Shop Made Wooden Bar Clamp Designed by Dave Rutan

It is often said that you can never have too many clamps, and beginning woodworkers

usually end up buying the cheap clamps in favor of their power tools. Well, woodworkers

rejoice, here’s a way to economically fill your shop with clamps of many sizes. The best

part is that you make them yourself! Some inexpensive wood, a few hardware store items,

and a few tools are all you need.

Supplies needed per clamp:

• 1- eye bolts ¼ inch 5 inches long

• 1- eye bolt ¼ inch 3 inches long

• 2- t nuts for the eye bolts

• 2- washers adequate for eye bolts

• 1- nut for eye bolt

• 1- thin washer (same outer diameter as the nut)

• 1- short length of 1 in. diameter wooden dowel.

• Length of wood measuring ¾ in. x 1-5/8 in. by 8 ft. (yields 1 clamp with 5 ½ foot

capacity. See chart below.)

• Length of wood measuring 1 in. by 1 in. by 4 in. for handle

Clamping capacity

desired

Length of bar Start with wood this

long

36 in. 42 in. 66 in.

48 in. 54 in. 78 in.

60 in. 66 in. 90 in.

72 in. 78 in. 102 in.

The formula is: Clamp capacity + 6 in. = length of bar. Length of bar + 24 in. = length of wood to begin with.

1.Cutting The Wood:

a) Cut these lengths from the length of wood measuring ¾ in. x 1 5/8 in. x ? (see

chart)

b) 2 pieces 2 in. long

c) 5 pieces 4 in.

Length of board Clamping capacity you will get

48 in. 18 in.

72 in. 42 in.

96 in. (8 ft.) 66 in.

120 in (10 ft.) 90 in.

2. Creating The Stop:

a) Put two of the 4 in. pieces together and drill a 9/32 in. hole 13/16 from one end through both

pieces. Drill the hole 7/8 in. from one side. This off center hole adds a little adjustability to

the stop.

b) In one of the pieces enlarge the hole to 5/16 in. to accept the shank of a t-nut.

c) Around the opposite hole a shallow hole may be made to accept the washer. Glue the washer

in the recess with epoxy.

d) Keeping the off-center holes aligned, glue a 2 inch long piece between them, faces joined.

e) When this assembly dries sand, file, cut, (whatever works for you) the inside faces so that it

has a little play when it straddles the long bar for your clamp. Not too loose, not too tight.

f) Measure 2 in. from the top of the glued piece. At that point measure ¼ in. in from each edge

on the face with a hole drilled in it. Connect this ¼ inch inset with the top corner of the piece

and cut the wedge out on a band saw. This keeps the face of the stop more parallel when the

clamp is tightened.

g) Sand the piece, keeping the band sawn edges sharp.

h) Push the 3 in. eyebolt in the hole opposite the t-nut until it stops, then turn it several times to

engage the t-nut. If necessary, turn until tight.

3. Creating The Bar:

a) Cut the bar to the desired length (see chart above.)

b) Measure 6 inches in from one end and make a mark. Measure from that mark every two

inches along the length of the bar. The last mark should be no closer than 1 ½ inches from

the end.

c) Put the stop on the bar and using the drilled hole mark the bar at that place. Use this mark to

determine the location of the holes between the two long sides. This measurement must be

the same along the entire length of the bar.

d) Using a drill press or stand, drill the holes every two inches at the locations determined

above. A simple jig simplifies this process.

e) Round over the far end of the bar.

f) Sand the bar lightly keeping the edges sharp.

4.Creating The Head:

a) Glue the other 2 inch piece between two 4 in. pieces.

b) When dry, drill a 9/32 in. hole 2 ½ in. from the bottom of the piece. Then enlarge the hole

half way through the piece with a 13/16 in. bit to accept the shank of a t-nut. (It is important

that these holes be square with the face. Otherwise the eyebolt will not be straight.)

c) Cut or sand a chamfer on the top of the head (also on the bottom if desired.)

d) The smaller end of the hole may have a recess created to accept a washer. Glue the washer

into the recess with epoxy.

e) Glue the head onto the bar, flat side (with the t-nut installed) facing in. If the head piece is

difficult to put on the bar, sand the bar lightly until it goes on more easily.

5. Creating The Jaw:

a) Take the last piece of 4 in. wood and cut it so that it will loosely straddle the bar.

b) Screw the eyebolt into the head as far as it will go.

c) Take a ¼ in. slice of the 1 in. diameter dowel and drill a 9/32 in. hole through its center.

Place the dowel on the eyebolt in the head.

d) Using JB Weld, or something like it, glue the nut, slightly threaded onto the end of the

eyebolt. Let dry.

e) Put the jaw piece so that it straddles the bar. Hold it against the nut which is glued onto

the eyebolt and trace it onto the jaw piece. Using a 1 in. forstner bit drill a shallow (l1/16

in.) hole in the face of the jaw piece centered on the nut tracing.

f) Using a ½ in. forstner bit, drill a hole centered on the 1 inch hole only about half way

through the jaw piece. A thin washer and the nut must be able to move freely in this hole.

g) On the jaw piece, put a little wood glue inside the edge of the once 1 in. hole. Put the thin

washer in the ½ inch hole and put the jaw piece on the bar.

h) Press the 1 in. diameter dowel into the 1 in. hole. This shouldn’t need clamping. Let it set

up.

6. Creating The Spinner:

This photo shows the progression of the spinner. From Left to right: 1x1 in. blank, hole drilled,

slot cut, rounded top, rounded over-all.

a) Start with a piece of wood measuring 1 in. square 5 inches long.

b) Measure one inch down from one end, creating a square 1 in. x 1 in. Find the center of this

square. Using a forstner bit drill a 3/8 in. hole completely through the blank.

c) Turn the blank over 90 degrees and mark out a ¼ in. wide, 1 in. long slot running from the

end down the length of the blank. Cut this slot out using a band saw or table saw.

d) Sand the sharp edges off the blank. Round the end that has the hole in it, so it can rotate

easily.

e) Cut a 1 1/8 in. length of 3/8 in. dowel. With the spinner located with the eyebolt head in the

slot, glue the 3/8 in. dowel in the hole. Let dry, then sand the dowel ends flush with the

handle.

f) The handle can be spun with a finger or cranked with the hand depending on its position.

Finish as desired. Might I suggest coating it with linseed oil?

Notes on possible variations:

• If a stronger clamp is desired a larger eyebolt can be used, upgrading the other connecting

parts; t-nut, holes drilled, etc.

• The eyebolt on the stop could be replaced by a bolt with a knob fitted to it.

• If the t-nuts fall out (not likely) they could be inset and glued with epoxy, or the flanges

drilled and pinned in.

• It’s possible to either bolt two clamps together to create a longer clamp or create a splice out

of wood. Either way two sets of holes on each clamp should be spanned.