Clamps, clamps, clamps

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Dazzled
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Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by Dazzled »

Probably the most important and most neglected tool in the modellers arsenal. We all have a collection, usually cobbled together, of devices to hold our models together while the sticky stuff sets or to dry assemble or just to stop then escaping while we're not looking. Clamps are something I always have issues with. I either never seem to have enough or they just don't hold the model correctly. There's little more disheartening than giving a model overnight to set up and coming back to find a clamp has slipped and distorted fuselage or hull. :sad:

What clamps or clamping methods do you use? Do you particularly recommend any or recommend avoiding any and do you know if they can still be obtained?

Over to you guys.
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Eric Mc
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by Eric Mc »

It depends.

I use proper model clamps
Berna clamps
Clothes Pegs
Bulldog clips
Bench vice

It depends on the shape of the surfaces that need to be held together.
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by Stuart »

That's a good question...

I've never paid attention to them I guess. I have some wooden clothes pegs I use for wings and small assembles etc. I generally tape my fuselages together.

I do have on of those small trigger action g-clamps that I've used a few times when I need more pressure - normally to hold a springy canopy in place while the glue dries.

Open to new ideas myself!

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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by ShaunW »

Good thread Daz. Yes, please help if anybody knows of any decent clamps. I have some clamps, which I believe are really aimed at woodwork but they are a little strong for models and sometimes I can see the plastic protesting. Other than that I use a motley collection of clothes pegs, rubber bands and bulldog clips, none of which are wholly satisfactory.
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by beany »

Pretty much what the other guys are saying, some small to medium G Clamps for big stuff, bulldog clips for smaller items, and my particular favourite is the type of plastic clothes hangers that you get for jeans/trousers - I cut the two sprung clamps off either end and bin the rest of the hanger. My wife isn't a fan of keeping trousers on those types of hangers either so she even gives me hers to cannibalise!

Two different types of Trouser Hanger clamps seen here along with a faithful bulldog clip. They are quite good and "clampy" as they are obviously designed to suspend heavy jeans from the hanger.
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by RudiB »

I use a cobbled together assortment of clamps, a couple of packs of the little handy clamps from £ stores, crocodile clips, bulldog clips, clothes pegs. And I have a few if the wife's old hair clips in the stash too, the long pointy ones that look like long narrow metal clothes pegs. Along with these I have two sets of 'helping hands' which I use for soldering work but also come in handy for modelling, they have a pair of adjustable arms with crocodile clips on and a magnifying glass in the centre and are freestanding on the bench, they're great for keeping parts at a certain height when building.
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by rob_van_riel »

I never had much luck with clamps; the either skid off the curves and odd angles of the model, damage it when applied with sufficient force to have any use, or preserve a slightly skewed aligment between parts. The only clamps I seem to get any good effect with are my pair of Mk1 grubby paws. That is, when they don't disengage due to cramps, protrusions on the plastic getting rather painful after ten minutes, and other such joys :roll:
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Image

From my clamp stash. The 4 on the top row all have bigger brothers. The two Irwin clamps have even bigger brothers in the workshop.

On the 2nd row, the top and left are cross-over clamps - I have a number of variation of the top one.

Next is the little red "clothes peg" - I think from doll house furnishings. Wonderful for small parts -- pressure without damage.

Then a medium size clothes peg.

The yellow is a crossover but used more for holding than clamping as it has little strength -- they also break easily.

The metal-red one is a bit too strong for some things, ideal for others.

The light green on the right is my favorite "clothes peg". It has a rubber/plastic coating so it doesn't damage parts and it has ribs on the facings to give it good grip. The number one clamp for trailing edges. {Problem is I forget what they are called and I need to replenish my supply.

And since I use hot liquid glues (see glue thread elsewhere) the good ol' Mk.I Finger and Thumb clamp are probably the most used.
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by Gregers »

I have about twenty to twenty five clamps that I bought from Tesco. Hamdy little things that fit wings and small fuselages.

All the best.

