Stacking clamps on base.When I was working in Ohio a few years ago, I had ready access to the WoodCraft store in Columbus.

While shopping there I came across some stacking clamps called the "New Stacking Clamp" by R&R Clamp, Inc. They were displayed as cabinet door clamps. I have used them for gluing up cabinet doors and just about every other project that will fit in them.

Tightening with a 3/4" socket and a drill driver or ratchet.

They have a 24" capacity and they are placed onto a set of rails that have to be installed on a base.They are tightened with a 3/4" socket and the kit includes a driver that installs in your drill for power driving, but I recommend final tightening with a ratchet.

Stacking clamps protected with visqueen.

To protect the clamps I like using a heavy visqueen plastic. I have been using the same pieces of plastic for years because it is durable and the glue pops right off when dry. All I have to do is snap the plastic a few times like a towel and the wood glue pops right off.

This is much more effective than using rolls of wax paper which could not be used over and over for years like the plastic.

Multiple panels in glue up.

The Stacker Clamps are great because I can have more than one item in glue up at a time, but it all fits within the same footprint. This saves valuable space in the small shop.

The panels being glued up don't even have to be the same size. You will need to place the largest item on the bottom and smaller glue ups on top. The bottom clamps will need to be located in a position considerate of the clamps to follow on top of it to accommodate the panels being glued up.

Protective sleeves on metal clamp faces.The metal clamp faces have a protective vinyl or plastic sleeve on them. But a word of warning here, as any pliable clamp face will do, they leave a dark stain on the edge where they make contact. I believe it is the petroleum products or oils in the plastic that transfer to the wood which cause this.

The solution is simple, I use scrap strips of wood or mdf between the project and clamp face. Or, I glue the panel oversize and mill it down to the perfect width on the tablesaw and jointer to remove the stained edge.

Here is a short video that shows the basics of the clamps in operation. It only shows using them one layer high but you will get the idea. Run time :57 seconds.

You may be wondering if it was necessary to use that many clamps. The simple answer is "No, I just got carried away."

I could not find the clamps on WoodCraft's site. But I called the store today in Columbus, OH and they still carry them. The corporate catalog and website does not always have everything listed that the stores carry. I was informed that the stores have some autonomy in what they can decide to carry and so it may vary by location and from the corporate listing online.

This is interesting to know so you might find them in the local WoodCraft Store if you are near one.

I was able to locate them at the Grizzly site under H9487 Stacking Clamp Starter Kit. 5 panels in glue up.

As I recall, I purchased a couple of the starter kits and extra parts. I currently have a total of 22 clamps. I like the clamps and could soundly recommend them. They work well and frequently I have multiple panels in glue up at one time. The "New Stacking Clamps" definitely fall into my list of "tools that really work."

Your friend in the shop - Todd A. Clippinger

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Update on 2010-02-28 14:59 by Todd A. Clippinger

Stacking clamps stored under bench.One more benefit that I would like to highlight about the stacking clamps is the compact storage. I have 22 of these clamps and there is no other clamp I own that will store as compactly as these.

As you can see they stack tightly on top of one another. Their architecture allows for this compared to the clamps that have a big head and skinny bar.

As you look at the advertising, Oneida seems to make a pretty outrageous claim concerning the efficiency of it's Dust Deputy, they claim it captures 99% of the dust. In case you don't know, the Dust Deputy is a mini cyclone that fits on a 5 gallon bucket lid which acts as a particle separator for your shopvac.

I have been interested in this claim, and cautious, because I am interested in good dust collection for my shop. I collect as much dust at the source as possible, this is one of the secrets to my shop being so clean even though it gets daily use.

What this leads to, is constantly emptying out the shopvac and cleaning the filter to maintain a high suction level. If I have to listen to the noise of the shopvac, it better be pulling the dust off of my sanders because I do a LOT of sanding.

I have long known about the Dust Deputy and had read good reviews about it from other woodworkers so I decided to buy one. I received it a week ago and have been using it with amazing results ever since.

Sanding cabinet panels.

The day I got it, I put it into service. I made sure to clean out the shopvac tub and filter as good as possible. Last night I took a look at the filter and was once again amazed. The shopvac only has a light coat of dust inside and on the filter after a solid week of use. Compare this to the four times that I have emptied the 5 gallon bucket which was half full each time.

Shopvac empty after using it for a week with the Dust Deputy.Filter is clean after using with the Dust Deputy for a week.

I purchased the cyclone by itself for $60 plus shipping from Rockler. I have extra hoses and shopvac attachments in the shop so I did not need the full kit. If you do not have extra hoses and connections laying around I would recommend the full kit at $100. You will end up spending close to that buying all of the parts separate anyway plus add your time and gas running around.

Dust Deputy in it's current setup.

I attached the cyclone to the bucket lid and cut a piece of 1/2" plywood as a backer to the inside of the lid as reinforcement. The bucket wants to fall over easily but I had a quick solution already sitting under the table next to the shopvac. I had a 5 gallon bucket about 1/3 full of 16 penny framing nails. I simply dropped the Dust Deputy bucket inside the bucket of nails for a solid anchor. This works quite well for now because I do not move this shopvac around, but I am sure that I will be building a cart to contain the two in the future.

Anti-tipping solution, a partial bucket of framing nails.

I highly recommend the Dust Deputy. The price is a bit on the high side and I have no doubt that they are selling it for what the market will bear because of what it does. But as a business I am already spending less time cleaning out my shopvac filter and that saves me money. It literally will pay for itself in my shop.

The Dust Deputy lives up to it's advertised claims and there is barely a drop in suction power with the extra length of hose. When I build a permanent home for the Dust Deputy and shopvac, I will most likely cut the hose between the two as short as possible to maintain maximum suction.

The Dust Deputy falls into my category of "things that really work" and I highly recommend it for any shop.

Your friend in the shop - Todd A. Clippinger

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