# Need a bunch of clamps **URL:** \ **Category:** Builder's Forum\ **Created:** [October 23, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599 "2015-10-23T15:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dave\_Metcalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@Dave\_Metcalf](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Dave_Metcalf)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/1 "2015-10-23T15:44:15Z")
Hi all -- I will be starting a Northeaster Dory build in December and am trying to get supplies together for it.  Since I'm planning on adding a spacered inwale, I will need a ton of clamps -- preferrably C-clamps.  And one have a good source of clamps?  Anybody have a bunch of clamps to rent/sell?  I really don't want to end up with 50 or so clamps after the build -- although as fun as this project looks to build -- I may be building more boats.  Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Caldwell1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@Bill\_Caldwell1](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Bill_Caldwell1)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/2 "2015-10-23T16:24:36Z")
you can make a bunch of clamps out of PVC pipe, they should give just enough tension to hold the spacered inwale blocks in place,  you dont need 50 clamps, maybe 25 though!  Harbor Freight has cheap C Clamps, and I mean cheap.  Made in China.  Just make sure they work before you buy them!  lol! ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Vance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eric\_Vance](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Eric_Vance)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/3 "2015-10-23T18:10:23Z")
   Can't imagine any one would want to pay shipping on a big box of clamps... Where are you located? You might make a new builder friend if there's a clamp owner in your neighborhood... ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Jeffrey_Hoeper)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/4 "2015-10-23T22:14:29Z")
   Use 4" PVC to make your clamps. One 8' piece of pipe allows you to make 60 clamps-- just what you need to clamp on both rails of the Dory. I know because I just completed that step on my own boat last week. Here is a link showing my boat, all clamped up: http://lakenorforkadventures.blogspot.com/2015/10/building-chesapeake-light-craft\_15.html ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Jeffrey_Hoeper)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/5 "2015-10-23T22:22:50Z")
   One more thought -- I don't have spacered inwhale blocks, just normal gunwales. The PVC clamps open nicely to 2 inches. But they might be a challenge to spread past 3 inches. Worth a try, though. ---
**Author:** ![Henry\_Wing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bbce88/32.png) [@Henry\_Wing](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Henry_Wing)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 10:57am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/6 "2015-10-24T10:57:30Z")
   I just googled Harbor Freight. They have a ratcheting 4" bar clamp on sale for 99 cents but you probably have to print out the coupon. You don't have to do every spacer at one time and ten bucks worth of clamps would work. Harbor freight also has a bar clamp, about 8 to 10 inch capacity I think, for $2.99 which were reviewed favorably in one of the woodworking mags. Either of those should be perfect for your inwales. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Metcalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@Dave\_Metcalf](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Dave_Metcalf)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 1:23pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/7 "2015-10-24T13:23:53Z")
 Thanks for the replies.  I was going to go the PVC route for the rails -- it was the spread needed for the inwales that concerned me.  I'm planning on using white oak for the inwales -- it's pretty stiff so will need good clamping pressure. I did see the clamps at Harbor Freight, so that's probably the route I'll take.  I'll check out a few to see how they will hold up. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Jeffrey_Hoeper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/8 "2015-10-24T16:20:33Z")
I just checked my PVC clamps. The 1 1/2 inch wide clamps work very well to 4 1/4 inches with good clamping pressure. The 2 inch wide clamps will also open that far but take two hands and some strength. At 3 1/2 inches they are fine. On the whole I prefer 1 1/2 width clamps and just use more of them when I need more clamping pressure.[![](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2rt2_VP1xV5clJGTjVUNlpsN1E/view?usp=sharing)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2rt2_VP1xV5clJGTjVUNlpsN1E/view?usp=sharing)    ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Jeffrey_Hoeper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/9 "2015-10-24T16:24:59Z")
This link might (if it works) show the picture I took of the PVC clamps at work on 3 1/2 and 4 1/4 inches:    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2rt2\_VP1xV5clJGTjVUNlpsN1E/view?usp=sharing ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@Thomas\_Cooper](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Thomas_Cooper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/10 "2015-10-24T17:35:46Z")
