Assembling Tips

1. Right Angle Brackets can be simply made and used to support the work piece, as shown below. When you are assembling frames and carcase a right angle bracket cramped to the workpiece will keep it upright and stop it falling over, while you work.

2. Sash cramps bowing the diagram above shows how a sash cramp will bow, this knowledge can be used to your advantage.

If for instance you wish to apply pressure to a wide board that a ordinary G cramp can't reach, use a sash cramp and insert a softwood block under the middle of the bar to stop any bents or staining.

Because the bar is bowed the cramp heads are no longer square to the work, this is why thin boards have a tenancy to "Jump" out of the cramps if cramped on one side only, therefore it is standard practice to alternate sash cramps on either side of the work. On tops that are cupped you can use this technique to straighten out the board by cramping to the underside of the board when gluing up.

3. Sash cramp head marking your work! Look no further! Cut out some ( normal )softwood blocks to suite the size of your sash cramp bar in the style below, and then slip in between the cramp heads for mark free cramping.

4. Sash cramps keep falling over ! Then extend the softwood blocks to include feet as shown below.

5. Roofing square are a useful aid when assembling to check whether the frame or carcase is square

6. Cramping battens to pull in carcase sides. When using sash cramps to cramp up carcasses, use at least four 3" X 3" X the width of what you are trying to cramp up. The idea is for the battens to apply pressure in the middle of the carcase thus pulling in the carcase flat as sash cramps on there own only apply pressure to the outside edges only.