Rockler Corner Clamps

[Coop]

Has anyone used these and if so, do you use them inside the framework or outside. I have tried both and they seem to pull the boards away from each other instead of together. And they ain’t cheep! I’m open to an alternative. 
 

https://www.rockler.com/universal-fence-clamps-with-clamp-it-square

[pkinneb]

I have a set but was not impressed. Think I used them once or twice.

[JohnG]

I don’t have any but have only ever seen them used on the inside corner. 

[Coop]

I see that Charles Neil was impressed with these.

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/picture-frame-miter-clamp?gclid=Cj0KCQiA7OqrBhD9ARIsAK3UXh2Ob01JAloYSBTEmrjOE5tqKhd1_Cw7cHt3mvwb2ZoI_JwJrehTgQMaArvYEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Dave's Not Here]

I bought a set of these and they now sit in my pile of "why did I buy this stuff".

[roughsawn]

They are junk. I bought 4 pair, returned 3 pair, and sanded the 4th pair as square as I could. They are not square enough for cabinet work.

Aluminum corner clamps on Amazon are good.

[pkinneb]

On 12/14/2023 at 7:58 PM, Coop said:

I see that Charles Neil was impressed with these.

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/picture-frame-miter-clamp?gclid=Cj0KCQiA7OqrBhD9ARIsAK3UXh2Ob01JAloYSBTEmrjOE5tqKhd1_Cw7cHt3mvwb2ZoI_JwJrehTgQMaArvYEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Coop these work great for picture frames, small boxes, etc bit would not work for case work. Some have aluminum/metal corners some have plastic, stay away from the plastic ones. I have found they will snap with slight over tension so you have to be careful. Never had an issue with the metal ones.

[Coop]

On 12/15/2023 at 8:57 AM, Dave's Not Here said:

I bought a set of these and they now sit in my pile of "why did I buy this stuff".

 

On 12/15/2023 at 8:58 AM, roughsawn said:

They are junk. I bought 4 pair, returned 3 pair, and sanded the 4th pair as square as I could. They are not square enough for cabinet work.

Aluminum corner clamps on Amazon are good.

Which ones, the Rockler or the Woodctaft? 

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

Agree with @roughsawn and @Dave's Not Here

Their whole line of "Clamp It" corner clamping devices are a waste of money, in my opinion. 

If you have good clamping technique, then there's very, very little benefit. 

If you are an absolute day 1 beginner who is butting pieces of plywood together to try and screw a box together, then they are probably amazing. 

I DO use those fence clamps to secure a sacrifical fence onto my table saw fence to cut rabbets with a dado stack though. They're great for that! 

 

[wtnhighlander]

Keep the clamps, but toss the "L" part and cut your own from plywood. Nip off the corner, too.

[Coop]

Just chunked them. I made 12 or 13 picture frames back in February and used the blue tape method and not sure why I bought these things, thinking they would be an improvement. KISS!
Also, I like to check the diagonal measurement on the frames as well as using a square and the black L’s are too thick to allow for this. 

[gee-dub]

I use them but not in the way the Woodcraft or Lee Valley frame clamps are used.  I use them to assure right angles when doing large chassis glue ups.  The plywood triangles work well too.

If you are looking for frame-type clamps I use the LV and Woodcraft  / Peachtree / Whoever has them cheapest type with good success.

Also shop made Blokkz for frames specifically.

 

[roughsawn]

On 12/15/2023 at 11:43 AM, Coop said:

 

Which ones, the Rockler or the Woodctaft? 

The Rockler black plastic ones.

[Dave's Not Here]

On 12/15/2023 at 11:43 AM, Coop said:

 

Which ones, the Rockler or the Woodctaft? 

Rockler ones.

[Coop]

@gee-dub, all of the sites I see show the Blokkz to be unavailable and it appears that this is a pretty neat item. 

[gee-dub]

On 12/23/2023 at 5:43 PM, Coop said:

@gee-dub, all of the sites I see show the Blokkz to be unavailable and it appears that this is a pretty neat item. 

If it helps I posted a thread on my shop made version here.  These are for 45 degree clamping but the triangle could be a rounded shape for a wider variety of angles.

[Coop]

@gee-dub, who needs those darn Rockler picture frame clamps anyway! Thanks for the idea. They work great on the test piece.

[gee-dub]

@Coop - Well that's embarrassing.  I have some packed in a flat rate box to send you as a surprise and just hadn't gotten to the post office yet . . . uh . . . Surprise!

[Coop]

Helluva guy! I just got crazy and batched out a plum bunch of them. 

[Coop]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:08 PM, gee-dub said:

@Coop - Well that's embarrassing.  I have some packed in a flat rate box to send you as a surprise and just hadn't gotten to the post office yet . . . uh . . . Surprise!

I received them today. Now I can share the ones I made with my photographer friend so he can make his own frames and yours have found a home in my shop! Thank you very much!!

[pkinneb]

On 1/3/2024 at 7:29 PM, Coop said:

I received them today. Now I can share the ones I made with my photographer friend so he can make his own frames and yours have found a home in my shop! Thank you very much!!

And in walnut no less...Nice

@gee-dub curious when you made those did you do one board and then cut them to width or do them individually?

[gee-dub]

I cut a piece of quarter inch plywood twice the size I need, glue the triangle shaped strip on opposite ends, then rip pairs of them to width, then cut the pairs into individual pieces.

I hope that made sense. I have a thread on it somewhere on this forum. Probably under jigs and fixtures.

[Coop]

On 12/23/2023 at 7:54 PM, gee-dub said:

If it helps I posted a thread on my shop made version here.  These are for 45 degree clamping but the triangle could be a rounded shape for a wider variety of angles.

You referenced it above and the process worked perfectly as do the clamps!

[Coop]

Just one more shoutout to @gee-dub. My first time to use these things since the little trial run. My bud needed 8 more picture frames and after a short 5 minute adjust period, we batched them out in no time. Haven’t had a tighter joint since high school.

[gee-dub]

That’s great.