Planking nippers.

[Dave R]

Anybody got a drawing of a good planking nipper (clamp)? I'd like to make some simple ones. I was considering the kind where you drive a wedge between one side of the clamp and the plank but I'd rather be able to draw the jaws together instead.

I could also use the drawing for a discussion on levers on another forum. :D

[gary porter]

Dave, I believe there is a drawing of clamps in John Leather's boot on clinker boatbuilding. This clamp uses a wedge in the back of the clamp and a wingnut and bolt in the middle. Walter J. Simmons sells parts for a very nice clamp and the drawings or he'll sell the clamps but I'd just make them. Also, Gregg Rossel has some versions in his book as well.
Gary

[Paul Scheuer]

Somewhere in WB back issues, there is a cam action clamp that works with an excentric cylinder providing the squeeze at the back of one moving jaw. I think the hinge was a simnple leather arrangement. It looked like a good, one-handed clamp that would really speed up the work.

If you're not making them for the long term, you can get a lot of bang for the buck with machine screws and wing nuts on sticks. (They will have other uses, later. Like clamping the rails, etc.)

[Keith Wilson]

I don't have a drawing that I can post easily, but here's what I've done: Cut a rectangle of 3/4" plywood (1/2" may work), length of sides approx 2:3 ratio, the long side quite a bit longer than your maximum plank width. Then cut out a slot starting on the short edge, about 1/3 of the width. You now have the clamp: It should look like this:
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*</pre>[/QUOTE]Then take the piece you cut out and cut a long shallow bevel on the long edge. That's your wedge. Slide the U-shaped clamp over the plank, then jam in the wedge. Quick, easy, and really cheap, although it's only really good for light planking.

[ 01-13-2004, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Here are some simple planking clamps. 1/4" threaded rod with a t-nut and handle.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid20/pcc7f309da2e683480498056c28d1f8a8/fdb9a527.jpg

Steven

[werner]

Hi,
diff.types are discribed some with plan or foto's in the "WB Series" book "planking and fastening".
Brenne clamp,Norwegian finger clamp,an article on "clamps in the boatshop"...
regards ,
Werner

[Dave R]

Thanks for the suggestions. Steven, are your clamp jaws identical with one turned end for end?

Here's what I came up with over the weekend.
http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/discus/messages/618/2985.jpg
http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/discus/messages/618/2986.jpg
I glued up two layers of 12mm Baltic birch plywood after plowing crooves for the carriage bolts. The hole in the lower jaw just fits the bolt so the square shoulder is an easy, driven fit. the top jaw as a 1" wide hole. After the plywood was glued up, I cut a groove along one edge to hold the hinge.

The hinge is a piece of walnut pinned with dowels.

[ 01-19-2004, 07:10 AM: Message edited by: Dave R ]

[Phil Young]

Extraordinarily elegant. I made up a bunch just using some old rough cut 1"X 1", a bolt through roughly the middle holding 2 together, and a bunch of little wedges to push in the end between them. The idea was to adjust them approximately with the bolt, then with a single handed motion you can hold the clamp in place with your fingers while you force in the wedge with the palm of your hand. Your other two hands are holding the plank in place against the previous plank and either side of where the clamp is going.