Spool clamps make or buy?

[Mtbbirder]

So this question to guys who are builders and making major repairs.

Spool clamps look pretty simple, looking at stewmac, I see round bases I could cut out from some scrap 2x4 I have lying around, threaded rod, some sheet cork, wing nuts and an old broom handle or even new one I scrap out for handle if I wanted handles. How ever they sell a pretty complete clamp set for just over $200 bucks. Is it even worth my time making some?

the set includes :
2 small Cam Clamps
2 large Cam Clamps
4 sets of 6 StewMac Spool Clamps (for a total of 24)

So you get some cam clamps too.

What did you guys do starting out? I have an old Uke that has a back separating and I want to re glue it. Mainly just for fun, some day I ight want to build a guitar.

Thanks,

James

[arie]

for basic repair stuff spools are good. as you only need a few for fixing separations, i don't see the need to spend $200 on a set. they are easy to make. as you said round stock, threaded rod, wing-nuts and cork.

when i first started out i used thick bath mats and gym weights. now i use a go-bar deck and radius dishes for tops, backs, and braces. for heavier clamping i use Bessey's or Jorgensson's.

[charles Tauber]

Spool clamps are easy to make, though I've never made any or used any.

By contrast, to work well, cam clamps are more involved and less forgiving. I've made a bunch of those over the years and use them extensively and for a wide variety of tasks. Unless you want to make clamps, I suggest buying these.

In summary, spool clamps are easy to make, though more limited in their use, while cam clamps are more difficult to make and of greater utility, at least for me.

[dtpolk]

I go to somewhere like OSH Hardware and buy dowels of different thicknesses, cut them into disks and then drill them out the center. Get a batch of long boots and some wing nuts and you're set.

[redir]

I've made 6 of them just like Polk explained above and they are pretty simple to make. Line the dowlels with cork for a padded clamp to use on finished work. THey are handy but don't get much use. Some people use them for gluing backs on and you would need a lot.

[Alan Carruth]

I use spool clamps to glue the top and back to the rim. I made 50 of them in an afternoon, from dowel, thread rod, cork sheet and wingnuts. It helps to have a drill press. You use a Forstner bit to bore a hole into, but not through, a piece of plywood clamped to the table. Then, without moving anything, replace the big bit for a 1/4" one. This helps you to center the hole in the pieces of dowel that you cut out.

[Mtbbirder]

I like the dowel idea, but I think I will use some scrap wood I have lying around and these hole saws. It's kind of time consuming removing the blanks, put it will take care of hole in the middle too. Once I get around to this I will update the results, being it's 18 degrees F in my garage, it might me a month or so until I find the motivation.

Untitled by James Salinas, on Flickr

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by Mtbbirder

I like the dowel idea, but I think I will use some scrap wood I have lying around and these hole saws. It's kind of time consuming removing the blanks, put it will take care of hole in the middle too. Once I get around to this I will update the results, being it's 18 degrees F in my garage, it might me a month or so until I find the motivation.

Untitled by James Salinas, on Flickr

that's how I did it. Glued a sheet of cork to the plywood first. ..

[Tony Done]

I made some spool clamps for repairing a reso soundwell. Very simple, I didn't bother with round, I just sawed square pieces off a suitably sized batten, and used them with pieces of threaded rod, all from the local hardware store.

[LouieAtienza]

The nice thing with the hole saw, it automatically puts a 1/4" hole center, so all you need are carriage bolts and wing nuts. Very fast..

[Truckjohn]

Price wise on the kit.
4 cam clamps + 24 spool clamps for $200

Quality cam clamps run $20 each or so. I hate cheap cam clamps... So $80 worth of cam clamps.

$120 for 24 spool clamps - $5 each. If you buy them separately - they run about $6 each..... From that perspective - the kit is not a bad deal.

If you are talking about making your own nice cork lined faces and 1" thick spools - well... That's a lot of time spent on laminating stock and facing all the pieces. A lot of time spent cutting out all the disks, finding the hardware and all the rest. Sure - it would be easy on a lathe or a decent drill press.... Do you have one? Hand drills won't leave the hole square to the clamp - so they will jam when you use them...

I would price all the supplies and parts out to decide whether it's worth it to you or not.... Maybe so, maybe not... Depends on how much time and equipment you have...

[JonWint]

For $24.06 from Home Depot for threaded rod, nuts, wing nuts, and steel bar I made 35 spool and 5 cam clamps. I have used all the spool clamps when gluing dreads (whether I really needed them or not).

I had scrap wood in stock and some old mop/tool handle dowels around. I bought one cam clamp as a model to copy.

I used the money saved for other tools I didn't make like a binding router jig.

[Mtbbirder]

Originally Posted by Truckjohn

Price wise on the kit.
4 cam clamps + 24 spool clamps for $200

Quality cam clamps run $20 each or so. I hate cheap cam clamps... So $80 worth of cam clamps.

$120 for 24 spool clamps - $5 each. If you buy them separately - they run about $6 each..... From that perspective - the kit is not a bad deal.

If you are talking about making your own nice cork lined faces and 1" thick spools - well... That's a lot of time spent on laminating stock and facing all the pieces. A lot of time spent cutting out all the disks, finding the hardware and all the rest. Sure - it would be easy on a lathe or a decent drill press.... Do you have one? Hand drills won't leave the hole square to the clamp - so they will jam when you use them...

I would price all the supplies and parts out to decide whether it's worth it to you or not.... Maybe so, maybe not... Depends on how much time and equipment you have...

I have a drill press at work, I have the wood, I would still need a sheet of cork and hardware, prong nuts, rod and wing nuts. I'll have to do some searching local and internet to compare prices.