How to Use Bar Clamps
A bar clamp consists of a fixed head, a tail-stop and a steel or aluminum bar. When using a bar clamp, you need to ensure that each part of the bar clamp is clean and in working order. If one part of the bar clamp is not working properly, the bar clamp will fail and the piece held together by the clamp will fall apart. This situation can cause serious injury to you or others near the clamped workpiece.
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Things You'll Need
- Safety glasses
- Spray can of penetrating oil
- Clean rags
- Worktable
- Two pieces of wood
Instructions
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1
Put on your safety glasses to protect your eyes while using the bar clamp.
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2
Shake the spray can of penetrating oil as specified on the application instructions printed on the back of the spray can.
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3
Pull the slide clips located on the tail-stop away from the bar and slide the tail-stop to the far end of the bar.
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4
Hold the spray can of penetrating oil 4 inches away from the bar clamp and spray a light coating of penetrating oil on the bar, the slide clips of the tail-stops and the threaded clamp of the fixed head.
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5
Wipe down the parts of the bar clamp with clean rags to remove the excess penetrating oil from clamp's components. Make sure that there is no penetrating oil left on the bar clamp that can flow onto the workpiece you will hold with the bar clamp.
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6
Place two pieces of wood on top of the worktable and slide the pieces together.
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7
Turn the handle of the fixed head counterclockwise to retract the head's threaded clamping rod.
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8
Place the fixed head of the bar clamp against one piece of wood.
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9
Push the tail-stop tightly against the other piece of wood.
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10
Turn the handle attached to the fixed head clockwise to clamp the pieces of wood.
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11
Release the clamped wood by turning the handle on the fixed head counterclockwise and then slide the tail-stop back to ready the bar clamp for the next use.
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