Storing a gazillion clamps?

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Charles G. Clark, Jr.
Posts: 72
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:06 pm
Location: Huntsville, AL

Storing a gazillion clamps?

Post by Charles G. Clark, Jr. »

One of the benefits of building strippers is the acquisition of clamps--lots of clamps. I have a boatload (pun intended) of C clamps (1 1/2", 2", 3", and several big ones), I have a bunch of the 4" Bessey clamps, I have a dozen or so of the 9" and 12" bar clamps, and then I have a half dozen or so long Bessey bar clamps. I have about a dozen wooden handscrews. Finally, I have a bucketful of springclamps.

I like having my clamps. I don't like storing them the way I do now. Surely storage of clamps is a common problem. I would like to hear some ideas for smartly storing the clamps, but still having them reasonably available.

Right now, I have my spring clamps in a 5 gal bucket, my C clamps, 4", 9", and 12" bar clamps clamped to vertical wooden stringers and the big Besseys leaning against the wall.

Help!
The Gutt Clan
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:32 pm
Location: Rochester, NY

Post by The Gutt Clan »

There are a number of plans you can get for rolling clamp carts. I use a rolling A-frame based on a design I got out of a book. I think Norm Abram might have plans for an A-frame clamp cart on his web site. This is great for storing all my bessy clamps (I have about 20 of them). The only thing I would do differently is that I put rather inexpensive wheels on it to begin with. They tend to get caught on workshop debris. Today I would buy more expensive wheels.

Norm's plans
http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?0207

My clamp cart is different from Norm's in that instead of putting braces across the front of the A's I made notched strips to set my bessy clamps into. I store my medium length Bessy clamps on the faces and I clamp my small f-clamps to the top bar. I've drilled holes in the A side of the frame and inserted dowels that can hold my few c-clamps.



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Rehd Brown
Posts: 148
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:23 pm
Location: Fresno, California

Post by Rehd Brown »

Well, it doesn't get them completely out of the way, but....

If you have open studs or rafters in the shop/garage, you can put up strips to attach the clamps to.
Oh, this is only half of my stock. The rest are in my boat shed ( the "Canoe Cabana" ). Getting ready to start on another boat.
:razz

Rehd
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Bryan Hansel
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2004 6:36 pm
Location: Grand Marais, MN
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Post by Bryan Hansel »

When they're not in use, you can just store them at my place. :)

I keep mine in a plastic tub.
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