How to Clamp Wood Wheels for Gluing

Use strap clamps to glue wooden wheels.

A wooden wheel is inherently hard to clamp. This is due to a circle's spherical geometry and its lack of adaptability to square clamp jaws. When pressure is added to the clamp, it slides off. You can attempt to add sandpaper to the clamps jaws, but that almost never works and you can damage or dent the wheel. The only answer to clamping wheels is by using a nylon strap clamp. They work on any type or diameter of wheel.

Things You'll Need

• Resin glue
• Putty knife
• Squirt bottle
• Strap clamp
• 1/2-inch wrench

Instructions

1. Mix the resin glue according to manufacturer's directions. Apply glue to the wheel where needed. Use a squirt bottle to insert it into dowel holes on the wheel. Use a putty knife to pry apart any cracks or splinters on older wheels that you are refurbishing and smear the glue down into cracks with your fingers.

2. Assemble the wheel.

3. Press a small lever on the band clamp, the only one on the clamp, and pull out the loose end of the strap until the diameter of the loop on the strap clamp is bigger than the diameter of the wheel.

4. Drop the loop of the strap clamp over the wheel. Hold onto the lever on the strap clamp and pull the slack out of the strap so that the band is tight around the wheel.

5. Grab the strap and tug it up or down to center it on the wheel. Pick up the 1/2-inch wrench. Place it on the nut on top the clamp. Tighten the nut one click at a time until the strap is tight and glue oozes out all of the joints. Wait 24 hours for the glue to dry before removing the clamp.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use resin glue on wheels. Resin glue takes hours to dry, giving you the working time you need to completely assemble a wheel.

• Strap clamps are also known as band clamps. If your strap clamp is not big enough, put two of them together.

• Use a damp cloth to wipe off any excess glue as soon as possible. Turn the wheel upside down to check for wet glue underneath.