Cam Clamps by Hand and More

ByPaul Sellers

Cam Clamp Making by Hand PartII

Thank you for all your encouraging emails and comments surrounding this series. It is very gratifying to know you are enjoying this and everyone involved in making it happen gets to see your responses.

The 2nd part to my making cam clamps by hand, three-part series is available as of now for those who enjoy the experience of hand work and making their own woodworking tools and equipment. They are quick and enjoyable to make and not difficult as long as you follow the steps carefully and use the right wood. The disciplines of hand work and working the tools becomes magnified because of the tight tolerance the added risk (and benefits) of handwork brings to craftwork like this, so take your time, settle in, practice a little and enjoy. Somehow it seemed more fitting to make these by hand. Personally I think it is especially fitting as cutting 1/8” through mortises for the steel shaft can be problematic by machine.

Sharpening Your First Crosscut Saw P1160720

Over on woodworking master classes we just finished up the tutorial introducing sharpening your first crosscut saws to complete our saw sharpening reference work here on my blog over the years and also the WWMC archives on tools and technique videos. If you are a subscriber you do have a access to this aspect of our work so there are many videos you can also watch as instruction for woodworking by hand. This video will be available after 5pm on Monday 11 April.

DSC_0192 A New Series for Our Woodworking Masterclasses Online Broadcast

We just finished filming the next series for woodworkingmasterclasses.com, which will be broadcast in a couple of weeks. The Hanging tool cabinet has been an extensive major work on our part covering door making drawer making how to fit and hang doors, and fit drawers without the ugly overlay types so congrats go to everyone who made this series more presentable than I can on my own. DSC_0209 This was much more than making a wall cupboard. It was instructional on many levels; how to make a dovetailed carcass, panelled backs, framed dividers with M&T construction, how to size a door, how to make a door, how to hang doors, set hinges, make and fit drawers and even how to make hand made coving and more. So, though it was extensive, it now forms an integral part of our instructional videos. Remember that we have hundreds of videos specialising in the conservation and sustainability of hand work in woodworking members have access to. Support our work by becoming either a non-paying subscriber or a full paying a member. The more exchange we get the better our work becomes and the broader our outreach around the world. Our community grows steadily and we have other irons in the fire to keep improving this work for the hundreds of thousands we reach every month around the world.

9 Comments

  1. The cam clamps are a wonderful addition to my tools. I added one modification which I found to be very beneficial and as an added protection to the inevitable wood compression on the thin material that lies in the saw caused by the cam lever. I added a strip of leather swade part facing up towards the cam lever in the saw kerf. This not only stops the lever from compressing the wood and eventually losing all gripping functionality but provides even more torque resulting in a greater clamping power which also requires less turn of the lever.

    1. hi Salko
      if i am following you correctly to you put the swade in the part of the clamp the the cam swivels on ?

  2. I can’t wait to try making a few of these and the wall cabinet, something I could surely use.
    I did notice in one of the photos that you have done some chip carving, I think that’s the correct term, is there any possibility on an instructional video on that subject?
    Thanks for everything Paul,
    Sincerely,
    Peter

    1. I second this request for some instructional videos on chip carving. I would love to see some videos on hand carving.

      1. Well in that case you will like this next project on woodworkingmasterclasses.com as we enter the realms of decorative woodworking and the project I carve the Lone Star of Texas (which for non Texans can just be a five-point star) with laurel leaves. I think it is about three weeks away.

      2. We’re still waiting for the video on making Paul’s cool straight edge 🙂 Might be a nice break from the longer series.

  3. Well done as always, a true gentleman.
    btw I’m prepping some fresh-riven Hickory for these, moisture content was rather high but I’ve been successful at using a froe to get the sections “Thin enough as soon as possible” (Very old wise words)

  4. Paul,
    Your video sessions are so well thought out and executed. Great information and techniques. Can’t wait to start on the cam clamps.
    I think you mentioned that you had a pattern for the cam. Is that available to us?
    Thank you for all your sharing efforts.
    Rob Morrison

Comments are closed.

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