---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@Thomas\_Cooper](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Thomas_Cooper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/11 "2015-10-24T22:05:46Z")
Sorry about the empty message. Home Depot had 2" spring clamps in the local stores for around $1 each last year. I did not see them on their web site. It may have been a store only promo. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Metcalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@Dave\_Metcalf](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Dave_Metcalf)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/12 "2015-10-25T13:47:53Z")
Wow.  Thanks Birch2 (and the rest of you) for the research on the spread of the pvc clamps and the photos.  I just bought a length of pvc today and will check out the pressure.  I have enough adjustable clamps to get the rails properly alighed and then will use the pvc clamps to fill in the gaps.   ---
**Author:** ![Douglas\_Braun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Douglas\_Braun](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Douglas_Braun)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/13 "2015-10-25T19:55:22Z")
   I saw those $1 spring clamps at the local Home Depot just yesterday.  I'll probably get a bunch.  I also bought about 30 of those $3 Harbor Freight 6" bar clamps.  They looked every bit as well made as the ones Home Depot was celling for $9.95. ---
**Author:** ![Hooper\_Williams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hooper\_Williams](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Hooper_Williams)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 8:23am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/14 "2015-10-26T08:23:44Z")
   Someone asked me recently why it took so long to build scuppered inwales.  Another reason was getting clamps together.  I thought I would use the PVC clamps I had already made for "rub strips" on the shear, but they did not have enough pressure, in my case.  Neither did the spring clamps I had used to glue the gunwale spacers into place. I needed a lot of pressure that could be accurately fine tuned. After looking around my area for cheap C-Clamps, I quickly realized I would be lucky to find enough clamps at any price.  Harbor freight did sell them, but they did not have enough.  I finally found out when the supply truck was due and met the truck at Harbor Freight to get enough clamps.  Even then, I only got enough to clamp the inwales in thirds, which is all I would want to do at once anyway.  Again, my inwales required a great deal of pressure.  I decided I would not be able to hold the inwale in place and manage the clamp and hold 2 clamp pads all at the same time, so I incorperated clamp pads into the clamps.  I bought a couple of squares of cork tile, cut them into pieces and glued them to the clamps with JB Weld.  Then I used a table mounted belt sander to shape the cork to the clamps.  This took a weekend in itself, but it did work out very well.  I've already been accused of doing things the long, hard way, but I can't help it - that seems to be my curse.  I hate to keep posting pictures of an unfinished boat, but some of these may help you get your plan together: https://www.flickr.com/photos/49414332@N04/albums/72157645186993049 Hooper Williams - Brevard, NC     ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Jeffrey\_Hoeper](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Jeffrey_Hoeper)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/15 "2015-10-26T20:37:42Z")
   You are certainly building a beautiful boat (Skerry?). I admire your attention to detail even if I doubt I will evrer equal it. What kind of sail are yo planning to use -- lug, sloop? ---
**Author:** ![Hooper\_Williams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hooper\_Williams](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Hooper_Williams)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:57am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/16 "2015-10-27T08:57:25Z")
Thanks Jeffrey.  It is a Skerry.  We'll just have to see how it looks when it's finished.  Your Dory looks like it's coming along very nicely.  We opted for the Gunter Sloop rig.  It doesn't look as cool, but we thought it would be more interesting for two people when my son and I sail together.   Hooper  ---
**Author:** ![M\_Craghan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@M\_Craghan](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/M_Craghan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/17 "2015-10-29T21:35:52Z")
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**Author:** ![M\_Craghan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@M\_Craghan](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/M_Craghan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/need-a-bunch-of-clamps/43599/18 "2015-10-29T21:39:16Z")
FWIW, if you want decent C-clamps, I’ve bought a bunch from here: [http://www.grizzly.com/search/?s=category%3AClamps&s=brand%3AGrizzly&s=category:C-Clamps](http://www.grizzly.com/search/?s=category%3aClamps&s=brand%3aGrizzly&s=category:C-Clamps) I bought several boxes of the 4 pc. variety set.