A woodworker sometimes has to extemporize
Issue 83: March/April 2012
We have all wished at times that we had three hands. When tackling boat projects, however, it seems that what we need more of isn’t hands but clamps, the mechanical version of “Here, hold this.” A famous boatbuilder once answered the question, “How many clamps do you need?” with “More than you have.” An entire locker on our 34-footer is dedicated to clamps, but when assembling a cockpit table for a customer, my husband, Dave, still needed more.
The solution was not as simple as buying more clamps at the store. Dave couldn’t find the perfect clamp for the job, so he built his own. He was trying to epoxy three border pieces to the leaf of a cockpit table. He realized that, while he could keep one piece tight with standard clamps, it was not going to be easy to clamp the other two while applying even pressure and keeping the pieces aligned and square.
Instead of fighting with standard clamps and worrying about the pieces not gluing well, he built his own clamp. He bought two pieces of 1-inch aluminum angle and two threaded rods. With washers and nuts for both ends of the rods, he was set. He covered the aluminum angle with packing tape so the epoxy would not make it part of the end product.
He applied the epoxy, aligned the pieces, and tightened the nuts on the threaded rod until the two pieces of aluminum were applying equal pressure the length of the two border pieces. He used standard clamps — to both push and pull — for the other piece. The end result was breathtaking: a beautiful table, satisfied customers, and more clamps for the locker.
Connie McBride, her husband, Dave, and their three sons set off on Eurisko, their 34-foot Creekmore cutter, in 2002 and have since spent most of their time cruising the Caribbean. Connie posts her news and views on her website, www.simplysailingonline.com.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
