Glue and Clamping Odd Shaped Objects

[Jay Boutwell]

Here is a tip for those of you that have experienced the problem with clamping up an item that is hard or impossible to use clamps on, use black electrician's tape.  Wrap the tape and stretch it tight as you wrap.  Because it is flexible it will easily conform to many odd shapes with out difficulty. 

The tape has a memory and will attempt to return back to is original state it will pull and hold objects tightly.  Most glue will not stick to the tape so clean up is not necessary.

[Robert Brennan]

Here here Jay !

I wrestled with a stave barrel/drum I made some time ago and used electrical tape on it.

That was after ratchet straps, shock cord and the likes all did not work!

[Jay Boutwell]

Hi Robert, yes it is pretty effective too.  I have been using it for years and sucessefully glued up many complicated configurations of miters.  I used it many times when gluing up curved stair way railings and building curved cabinet parts like curved and convex panels for cabinet ends as well as bowed and convex cabinet doors.  I do not use any plywood in this work so the pieces are all miters edged glued together.  So far it is the only method that I have found that works short of building a press form and often they will not work either.  Nice looking barrel!

Robert Brennan said:

Here here Jay !

I wrestled with a stave barrel/drum I made some time ago and used electrical tape on it.

That was after ratchet straps, shock cord and the likes all did not work!