HackSpace – September 2019

TUTORIAL

lmost everyone is familiar with

the function of clamps and vices.

They’re a staple of every workshop,

shed, garage, and factory. However,

not everything fits neatly into a

bench vice, or lends itself to easy

clamping. Knowing how to hold your work securely

is an important skill, especially if you are using power

tools or sharp hand ools that could do damage if you

slip. In this tutorial, you’ll learn some basic work-

holding tools and techniques, and some sneaky tips

for getting a grip on more awkwardly shaped objects.

BARS AND VICES

If you want to hold onto something, you probably

need to put it in a vice or a clamp of some kind.

The secret to successful work-holding is knowing

what type of vice of clamp you need to use.

Most vices have sensible names, like ‘engineer’s

vice’ or ‘woodworking vice’, that should give

The delicate art

of holding on

Learn to get a grip on your project

and make your workshop a safer place

you a good idea about which vice you need to

choose. For basic forms like bar and sheet, the

process of clamping is very simple, and it doesn’t

really need to be described in detail for this

tutorial. There are some simple tips that can

save you from problems with any material, and

these tips apply to work-holding in general.

Firstly, check the vice jaws and the threaded

bar are clean. Clamping onto a workpiece when

there are pieces of grit or swarf on the jaws will

almost certainly leave a mark on your work. Grit or

bits of swarf on the threaded bar will wear the vice

mechanism and make it more difficult to clamp.

Grease on the jaws will make it more difficult

to hold your work securely without slipping.

If you are worried that clamping might damage

your work, you can protect it with a layer of masking

tape and fit a pair of soft jaws onto the vice. Soft

jaws are made from soft metal or plastic and should

be softer than the item you are trying to clamp.

TUTORIAL

The delicate art of holding on

A

Dr Andrew Lewis

@monkeysailor

Dr Andrew Lewis

is the owner of

Shedlandia.com, a

restorer of old tools,

a fabricator for hire, a

research scientist, and

a founder member of

the Guild of Makers.