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Dazzled
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by Dazzled »

As I suspected, we all seem to use an eclectic mix of clamps and clamping methods. I'm no exception. Here are most of what I use.


Image


1. These plastic clamps, as described by Gregers are some of the most used in the Den. Cheaply available from markets and shops, often seen at trade shows, they are supremely useful although can be rather limited in size. I have 3 different sizes. The 2 depicted here (around 12 of the small ones and 3 of the larger) and one supersized one that doubles as a woodworking clamp. A really useful feature of these is that the jaws can be turned up to provide point clamping or removed altogether quite easily if required. One drawback I've found is that they tend to slip on angled surfaces. Perhaps lining the jaws might help?

2. As recommended by Beany. I raided the clothes hangers in Mrs D's wardrobe and now have several of these. haven't tried them in anger yet but they look to have great potential.

3. A set of g-clamps with a magnetic base. A handy little set that I picked up from a tool stall at a motorcycle show years ago. All of them can be slotted into the red base at the top so they're very good for sub-assemblies.

4. This is a real nostalgia piece. I've had this clamp since I was about 4. It came with a toy that required you to clamp a lump of clay covered plaster to a table and bash hell out of it to reveal the statue underneath (I believe they were all characters from The Flintstones IIRC). Health and safety, what's that? ;-) . I've still got the chisel too and use it to pry the tops off model paint tins. :)

5. Reverse locking tweezers. Supremely useful for small parts, particularly for painting but also useful for holding larger components further down the shank while cement sets. I have 6 of these with both straight and angled ends.

6. Surgical clamps. Perfect for holding a heavily anaesthetised model while one performs surgery but limited by jaw width. Paint and glue build up is easy to clean off too 8-) . Cheaply available at model shows. 4 of these are usually knocking around somewhere in the Den.

7. Red G-clamps. This one's the smallest of a set of 3 mid-priced clamps. Sturdier than the other G-clamps and more suited to larger models and for making bases.

8. Small bulldog clamps. "Liberated" from several sources ;-) and occasionally handy, particularly for holding etched parts, they can sometimes exert a little too much pressure for most styrene applications.

9. Plastic ratchet clamps. I have 3 of these remaining having broken one of them. Cheap to buy but not long lasting they are, however, very useful when new and before the ratchet gets notchy. Again, this is something that I picked up from a market tool stall although, given their light clamping limit, I'm at a loss to think of what other application they could have outside of model making.

10. Regular clothes pegs. I've been using these for years. There are dozens of them in the tool drawer, some modified like those in the picture, others slightly larger. Very cheap and in plentiful supply. You can write part numbers on them too to help identify parts post painting.

11. Small clothes pegs. These were leftovers from my daughter's baby shower. I kindly offered to "tidy them up" and got myself some very handy clamps in the process. They are good for small applications e.g. 1/72nd tailplanes, but I have far too many of them :roll:

12. Last, and quite possibly least, Berna clamps. I bought 2 of these about 3 years ago. Even though they were on sale they weren't particularly cheap but I was impressed by reviews that claimed they "gripped like a human hand". If my hands gripped like these I'd be off to see the doctor. They work quite well under certain circumstances but if everything isn't 100% spot on for the way they're designed to grip they twist and fly off. The yellow retainer bands also have a tendency to come off too. The only time I've found them useful was when building my 1/48th TR.1a so really not worth the money I paid for them.

On top of these there is of course masking tape, rubber bands and loops of string tightened like a tourniquet around the model (works well on a round fuselage).


Like many on here. I suspect, I'm always on the lookout for new tools and tips so if anybody has any more recommendations please keep them coming. I've spotted some blue plastic toolmakers clamps on some of the Flory Models videos on YouTube but, as yet, have been unable to source any.
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billyb_imp
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Re: Clamps, clamps, clamps

Post by billyb_imp »

Luckily (because I didn't know I would need any clamps for modeling) I already have a good few of the small plastic clamps that everyone seems to have, I also ordered a few wooden pegs from amazon, very useful they are too.

Although I still seem to spend quite a bit of time holding parts together with my fingers though :lol:
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