Tame Those Band Clamps!

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#A6CAF0" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="157006c0eezzsc.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Band Clamps</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#006633" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FF3300" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0033" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About the WoodMangler"><U>About the WoodMangler</U></A>   |  <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shop Jigs, Tips, and Techniques"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shop Jigs, Tips, and Techniques"><U>Shop Jigs, Tips, and Techniques</U></A>.   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Basic Tablesaw use"><U>Basic Tablesaw use</U></A><A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Basic Tablesaw use"><U> </U></A>  |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turnin on the Lathe!"><U>Turnin on the Lathe!</U></A><A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turnin on the Lathe!"><U> </U></A> </div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ryobi AP1300 Planer"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ryobi AP1300 Planer"><U>Ryobi AP1300 Planer</U></A>   |   <B>Tame Those Band Clamps!</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#A6CAF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home"><U>Home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About the WoodMangler"><U>About the WoodMangler</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shop Jigs, Tips, and Techniques"><U>Shop Tips, Jigs, and Fixtures</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Compare Benchtop Bandsaws"><U>Compare Benchtop Bandsaws</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Basic Tablesaw use"><U>Basic Tablesaw Use</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turnin on the Lathe!"><U>Turning on the Lathe</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ryobi AP1300 Planer"><U>Ryobi AP1300 Planer</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About the WoodMangler"><U>Tame those Band Clamps</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gallery of Work"><U>Gallery of Work</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#DDDDDD" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>Band Clamp straps look like this?</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="06e34c20.jpg" border=0 width="564" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <B>Here's a simple solution that's easy to make and just takes a few minutes to make several of these Band Clamp Organizers.</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="06fd62c0.jpg" border=0 width="470" height="556" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> You'll need a Lathe or turning jig set up in your drill press, a 3/4" and a 1/2"  dowel, a 3/4" and 1/2" Forstner, Brad point, or Spade drill bit, a 3/16" drill bit, an Awl or small finish nail, a #32 rubber band, and a small piece of scrap at least a 1/2" thick.</div> <div> Cut a 2" piece of the 3/4" dowel. To mark the center of each end of the dowel, make this simple center-finder by first setting the depth stop of your drill press so that the tip of the 3/4" bit barely touches the table.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="07030780.jpg" border=0 width="304" height="376" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Drill a hole in the scrap wood so the tip of the bit barely pokes through the bottom.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="071d60c0.jpg" border=0 width="470" height="524" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Insert the dowel in the hole, then use a sharp awl or finish nail to mark the center of each end of the dowel.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="07358bd0.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="445" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Chuck the 3/4" dowel in the lathe or drill press turning jig, mark the center of the dowel, and 9/16" on either side of center as shown.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="07420f40.jpg" border=0 width="544" height="244" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Using a parting tool, turn 2 1/4" deep recesses as shown, then sand the dowel smooth taking care to round over the edges of the recesses.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="07534e60.jpg" border=0 width="564" height="230" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Cut a 1 1/8" piece of the 1/2" dowel, mark the center of both ends of this dowel using the same method as described for marking the 3/4" dowel, then using a clamp to hold the dowel and a square to ensure it's held at 90 degrees to the drill press table, drill a 3/16" hole through the center of the 1/2" X 1 1/8" dowel.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="07758ef0.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="495" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Roll the nylon strap of the band clamp around the 3/4" dowel, insert the rubber band through the 1/2" dowel, and secure the band clamp as shown.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06fd62c0.jpg" border=0 width="470" height="556" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>You'll find that you can unwind just the amount of strap you need, and easily wind the strap back up when you're finished with the band clamp.</B></div> <div> <B>I hope this simple project works as well for you as it does for me!</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id20_m.htm" TITLE="Tame Those Band Clamps!"><U><B>(TOP)</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>