looking for small g clamps

[matthew]

I haven't yet found my ideal lining clamping system. I've tried bulldog clips, clothespegs, cheap hobby clamps from $2 shop, big F clamps, spring "A" clamps and none of them are perfect. either too big, or not enough pressure, or they damage the wood, or the presure is uneven ... my bass linings are about 20mm x 4mm.

Best I have found are small 50mm G clamps. But these are about $5 each even at bunnings. and they only have small clamping surfaces which dents the wood a bit, And I need lots of them.

I've searched the web but so far, not much suitable.

Actually, I'd love to find some even tinier 25mm clamps. Anyone seen any or got any other ideas??

matthew

[Craig]

Hi Matt,

What sort of liners are they ? If you have them prebent to the shape , the clamping shouldn't be so tough , but there again , I don't build double basses


Cheers Craig

[matthew]

They are 4mm x 23mm, solid, not kerfed, and clamp to a 2-3mm rib. They are prebent, yes, but as there is about 1" wide gluing surface, and I am using hide glue, I do need to clamp properly and quickly. Otherwise I get gaps. the linings are probably structurally just fine, but they don't look really neat all the way around and I feel that my workmanship is visibly let down here. People look inside basses

[Dave White]

Otherwise I get gaps. the linings are probably structurally just fine, but they don't look really neat all the way around and I feel that my workmanship is visibly let down here. People look inside basses

Matthew,

Some people I know live in double-basses.

This is just a wild and wacky notion but if your basses are made in moulds with the same shape it strikes me that you could make an inside and outside "form". The inside form would follow the inside countour of the rib where the lining will go allowing for the liner width, and the outside form will follow the outer edge of the side. You could then rig up some toggle clamps to the outside form in strategic places and find a way of attaching the ouside form temporarily to the rib (at the end blocks?). The assembly would then go along the lines of:

- attatch the outside form to the outside of the rib.

- apply glue to the lining

- push the lining against the inside of the rib

- hold the inside form against the lining

- push dowm the toggle clamps to pressure the "sandwich"

- clean out squeeze-out when gelled

As I say just some thoughts.

[jackspira]

Hi Mathew, I use 25mm clamps and can recomend them. I got them from a local hardware shop. They had to order them in but that didn't take too long. It was a while ago so my memory might be wrong, I think I got 50 of them for $150, so about $3 each.
I had to go through them all and file the clamping faces flat as the castings were rough, apart from that they've been brilliant, Jack

[matthew]

yeah I think that's the sort of thing I need.

Are you using solid linings too? I imagine for kerfed linings its not so critical as more flexible. But I've never used kerfed lining so I dunno ...

[jackspira]

Hi mathew, yes I use solid linings. I find the kerfing too fiddly to make and use for an impatient clump like me, plus i like to add a bit of stiffness to the sides
Jack

[matthew]

Do you pre-shape the linings or plane them down after fitting? Or both? Or neither?

On that pic it looks like the linings are just square profile.

[jackspira]

I glue them in square then use a scraper with the radius profile ground into it to shape the top edge. I'll try and get a photo today. I did once get a router bit made up to do it, but found in the end that the scraper did it faster and better.
Jack

[matthew]

Yeah I was thinking of trying to design a small plane to do just that on mine.

now when exactly am I going to find a loose end ...

[Arnt]

Jack, that looks great.

I'm planning to try solid linings too. What type of wood are yours? Laminated? Dimensions?

I have some willow that is pretty flexible that I had planned to use for this. Here’s how I imagine I would go about it:
1) Shape strips into finished profile, about 5 mm wide
2) Bend them on the Fox bender
3) Cut dadoes to inlet the side brace
4) Glue them in

If they will not bend I could always laminate them, but then that adds at least a couple of steps since it means I would have to shape their profile after they are bent (like you); but the side braces would interfere, so I would probably have to make some sort of form or jig to hold them for the shaping.

You don't use side braces, or do you just butt them against the liners?

[matthew]

I found that using heat blankets to bend linings was rather unsuccessful. Heat lamps would be even harder. Perhaps if you have a long thin heat blanket that might work.

Much easier on the hot pipe. 5mm is quite thick, also preshaped linings are harder to control when bending than just flat ones.