What is a bar clamp ?
A bar clamp is a toll in woodworking that has cast iron jaws from heat-treated steel bar. The heat-treated steel gives more strength to the bar clamp. It is also common for a bar clamp to have a steel screw plated with nickel with a hardwood screw handle and a swivel pad.
A bar clamp have many uses, like when gluing two pieces together, a bar clamp can be used to keep it secured in the gluing process until the glue hardens. This is very essential because commonly, glues bubble and can cause breakage in the connection. It is important to tighten the clamp if you are gluing two pieces together; this gives even distribution of pressure throughout the material. The alternating direction of the clamp is important as well to keep the seal together. In the process, make sure to measure the diagonals to keep the work square.
If you are working with a non-square project, you can loosen the clamp and readjust it. A bar clamp can easily be adjusted on the desired jaw opening. After securing the project in a bar clamp, finishing nails can be use to reinforce the joints.
Woodworkers also uses bar clamp in nailing or screwing two pieces together. A securely placed bar clamp allows the worker to hold on the pieces in place while working on them. Bar clamps also comes in different sizes, it is important to choose the right size of bar clamp for a certain project. You can measure the size of a bar clamp with its jaw opening, which shows the size of wood it can hold.
