surgical tubing for clamping handle scales

JeridJohnson

JeridJohnson

Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
376
anyone ever use surgical tubing to clamp handle scales while gluing up handles? I ran out of clamps and had to improvise.

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I've never used it to clamp handle materials, but did use it to fix a flintlock I was building. Long story short, I used inletting black and used water to scrub the black off the stock. The excess moister caused the wood to lean out from the barrel making my careful inletting look like crap, the upper wood to metal is about 3/32" thick. So I got some surgical tubing and wet the stock, wrapped the barrel in saran wrap and wrapped the barrel and wood tight. Waited a couple of days and the barrel looked like it grew out of the stock. This wasn't changing much, inletting was tight till I wet it and it warped just a bit, the clamp pressure just tweeted the wood back to where it was before.
 
I build pool cues and we use it all the time to clamp our points into the forearm. It gives you very even pressure. Just be careful not to wrap or to tight because it is very strong and will squeeze all the glue out leaving you a dry fit.
 
I have used it to apply pressure to the butt when gluing a handle on a hidden tang knife. Depending on much you stretch it, the pressure varies. It comes in handle for gluing up chair legs and other clamping tasks on irregular objects, as well.
 
Used it a few times but I also use electrical tape as it can be stretched and a couple wrapes is quite sturdy as long as the scale flatness is good. Also being tape it can be wrapped around things that would normally slip off of like a tapered butt. But a word of caution if using electrical tape. Happened just the other day to me. