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Like most people here, I have a bunch of cam clamps, mostly small, but some large. And I’d like to get some more — never too many, right? But for years I’ve fired them on a shelf and quite frankly, it really sucks. I have some wall space, but looking for a storage technique that keeps them organised, accessible and free up some shelf space for things that belong on shelves.

If yours can accommodate other types of clamps as well, that’s a bonus, but for me the cam clamps are the main concern. I know there are pretty clever people on this forum, so let’s see your genius!


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I hook them up on a wooden strip held off the wall by small blocks.
Also get my F clamps in there - no pic, but you can see in the background here.

Seen people doing similar but on trolleys to place at convenience.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

See this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=51518&hilit=Go+bar+deck

Anything that gives you a piece of wood that sticks out of a wall will do fine; you just clamp to the piece of wood that is sticking out. On my rolling cart, I used plywood triangles with Kreg jig holes for mounting. Fast, easy, plenty secure, and easily moved, if necessary. The triangles allow me to store clamps facing sideways out, several layers deep. If you just screw a long board to the wall, you will need to have the clamps stored a single layer deep, butt end facing out, and it is a bit harder to get to the lever of each clamp. So, I prefer storing them sideways, a few layers deep, on triangles that stick out.

No pics, sorry but I've put mine on a rafter and at our current shop we've clamped them to a cross brace or a leg of a shop-made bench. The rafter requires a taller person and in a pinch such as when using HHG it's a bad idea if one has planned poorly or not done a dry run.

Long clamps are stored over the compressor located in the corner (a huge Quincy unit which should be properly located somewhere away from conversation). Smaller clamps are stored overhead, either directly clamped to the first floor joists or on strips suspended from those joists.







The principal issue I have with this system is intertwined with its major advantage - clamps are stored out of the way, but are readily at hand...if the user is 5'10" tall or so, which I am most assuredly not. Both the boss and Mr. Morelli have no issue with retrieving a clamp for quick use, and the boss - in particular - has both the reach and dexterity to hold the work with one hand and pull down a clamp or two with the other.

I find myself requiring the use of a petite, shop-made step stool for the same chore, and the gentlemen in the shop seem to delight in moving it about in a random fashion when I am distracted by some task requiring my full attention. On one notable occasion, the step stool was stored overhead, suspended from an ingeniously placed hook, and just beyond my reach without use of - yes - that stool. This incident lead to a day during which shop thermodynamics seemed to go a bit wonky...every cup of hot coffee which appeared on the boss's or Mr. Morelli's bench seemed to cool off with truly astonishing dispatch. On a totally unrelated note, a Lee-Valley apron - even the smaller variety - can carry a hefty load of ice cubes without much visible bulk...a gallon poly bag keeps any ice melt from being an issue.

Revenge is a dish best served cold

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Clamps stored overhead look like a headache waiting to happen.
I don't have any cam clamps, but I store my F body clamps on a 1/2 inch pipe held off the wall by wooden brackets. My spring clamps I store in a large enamel pot that developed a hole in the bottom and was no longer useful for it's intended purpose. My pipe clamps I have leaning in an odd corner, but I should do something else with them. I have a few clamps doing "dispersed clamping" (but not on BRL land) around machines they are often used at. Having clamps both handy and tidy is a goal I have found to be an elusive one.
As to shop shenanigans, I once worked with a pair of cretins who called themselves "the hopped up Wops". They delighted in pranking people at every opportunity. They once glued my tape measure to the (20'?) ceiling of the shop. They hot melt glued my tools to the work bench. When they knocked a hole in my rolling cart, I had enough. Although I am not a big guy by any means, these fellows were tiny. I picked one up and carried him kicking and screaming out to the dumpster. After that things seemed to calm down a bit.

Indeed, this is the style of storage I had in mind. Storing a clamp by clamping doesn’t really qualify as “accessible”, at least not for me. So, Colin, would love to see your engineering for “hooked” storage.


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Here you go Tim, my clamp wall. (no-one asks for a pic when workshop is tidy...)
Screws go though the strip and 50mm blocks into the wall studding, so 600 mm spacings, 2.4 m total for mine.
Smaller strip beneath is just to try to keep the clamp legs off the plasterboard.
Simples...

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

No matter how you store cam clamps, store them with the lever lifted. They are such a pain to open when they collapse fully closed when the lever is not engaged. Pull the lever a bit so that you have a way of taking off the closing pressure when you want to open the clamp later.

Thanks for the tip Paul

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Mine are all also clamped to the joists, but my shop is quite low.

If you look carefully at Woodies pic, you'll notice that the Besseys aren't clamped down, there's a rebate which the bar slides into, so you can just grab without having to unclamp...

I only have 10, and keep them stacked within easy reach of my main work area since I use them so often. If I had more, I'd keep the stack, and clamp the extras onto some protruding surface out of the way for occasional use.

The jaws have to be opened about half way for the stack to not tip over, so no problems with them getting stuck closed

Mine is pretty ghetto, just scrap slats across the open studs.




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These can be slid straight out so I don't need much space above them. Convenient, but someday . . . .

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Looks pretty good to me, Pat. But someday ... what???


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Someday, one of them will get bumped out at an inopportune moment and land where I really don't want it to land. You know, if it can happen, it will.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

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www.leddingtonguitars.com

Gosh you guys have a lot of clamps!

I can't say I really ever gave it much thought. My cam clamps simply sit on a shelf.

I use 1" x 8" pine boards supported at each end like this:

Mike Franks
www.mjfranksguitars.com
www.facebook.com/mjfranksguitars