Woodworking is a fun hobby, but many of these projects can sometimes be frustrating to handle when you just don’t have enough hands to complete your tasks. With many woodworking projects, you need an extra pair of hands to keep wood pieces together so you can sand, drill holes, or apply matching finishes. There are also many occasions where you might need to glue pieces of wood together and need to hold your wood pieces together for a long time so the glue can cure.
If these issues are getting you down then it is time for you to start shopping for the best clamps for woodworking.
The 6 Best Clamps for Woodworking
Woodworking clamps are ideal for holding wood pieces firmly together while glue dries or when you manipulate the wood from a sturdy position. There are quite a few woodworking clamps out there but we feel that the following six are must-haves for your woodworking workshop.
1. The Workpro Wood Bar Clamp Set
This wood clamp set is ideal for woodworkers who love good flexibility in the workshop. This set includes six clamps, including two large 12-inch clamps and four smaller 6-inch clamps. With these versatile sizes, you can take on various woodworking projects. The set is also ideal for flexibility because they can also be used as spreader bars.
This set is made of tough materials. It’s perfect for working with softer woods because they don’t have an extreme clamp force and they have soft pads that can be replaced once these become worn out. With these clamps, there is little risk of denting or damaging your wood.
Specifications
- Weight – 5.25 pounds
- Size – 6 and 12 inch clamps
- Color – Blue, red and black
- Main materials – Reinforced nylon and hardened steel
- Clamp strength – 150 pounds
- Spreader size – Up to 11 1/8 inch (6-inch clamp) and 17 5/16 inch (12-inch clamp)
- Included – Two 12-inch clamps with replaceable soft pads and four 6-inch clamps with replaceable soft pads
- Functionality – Use these tools to clamp or spread wood pieces
Pros
- The set includes a lot of clamps in different sizes.
- With this bulk pack you can secure wood pieces in different ways.
- The clamp strength of 150 pounds is ideal for most woodworking projects.
- The clamps have soft replaceable pads that will prevent damage to your wood.
- You get 6 and 12 inch clamps in this set.
- The clamps are made of durable materials.
- These clamps can also be used as spreader bars.
- The spreader bars offer a decent distance.
Cons
- These clamps are not suitable for industrial projects or for use on metals.
- The clamp strength might be a bit weak for industrial hardwood gluing.
2. The Bessey Heavy Duty I-beam Wood Bar Clamp
If you are looking for a clamp with impressive strength then this is the best one to get.
This I-beam clamp offers a pressure force of up to 7000 pounds, which is ideal for pressing together industrial woods or even metal.
The long bar length also allows you to clamp together large pieces of wood or sheeting for fixtures. The clamp is also made of tough materials.
Specifications
- Size – 36 inch clamp
- Colors – Red, silver and black
- Main materials – Cast iron and steel
- Clamp strength – 7000 pounds
- Throat depth – 2 inches
- Jaw width – 1 ¾ inches
- Bar size – 1 3/8 x 7/16 inches
- Included – 2 x I-beams with 5 clutch plates each
- Function – Clamp wood pieces in place
Pros
- The clamps are ideal for industrial use.
- The clamp strength has a powerful force of up to 7000 pounds.
- The clamp has a large 2 inch throat depth.
- The bar is nice and long so you can clamp large pieces of wood.
- The set includes 2 I-beam clamps.
- 5 clutch pieces are included with each clamp so you can smoothly move along the I-beam.
- These clamps are made from tough materials.
Cons
- The clamps might be a bit too excessive for home projects.
- They are not ideal for small woodworking projects such as fixing corners together.
- You need to be careful not to compress wood to a point where it will crack.
3. The Feiyang Miter Wood Clamp Kit
With this set, you get the pliers and eight spring clamps. These clamps can be used on various wood types and their sharp edge is perfect for securing your wood in place so you can work with ease.
Specifications
- Weight – 10.9 ounces
- Size – 7.68 inch piliers
- Color – Silver and yellow
- Main materials – Hardened steel and thermoplastic rubber
- Clamp size – Spreads 2 inches
- Included – 1 pair of pliers, 2 rubber bands, and 8 clamps
- Function – Secure wood pieces for making frames, wood trimmings, wood crafts and other items
Pros
- The set is nice and compact so you can store it easily.
- 8 Clamps are included in the set.
- Lots of clamps enable you to fix your wood pieces in various areas.
- The clamps are made from tough materials.
- The set is very easy to use.
- You can spread the clamp up to 2 inches.
- These are ideal for clamping woods with various sizes.
Cons
- You can only clamp up to 2 inches.
- The sharp edges can make holes or scratches on soft woods.
- Not suitable for industrial projects.
- Not suitable for large wood pieces such as planks.
- No carabiner included to keep the set together.
