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In anticipation of my first build I am working on getting my shop in order so that I am ready when the materials arrive. I am looking to build a set of Cam Clamps and am wondering if they need to be made from a hard wood or if pine would work.

hard wood, maple is usually preferred.

I made a whole bunch out of oak and hickory that I had as scrap in my shop. No metal rod, just thicker oak for the spreader bar. They turned out well, and work very nicely. If I were full time in the shop I might have sprung for the store bought type. I just modified the basic style every knows about.

here is 1 link to shop made clamps. I used maple and poplar,and steel bar but this one uses a maple bar.
Tim

shop made cam clamps

Nice link Tim. Irving Sloan's book has great instructions for building cam clamps as well. I think he used maple or poplar. You want a hard wood, but it has to be flexible too for the tab. If it is too stiff, the tab would break right off the first time you flipped the cam up.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

[QUOTE=JBreault] Nice link Tim. Irving Sloan's book has great instructions for building cam clamps as well. I think he used maple or poplar. You want a hard wood, but it has to be flexible too for the tab. If it is too stiff, the tab would break right off the first time you flipped the cam up.[/QUOTE]

Guess that means no BRW?

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Just to play devil's advocate here, if I were in your shoes, I'd do two things. First, I'd take off your shoes and put my own back on. Second, I'd buy some Klemmsia clamps and spend my time building guitars.

I can't really tell you what it is about Klemmsia clamps that make them work so much better than any other cam clamps I've used, but they do. That's another reason I wouldn't bother making my own. These are just fantastic.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

From my own experience I would advise to stay clear of the Shop Fox cam
clamps. I bought a half dozen of these and they are my least favorites.
(Also own the Klemmsia's and some from Woodcraft).
On some the cam clamp action seems a little week and for whatever reason,
the body of the clamp does not slide well along the shaft. Maybe they could
be lubricated somehow but I have no clue.

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Christopher C. Cordle
North Muskegon, MI

http://www.yardsaleunderwear.com
http://www.facebook.com/christopher.cordle

I just recently bought thirty Clemsia clamps. You can see in the photo that I have made five of these clamps for my first guitar build, but I did`nt fancy making thirty as I know what goes into making one.

Why do you need thirty?   I get a lot done with small quickgrip clamps too. I do like the Klemsia I have though. I guess you have a pretty big operation then compared to a newbie like me. I think you're probably right about building them. Every time I start thinking of making one I end up at Japan Woodworkers where I buy a new one for $14.00 (I think). One clamp at a time. Seems maple would be the best wood. Beech wood might be another option.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

I've never tried anything but Klemmsia.
German made, loved in Arkansas.
I want more, sixteen is just a good start...

Lot's of folks use them to close the box. Not me.
I use the adjustable gobar deck for that.

Come to think of it. I love my gobar deck as much as my Klemmsia's. Luthier's are suckers for a good clamp, maybe that's it?

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

All I have are Klemmsias as well. Occasionally I consdier making some, then I calculate how much the materials cost, pay myself less than minimum wage for the time, disover Klemmsias are a fantastic bargain, and just buy one or two more.

I've currently got 13, 9 medium reach (150mm throat) and 3 short reach (119mm throat), sometimes consider a few longer-reach ones (200mm), or ones that open more than 200mm, but I haven't found a need for any in guitar building; 6" is plenty or reach for everything including gluing on a bridge. I also add one or two to every order I place from anywhere that carries them; you can never have too many cam clamps! I use them for most of my laminating (necks), clamping fingerboards, bridges, veneers, general workholding. I've got a bunch of large, heavy, cheap metal F-clamps I use to glue up solidbody electric guitar blanks, but that's really about it. For almost everything else, it's either Klemmsias or Go-bars.

[QUOTE=luthier49] I just recently bought thirty Clemsia clamps. ...I have made five of these clamps for my first guitar build[/QUOTE]
Yours look cooler!