Official Luthiers Forum!

Filippo-
I've used the aluminum clamps like yours, small spring clamps, small C-clamps, heavy-duty plastic clothespins, etc etc. Whatever works! (I also find the aluminum clamps a little on the 'feeble' side). Getting the best fit possible before clamping is important but not always easy, I've found.

Whatever you do, I'd advise a clamping caul (bendable plywood, broken/reject linings, or even posterboard) to prevent clamp marks and dents in the linings. It is a pain to steam/sand out dents after the linings are glued in.

Very interesting build- thanks for the progress reports and pics.

Cheers
John

I wonder if the LMI kerfing clamps would work?

I like the office binder clips for binding, have them in a few sizes.

I like the small black spring clamps with the orange reciprocating jaws. The jaws is a big deal, you get pressure over the whole slanted face.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

These don't have pivoting jaws, but they are pretty effective- and cheap. Great for filling in the spaces between your better clamps.

Phillipo, I've had the best results with laminated linings. I usually use an orphaned mahagony side and cut it on the bandsaw in 5/8" - 3/4" strips then put all of the strips through the side bender. I then laminate them to the thickness I want for my linings. Even though it may take a bit more time, I've found it better than fighting the clamping and bending issues brought on with the thicker stock.

I made a caul that clamps to the inside of my body mold.

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Peter

Filippo, one thing I have done to insure a good fit when gluing is to take extra time with the dry fit. First I cut the lining a little long. Then I try to clamp it at the waist with a small c-clamp and some cauls. This presses the lining into the sides so the other clamps don't have to work so hard. At first it usually takes too much pressure or won't go at all so I adjust the length of the lining until I can clamp it in without too much pressure. That way I get a nice tight fit. I also scrape a very slight concave surface on the lining and this helps too. Sort of like a press fit.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Home Depot (and I am sure other big box stores) sell mini spring clamps for about a buck a pop. I have had great luck with those and they are plenty strong enough. (REALLY small versions of these: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5/R-100027346/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053).

For regular kerfed linings, wood clothes pins with rubber bands for extra oomph work great too.


-Matthew

You'll see lots of different opinions on clamps for linings. I use the Home Depot clamps noted by Matthew -- they're around 50 cents each at my nearest store. They have good clamping pressure and about 3/8" max capacity. Fresh from the store, they do leave marks from the jaws (the jaws are rolled inward 90 degrees at the edges, and the covering doesn't do much to protect them -- see photo). I took the vinyl off one side of my clamps, and epoxied a small piece of maple inside the jaw -- just thick enough to match the rolled edges. This jaw is always on the outside, so the sides aren't marked.

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Kent

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This would be me smacking my forehead and yelling 'why didn't I think of that before'! Good idea!

I'm afraid that I come at this from a different angle. If you need to apply high clamping pressure to hold the linings in place then to my mind they are not bent to the correct shape. Linings should conform to the plantilla as near perfectly as possible, this stakes a lot of trial bending and fitting to get them correct. Don't forget you're gluing a 2mm side to a 4mm lining, so the side will mostly conform to the lining, not the lining to the side. This is one reason that I switched to the four piece laminated linings made in separate moulds that was shown on the other thread recently. The linings should be made to fit to the shape of the inside of the sides, not the outside, perfectly so this must be taken into account when making the moulds.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.