How many clamps do you need? More. Always more. Every woodworker figures this out mid-glue-up when they run out.
The Ones You’ll Grab Daily
Parallel clamps first. Bessey K-Body style. Jaws stay parallel so your joints don’t get weird pressure marks. Worth the money.
F-clamps for everything else. Cheap, versatile. Get a pile of different sizes.
Spring clamps for quick holds while you’re figuring stuff out. They’re weak but fast.
For Big Jobs
Pipe clamps when you’re gluing up tabletops or big panels. Buy the heads and make the pipes whatever length you need.
Bar clamps similar deal. Longer reach, faster adjustment.
Weird Specialty Ones
Corner clamps keep things square. Band clamps wrap around odd shapes. Toggle clamps bolt to jigs.
Don’t buy these until you specifically need them. I’ve got specialty clamps I’ve used maybe twice.
What Matters
Moderate pressure beats cranking hard on fewer clamps. More contact points, more even squeeze.
Use pads. Bare metal jaws dent wood. Ask me how I learned this.
Check for square after you clamp. Glue makes things slippery. Stuff shifts.
Building Your Collection
Start with maybe six medium parallel clamps and six F-clamps. Add from there as projects demand.
Harbor Freight F-clamps are fine for occasional use. For serious work, spend more.
You’ll never have enough. Accept it now.