4. The BlueCollar 4 Piece Industrial Wood C-Clamp Set
These clamps are also made of tough materials and they are very easy to use.
Specifications
- Weight – 8.5 lbs for all 4
- Size – 6-inch clamps
- Color – Black and silver
- Mainmaterials – Nickel coated heavy duty iron
- Clamp strength – Industrial
- Clamp opening size – 6-inch opening
- Included – 4 C-clamps
- Function – Clamp wood and other objects together for work or glue
Pros
- These clamps are perfect for industrial projects.
- The clamps are made from quality materials.
- A nickel coating keeps these clamps from rusting.
- 4 clamps are included in the set.
- They are ideal for clamping all sorts of materials.
- The clamps are very easy to use.
- They offer impressive clamp strength.
Cons
- The clamps are not practical for securing corners.
- They cannot be used as a spreader bar.
5. The Collins Tool Company Spring Loaded Pliers Set
We do feel that this is the best spring clamp set on the list because it offers more spring clamps and it comes with a carabiner that will help keep your clamps together so you don’t misplace them.
With these clamps you can clamp together up to two inches of wood securely.
Specifications
- Weight – 11.4 ounces
- Size – 9.29 inch clamp
- Color – Silver and blue
- Main materials – Hardened steel
- Clamp spread size – 2 inches
- Included – 1 pair of pliers, 13 spring miter clamps, 1 rubber band and 1 carabiner
- Function – Clamps wood together to make picture frames, moldings, trim work and for other wood crafts
Pros
- The pliers and clamps are very easy to use.
- The set includes 13 spring clamps.
- Lots of clamps are ideal for securing your wood projects in different spots.
- The set comes with a carabiner to keep all your clamps together.
- The clamps spread from 0 – 2 inches wide.
- They are ideal for clamping various wood sizes up to 2 inches thick.
- You can use them to secure corners.
- The set is made from durable materials.
Cons
- The clamps are not suitable for industrial clamping.
- The sharp edges could make scratches or holes in soft wood.
- They are not suitable for large or thick pieces of wood.
6. The Powertec 71348 2Pk Parallel Wood Clamp Set
The clamps are perfect for working on soft to hard wood projects because they are powerful yet not too strong to easily crack your wood.
Specifications
- Weight – 3.8 pounds for both
- Size – 30.38 inches
- Color – Black
- Mainmaterials – Steel
- Clamp jaw length – 24 inches
- Clamp strength – 880 pounds
- Included – 2 parallel clamps
- Function – Use to clamp wood together or as a spreader
Pros
- The 2 pack is ideal for various woodworking projects.
- You can use these as a clamp or spreader bar.
- The clamps offer an impressive strength of up to 880 pounds.
- The jaw length of 24 inches is ideal for larger pieces of wood.
- These clamps are made from durable materials.
- They are perfect for woodworking and metalworking projects.
Cons
- These clamps are not ideal for corners.
- They can be a bit bulky to work with on small projects.
- You need to be careful not to compress wood to a point where it can crack.
Buying Guide
The Strongest Clamp Force
If you need a clamp for industrial woodworking projects or for making tough furniture using hardwoods then you should consider the Bessey I-beam set. These I-beams can provide up to 7000 pounds of force.
The Powertech parallel clamps are a good alternative if you don’t require quite as much force.
Alternatively, you can also consider the BlueCollar C-clamp set since these are also made for industrial use.
The Largest Jaw Size
If you are working with thick wood or with wood panels that need to be fixed to a side then you should consider something with a large jaw size. The WorkPro spreader and clamp set is ideal because it comes as a set with different spreader and clamp sizes.
You can also get the Bessey I-beam set with its 1 ⅜-inch bar length or the Powertec parallel clamps with their 24-inch length bars. For slightly smaller projects, you can consider the BlueCollar 4 Piece Set.
The Most Versatile
Some woodworkers love to take on different types of projects all the time. If you are looking for a flexible tool that has more than one application then we recommend the WorkPro bar set. These come as a set of 6 clamps that can either be used as a spreader bar or clamp. The Feiyang Miter spring clamp set or the Collins Spring Loaded Pliers can also be good alternatives for smaller projects that require lots of clamping.
The Best For Small Projects
For small projects, you can consider the spring loaded sets by Collins or Feiyang miter. Both of these packs come with a variety of clamps that you can use to clamp small pieces of wood so you can work.
We do however feel that the larger set by Collins is a better buy because this set comes with a carabiner to help keep your clamps together so they won’t get lost.
Final Thoughts
We are quite confident that all of these woodworking clamps will ease many of your woodworking projects and we do hope that this guide made it possible for you to find the right clamps. And if you are looking for other terrific quality woodworking tools and accessories like woodworking masks, chisels, hand sanders or even books then we welcome you to hop over to some of our other buying guides where you can check out these great products too.