What is your guys favorite cork clamp. I cant decide which one from to get the Rod builders one or the flex coat one. Just starting with cork and i don't want to start off on the wrong foot. Thanks.

Easy to make your own. You can make one from all thread & a couple of hardwood boards or you can drill a hole in one end of a clamp. There are probably several posted in the photo section already.

Make one better than you can byt [www.rodbuilding.org]

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Gabe,
Go to the hardware store and buy two or three pieces of 36 inch threaded rod.
Use an abrasive wheel or hack saw to cut the rod into the lengths needed for the clamps.
If you go to Home Depot you can get 10 foot pieces of 13/8 inch threaded rod for $3 in the electrical section.

[www.homedepot.com]

Then, go over to the trim department and pick up a piece of 1 inch by 2 inch hardwood trim board. - get a piece long enough to make a bunch of clamps.

Use your saw to chop up the trim board into lengths suitable for cork clamps. (perhaps 4 inches long)
Use your drill to drill holes into the ends of the boards to thread the rods through. A dozen nuts to secure the ends and you are set to go with a dozen cork clamps of the length that you need for about $5 and an hour of time.

---
The use of the Irwin clamp also work very well and are quick and easy to use. Each has its place.

Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2011 02:15AM by roger wilson.

I am with Mike, I use a modified squeeze clamp

I too agree with Mike. Not that Roger's idea is wrong, just that after you modify the trigger clamp its easier to use.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

Threaded rod, 2 nuts and 2 fender washers (1" OD) works for me.

George Forster
Fort Collins, CO

Most of the time I use the "modified" Irwin clamp but for split grips I use multiple drilled hardwood boards so I can set the entire handle at one time.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Gabe,
Especially for shorter grips I will often just stack the rings and glue them up with no mandrel or other inner support in the stack of rings.
In th is case, I almost always use the simple Irwin clamp - no modifications needed. simple, easy and quick.

For these handles, especially for some of the split grips, I will just use 5 minute epoxy and only have to have them in the clamp for about 3 minutes, before I can go and clamp up the next stack of rings.

Take care
Roger

Gabe,
Just a little hint that I am sure that you are already aware of:

If you happen to use threaded rod for a clamp - simple easy and inexpensive, and have to have the nuts 1/2 way up the threaded rod - a simple and easy way to do this very quickly is to simply chuck the threaded rod in the chuck of a variable speed drill and quickly run the nut up to the location needed on the threaded rod.

Also, if - after some use - the threaded rod threads happen to get jammed up with cured glue, just hold the nut with a vise grip or other wrench and then use a variable speed drill with the threaded rod inserted into the chuck.
Run the nut up and down the threaded rod a dozen time to easily and quickly clear the junk from the threads.

An obvious hint, but sometimes folks don't happen to use the tools that are at hand to ease their chores.

Roger

thanks guys. lol i was waiting for your response roger. ur my go to handyman on RBO.

To clean the threads I will hold the rod in a drill and as it turns I run a fine tooth hack saw bland in the threads

Bill - willierods.com

I built a clamp like Mikes only I used rod bond to fasten the wooden pieces to the clamp versus drilling and bolting.
steve

If you do look into using a hand clamp, try the link below for a method I and others use.

Jeff


[www.rodbuildingtutorials.com]

Re: Cork Clamp?
Posted by: roger wilson (---.hsd1.mn.comcast.net)
Date: July 13, 2011 10:13AM


Gabe,
Just a little hint that I am sure that you are already aware of:

If you happen to use threaded rod for a clamp - simple easy and inexpensive, and have to have the nuts 1/2 way up the threaded rod - a simple and easy way to do this very quickly is to simply chuck the threaded rod in the chuck of a variable speed drill and quickly run the nut up to the location needed on the threaded rod.

Also, if - after some use - the threaded rod threads happen to get jammed up with cured glue, just hold the nut with a vise grip or other wrench and then use a variable speed drill with the threaded rod inserted into the chuck.
Run the nut up and down the threaded rod a dozen time to easily and quickly clear the junk from the threads.

An obvious hint, but sometimes folks don't happen to use the tools that are at hand to ease their chores.

Roger


Why not just wrap the all thread with teflon tape? Keeps the adheasive off the threads and the nuts can be tightened right over it. It's also easy to remove upon completion.

C,
Do you use a single wrap of teflon tape?

Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2011 01:45PM by roger wilson.

Roger, I am not sure how to answer. Mine is just ordinary threaded rod with a class 2 thread and USS pitch. I wrap the tape on about a 30 or 40 degree angle with a very slight overlap and I can turn the nut with my fingers.

Roger, Yes, I put one layer only. I've never used cork tape, but I suspect that I wrap the tape similar to wrapping cork tape except I do not butt the edges to each other, but overlap them slightly.

I also use a hand clamp. Finally, after a couple years of using it with a 1/4" mandrel, I bought a bigger clamp that I use with a 3/8" mandrel. I pre drill the rings 3 at a time in my lathe, then glue up on the mandrel, then put that in the lathe and turn the grips.

_________________________________________
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That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane