about using as many machine tool processes as possible so we had to make everything, cut the threads for the screw, drill, tap etc. The hard part of the project was that the body pieces had to be filed in....my memory isn't perfect on this but I think we were given a cardboard pattern. We had to cut the blanks and then scribe the shape on them and then file the shapes in. I remember thinking that it was the stupidest thing in the world to "file in" something given all the modern machinery around us but worse yet we were graded on how close we were able to file our steel into the shape. I remember thinking well, of course it'll be graded but they'll HAVE to give you A LOT of room for error given the antiques we were expected to use to make it.... I was wrong about that. I was really good on the shop floor and the class was set up so that you could get a few extra points here and there and since I aced everything I could have turned in a clamp that had no attempt come close to the scribed lines and still ace the class but I found out that I didn't get every point on the clamp project because of the filing accuracy. As first I was kinda miffed until I weighed it all out. If I only knew then how much filing I'd end doing over the next 30ish years! LOL

What a great memory that brought on. Thank you so much for that! I really haven't found my clamp to be all that handy but that's partly because I always forget I have it. At the moment it's hanging on my wall as art. LOL

Thanks,

Wayne

I had a three period shop class in school that was intended to be for people likely to go into the trade, plenty of machinery, excellent teacher and lots of hand work too, it was the first and only time that I made the honor roll, with three "A' grades on my report card. I did make parallel clamps, and still use them.