Official Luthiers Forum!

I like to hear about little solutions that people trip across, so I figured I would pay it forward on this one.

I am experimenting with different styles of lining. The most popular type of regular kerfed linings that you either buy or make are triangular in shape, so clamps that pinch the lining at one spot, and hang on, seem to work best (spring clamps, clothespins, paper binding clips, etc.). Parallel faced clamps are not ideal, because the faces of the lining are not parallel.

However, if you use linings that are not triangular in shape, like reverse kerfed linings, or solid linings, I think parallel faced clamps are better. They spread the pressure across the whole width of the lining, instead of at just one spot. Using clamps that only pinch in one spot can leave some gaps here and there.

The solution for me is a stash of these little Jorgensen E-Z Hold clamps, the 4 inch size (picture below). The faces are parallel, and they exert just the right amount of pressure for this job. The faces are plastic, so glue comes off OK. The clamp faces are about 5/8" wide and 1 1/4" deep. If you point the unused bar of the clamp toward the outside around the upper and lower bouts, and toward the inside around the waist, you can get them real tight against each other.

They are not cheap as lining clamps go. Most places sell them for $5 apiece. Klingspor sells them for $4 apiece, which is the cheapest I have found. Maybe just using them at trouble spots where the spring clamps leave gaps is a good way to save money. I have enough to do a side at a time.

I recommend avoiding cheaper versions. I went to Harbor Freight to look at their $1 version of this clamp, and the darn things were useless. There I was, standing in the aisle, taking clamps off the wall and trying to clamp them to a shelf. No go. Glad I didn't buy any online!

In any event, I hope this is useful.