Clamping Layout Worktop

instructables
Clamping & Layout Worktop
by HYPEphillips
"Can you just hold this a moment" was a classic question to my wife.
Many of you now nodding in understanding...
but I just don't have enough arms to hold everything in place whilst clamping up my woodworking projects!
So this is a 'worktop' speci cally to aid supporting, clamping, gluing, screwing, nailing for your projects.
Its not super exciting - just very practical!
Supplies:
Plywood (in my case 18mm scrap light weight ply) - 18mm,15mm or 12mm
Base board - Ply (MDF maybe)
Glue (PVA and I used Superglue to add speed)
Saw (hand saw, circular or table saw - whatever you have)
Square
Clamps
Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 1

Step 1: Why?
I have a work bench - usually its a bit cluttered, but it does sometimes get used for holding/clamping purposes. But its
not ideal as I can't place clamps exactly where I want them. I needed a surface that would cover these points:
allow clamping from all sides
raises the whole unit up to t clamp heads underneath
the surface is nished with something that is non stick with PVA glues
guides to allow 90deg angle clamping
Step 2: Design
Luckily I have Autodesk Revit, so designs can be quickly knocked up and easily amended.
Overall my design was dictated by the size of the ply I had but in theory you can make it whatever size you wish. Initially I
thought of large holes as with various assembly tables but that was quickly amended to a slot system. My clamp heads

are approx.70mm (clamp face to rear) maximum so the support spacers needed to be 70mmW. The clamp heads are
40mmW so the gap between each top slat needs to be 40mm minimum. This means I can place a clamp directly from
above without it fouling or insert it from the side.
I also looked at the design to allow my long sash clamps to t in length ways so the support spacers now have 20mm
gaps. This will sort of work but only if the item being clamped is longer than the top (unless you put 'blocks' in).
The other aspect was to allow clamping up to an edge. Now its easy enough to just clamp a wooden strip in place to act
as a straight edge, but that sucks up your clamps so better to have a bolt down piece. You can do 2 pieces like this so you
can bolt down to create a 90deg angle to clamp up against.
I have another design proposal ...but I'm not sure its viable yet so that may well get inserted towards the end.

Step 3: Cutting It All Up!
My base board is 15mm birch ply (500x700).

The other ply was light weight 18mm scrap in weird cone shapes.
This was recut to create the top slats and the support spacers. Now this is where it started to deviate...
I didn't have enough lengths to do the spacers. I was also concerned about the rigidity of the top slats, so I used all the
small o cuts to create segmented spacers. Basically use what you've got!

Step 4: Additional Design Element
So.... not completely sure if this was going to work in the way I wanted, but for some of my projects I need to glue up
pieces of wood at angles. So I need support bars to clamp up against.
If you just need the basics - you can get some wood - any size - approx.30x50x500 , 2 pieces and either screw them to the
board or bolt them on or clamp them. Quick and easy. If thats all you want jump to the next step...
I just went a bit further...
I thought if I use the reverse of the worktop - the base board, and cut an arc slot in it I could then place 2 wood supports,
1 in a more xed position parallel to the side and the other pivoting at one end and the other end moving along the arc
slot. I could also print o a protractor or draw one up and also stick that to the top.
The concern is I don't want to make the arc slot too long to compromise the board strength.
I already have slotted ply that I use for other jigs that have a wider slot on the underside. This can use M5 and M6 bolts
and threaded rod with wider heads to use hold down clamps. This allowed me to just check how I wanted the guides to
work - dimensions and positioning.
From there I used my 'thin strip jig' and cut 6mm wide hardwood strips (ply will do) and then cut this into 'spacer' widths
of 15mm and 50mm+. The end spacers are de nitely required, the mid ones aren't but I didn't want the support bars to
deviate too much if clamped up. So these were laid out, glued up and trimmed down on height (44mm). I then cut 15mm
ply to 62mm, in lengths that match the base board lengths - 500 and 700mm.
The slotted section was then sandwiched between the ply, recessed by 9mm, glued and clamped. This was then trimmed
down to 60mm so it was all square and then a 45deg angle was cut o one end.
The whole point of this is to create support bars with a recessed slot to bolt down to the worktop or run a bolt from the
underside to deal with clamping pieces from above. By creating it in this way I don't need to router a long slot or use 'T'
track. It also means I can use them on other jigs I have made.

Step 5: Assembly
The base board needs to be on a at rigid surface. I then marked it all up to aid gluing the spacers. From the photo you
can see its done in such a way to make each slat that gets xed on top as stable as possible. Maybe a little bit over the top
though! So this allowed 40mm spacing for the top clamps and if required 20mm spacing for sash clamps long ways.
The top slats were then glued on top. So as you can see - not screws or nails just glue.
The slats were then drilled at appropriate points to either allow the threaded inserts or to allow bolts so that the support
bars can be xed down when required.

Step 6: Amendments
My support bars use 6mm spacers - I wish they were 7mm or maybe 8mm. Allows a little ' oat' to help
with alignment or getting 90deg angle. This was partially resolved by allowing the holes in the top slats to
be 8mm instead, when using a 6mm bolt.
Less support spacers would have been ne.
The reverse side - the base board with the slotted arc. That could also be accomplished by 2 or 3 routed
slots length ways, therefore allowing a multitude of support bar placements
Step 7: In Use...
The below numerical order is related to the attached photo's:

1 - Using the 2 guides to create a 90deg angle and clamp up against to allow drilling and screws
2,3 & 4 - Clamping up several pieces across with clamps above and below. Also using the guide as downward bar to keep
the wood at
5 & 6 - With the worktop ipped over and the guides in use at angles, to clamp wood against whilst xing. Allows space at
the joint if drilling required.
7,8 & 9 - With the additional downward clamp this allows a clamping force from above - not just from the side.
Eventually the base (with the slotted arc) is to have set angles marked into it for quicker set up, but all of the above can
also be done on the top slatted side as well.

Step 8: I'm Done
On the whole it does exactly what I need it to do. Its a tool, a work aid, something that isn't too precious. So I can always
make others and incorporate my amendments.
Also it means I don't have to shout to my wife to help out so much, she'll be glad about that!
Thanks for reading

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instructables

Clamping & Layout Worktop

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 1

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 2

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 3

My base board is 15mm birch ply (500x700).

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 7

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 11

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 32

The below numerical order is related to the attached photo's:

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 39

Clamping & Layout Worktop: Page 49

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