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I'm thinking about making up come of those Cam Clamps.
What is the best kind of wood to use? And what is the most economical?
Thanks,

Chris Nielsen

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

Well, I don't want to imply that I'm an expert but I'm in the middle of making 145 clamps right now.
Maple is probably the most common wood used on these. But I'm not a fan of working maple. It burns so easily. So I go with Nothern Beech. By the books I've seen, it's got pretty much the same strength as hard maple but is "harder" (meaning it is less likely to dent). Same wood as many bench tops are made of. It's a little chippy to work but once you have that figured out, it works pretty well.
Hickory works very well, as does lyptus. I've used both of those and enjoyed the results.
I haven't made any from it but I would think Poplar might be pretty good as long as they aren't abused too much. It's very economical. That's probably the softest wood I'd feel comfortable using.
So, really, any hard, straight grained wood will work pretty well.
How's that for an ambiguous answer?

I made a couple using red oak. Might not be as purty as maple, but it works just fine for cam clamps.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Klemmsia (German) makes theirs out of hornbeam but you will almost never see it in the US.

I like Northern Beech the best (it is cheap) followed by Maple, Oak, Ash, and Hickory. I have tried all of these when I couldnt afford Klemmsia.

I wonder if Poplar would hold up (never used) but it is worth a try.

I've made some out of maple, poplar, and red oak. My favorite are the red oak - they seem to hold up the best and deliver more force as the clamp ages. Maple is a close second, and the poplar seemed to be "weaker" presumably due to greater wear over time.

This biggest difference, though, is in the thickness of the stock. I used 3/4" lumber for most of them, but I made some of the oak clamps out of 1" (actual dimension) stock. I like those the best - they seem to deliver more force (when needed), and seem to wear better over time.

My dad and I made a batch way back when. We used Oak, it works as Pete says, provides great force. I commissioned my wife to make me a bact out of pine, they also work well for clamping when a lot of pressure is not needed. If I were to make them again, id used what Paul suggests, after all hes made a fair share of them! LanceK38721.5103703704

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

How much do Klemsias cost over there? I get them in the UK for about $8 each for the 200x110.

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

They generally run about $14-18 for the 200x110. Most of that difference must be in shipping and tariffs.