www.KitGuitarsForum.com

I have learned the hard way recently why the need for cam clamps. I bought a bunch of Bessey screw clamps. Screw clamps will screw your work pieces out of place. Can someone tell me a good source for cam clamps? I can't pay $25 a piece for clamps. A grand for clamps is out of the question and I would probably need 40+.

Thanks in advance for the help!

They aren't particularly difficult to make, if you feel so inclined.

_________________
Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. -- Will Rogers
There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory. - Josh Billings
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Rockler has them on sale occasionally. Their cam clamps are cheaper (both price and quality). You should be able to get by with fewer than 40 cam clamps, however. Using the other types is not really complicated; you just need to be aware of the potential issues during your setups.

I like the Irwin quck-grip one-handed mini bar clamps and the Irwin spring clamps:

http://www.irwin.com/tools/clamps/one-h ... bar-clamps
http://www.irwin.com/tools/clamps/spring-clamp

_________________
Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. -- Will Rogers
There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory. - Josh Billings
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

if you want to make your own here is a great link for the process

https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/pla ... cam-clamps

_________________
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
Board of Directors of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com

I love cam clamps and use them all the time! You mentioned "Screw clamps will screw your work pieces out of place. "; I found that Cam clamps while being tightened pull the work, actually more than the screw clamps.

_________________
http://www.harvestmoonguitars.com

This should help you, I made my own from these plans.

Best thing about cam clamps is that you can make them in any size needed for the job. You can also saw/sand the shape of standard clamps when they just won't quite make it into a space. I've made a number of them over the years, but the best ones I have are still the Klemsia brand that I bought 40 years ago. The geometry, wood, bar material, the shape of the cam, and placement of the pins that bind against the metal shaft are all critical in the making of a really good clamp. While working models are easy to make, really good ones with little play in them are difficult to make without some trial and error.

I'll second that. My Klemsia cams have been and continue to be the best and most useful in my shop. They are also 40 yrs old. :-)

Made a batch for my daughter's shop (brooklynlutherie,com) including a couple with shallow depth and a 24" bar for reaching across a body and clamping binding. She says she gets good use out of them

Ed