Tiny clamps

[NOBLNG]

I use these alligator clips a lot for clamping things. They have a nice strong spring and can get in where other clamps can’t. Sometimes though, the teeth can mar the finished paint or chrome. So I trimmed a piece of popsicle stick to fit inside the jaws and then filed the teeth down flush to the wood. If anyone has any other handy tiny clamps, please post them up here.

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by NOBLNG

[TransAmMike]

Wow Greg, great idea about the wood in the clamp. Those teeth can definately do damage.?

[Danno]

Excellent idea!

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[Bills72sj]

I use a range of clamps based on the reach and/or tension required. I use alligator clips mostly for spray painting. I use both large and small black binder clamps from any office supply house. I use plain wooden clothes pins for most of my gluing as the tension is adequate but they do not open very wide. I have some $1 store plastic clamps which are very versatile. I have a plastic jawed Panavise with a very heavy base which is invaluable for holding things still. I have some mini ratcheting clamps for big stuff. I even use rubber bands when they are needed. My favorite are the two pairs of hemostats for the tiny stuff fingers cannot deal with.

[cheyenne93]

I use these. Usually in a dollar bin at Value Home Center. Like four in a package.

[NOBLNG]

Thanks Guys. I have some of those same clamps. I probably use these yellow ones and the white plastic ones the most. The long nose ones on the left are handy, as they have very tiny jaws. I made a couple of long reach ones that use elastic bands for clamping, but they are a little sloppy. I may have to re-make them. My hemostats will pretty much crush any plastic part if I clamp tight enough to lock them...maybe good for installing metal pins.?

[89AKurt]

I use wood clothes pins, hemostats, different tweezers that can either spring load or lock, and on rare occasions a little Erwin quick-grip.  I'm tempted to get the little wood clothes pins at Hobby Lobby.

[CabDriver]

14 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

 I'm tempted to get the little wood clothes pins at Hobby Lobby.

I use those a lot - and if you have one of the rotating Tamiya paint stands, they fit in the slots on there perfectly to hold the parts

[Belugawrx]

Yes to all of the above...have you guys flipped the jaws / springs on the clothes pins?

I find they can get in a little tighter to the object ...

the bottom, left pegs have been reversed

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by Belugawrx

[peteski]

I also made those reverse clothespin clamps (using regular and miniature clothespins).   I have learned of this technique years ago in some modeling magazine (I think it was FineScale Modeler) - the magazine most members here love to hate.

Edited December 14, 2020 by peteski

[NOBLNG]

5 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

Yes to all of the above...have you guys flipped the jaws on the clothes pins?

Now THAT is a good trick! The jaws can also be carved to suit tight spots. Thanks!

Edit: All clothes pins are not equal either. 

Edited December 14, 2020 by NOBLNG

[Belugawrx]

I learned that one right here at MCM ?

[peteski]

5 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Now THAT is a good trick! The jaws can also be carved to suit tight spots. Thanks!

Edit: All clothes pins are not equal either.

Very true!  Also, when I reverse them I take rat-tail file and enlarge and round off the new "nest" for the spring.That makes the clamp's jaws more stable.

[NOBLNG]

2 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

I learned that one right here at MCM ?

Thanks to whoever discovered the trick and thank you for passing it along.

1 hour ago, peteski said:

Very true!  Also, when I reverse them I take rat-tail file and enlarge and round off the new "nest" for the spring.That makes the clamp's jaws more stable.

Exactly what I did. And filed the tips flush. One leg could even be cut shorter for special applications if needed.

Edited December 15, 2020 by NOBLNG

[mattg]

For small and/or deliacte parts, I often use cheap metal hair clips like the one pictured below. They don't have teeth which could leave marks and the clamping force isn't nearly as high as with alligator clips.

The only thing I do is to sand the insides of the tips a bit because the surface is too smooth for a good grip.

 

 

Also, you can get tiny wooden clothespins in crafts stores, and the "reverse trick" works with them. Just glue them to the end of a popsickle stick for better handling.

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by mattg

[Deuces ll]

Cool thread! ??

[NOBLNG]

These are my new favourite clamps/tweezers!! ? They are great for hanging onto small parts for sanding. The spring holds the parts so you don’t drop them, and are easily pinched tighter so the parts don’t move around while sanding or filing. ?

Edited December 17, 2020 by NOBLNG

[Deuces ll]

Cool!..... ??

[89AKurt]

I got these little wood clothes pins at Hobby Lobby.  Glued on sticks to make them longer, and removed the tips using a disk sander.  I use full scale clothes pins to stabilize for painting.  Reversed some, but haven't used yet.

[Straightliner59]

On 12/14/2020 at 2:41 PM, NOBLNG said:

Now THAT is a good trick! The jaws can also be carved to suit tight spots. Thanks!

Edit: All clothes pins are not equal either. 

The first place I saw this tip was in an Ertl Blueprinter in 1974 or '75(?). It was sent in by my friend, Jim Schaffel, who is the guy who got me started down this path. I still have the issue.

[NOBLNG]

I modified these a bit with some sandpaper glued to the tips. They’ve got a better grip now for holding tiny parts when sanding or filing to shape.

[89AKurt]

Another time I used the mini clothes pin.  Any of the other clamps I have would crushed the solder wire held in place.

[GarryR]

These toothless alligator clips are very small; made of copper so the tips are malleable. 

[peteski]

Those are likely copper plated soft steel (at least the ones I have are), but regardless, they are useful.

[Pete J.]

One other trick with the reversed cloths pins.  I glued a couple of pieces of aluminum plate, one to each jaw and use them as a heat sink when soldering.  Works great!