You Can Never Have Enough Clamps...

I remember several  years ago, I was out in the shop helping my husband gather all his clamps together so he could organize them. When I say he has a lot of clamps, I'm not exaggerating. He has an entire wall of clamps of all different sizes. It's crazy how many clamps there are.

When I pointed out how many clamps he has, he very seriously told me 'you can never have enough clamps.'

Today was a perfect example of why he owns so many clamps. He's working on two curved podiums for a client. To ensure the wood is glued properly, there has to be even pressure. That means LOTS of clamps.

He once had to use almost every clamp he owns when building a table top. Even the ones that weren't quite right had to be used because we needed all the pressure we could get to secure the veneer. 

Because there are two curved sides to the podium, each side has to be glued and clamped individually. There also has to be just the right amount of glue applied. Not enough, and it won't stick. Too little, and glue will ooze out the sides creating a mess that has to be cleaned up before proceeding to the next step. 

One of the  things I see all too often on woodworking shows is the use of too much glue. It gets all over the place and most of the time the person doesn't make sure all the glue is removed from the surface before applying the finish. Or they will take a wet rag and wipe the glue, which smears it into the pores. Unless this is sanded out, it will effect the overall appearance of the project once it's complete.

Interested in having your own custom piece made? Contact us via our website www.herricksfurniture.com.