What Are Toggle Clamps?
Toggle clamps are tools used to steady your work piece or hold it firmly in place. These clamps are essential parts of a hobbyist's or professional workshop in which large pieces must be assembled, attached or combined, and kept for a certain length of time in a stationary position. There are dozens of different toggle clamps, all with specific functions and positions in which they are used.
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Selecting Your Toggle Clamp
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Consider the size of your piece, how it needs to be positioned and whether it needs to be combined with another piece or just held in place. Different toggle clamps can be positioned horizontally, diagonally or vertically. They can operate with a lever, or with a push-pull mechanism with which you lock the clamp by pushing on a plunger. Plier clamps are "squeezed" into position with a pliers-like mechanism. Hook clamps and latch clamps (in which you pull to tighten or close) are used to hold light fixtures or doors into place. A cam clamp uses a small metal roller or "cam" to hold pieces of various sizes and thicknesses together.
Using the Clamp
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In the workshop, fix one end of your toggle clamp to your workbench. The clamp is basically a lever and pivot; when you move the lever past a center point, the clamp linkage is stretched or compressed and the clamp holds down (or holds together) the work piece at the other end. The lever-release mechanism can be set quickly, and released instantly. You can also hold and attach a toggle clamp that is not fixed to any point. Fastening two separate scenery flats together on a theatrical stage, for example, requires the use of a "floating" toggle clamp, which can be moved from one position to another.
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Check Exertional Force
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Select your toggle clamp carefully and consider its exertional force. This is the amount of force the clamp applies to the work piece. Exertional force can be adjusted by moving the clamp spindle or hook. Too much exertional force can damage, mark or distort your work. Too little force will allow the work to slip and slide, and make the clamp useless for the job it's supposed to do.
Check Holding Force
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The holding capacity is the maximum size or weight of the piece the clamp can support when it is closed and locked. The manufacturer lists this force capacity in the packaging. Don't exceed the holding capacity of the clamp. If the clamp is hard to close, its holding capacity is probably being exceeded, or it has been placed in an off-center position, where the force exerted is higher.
How Many Clamps?
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Take care to use enough clamps to do the job, and not strain the holding capacity of the individual clamps. A large piece held in place by too few clamps can pose a danger, both to the piece and to anyone working on or near it. This is especially true if any vibration is present. Don't modify the clamp by adding extra lengths to its levers and spindles. If the pieces to be clamped vary in size and thickness, cam clamps are the best choice.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Cliff Beckwith
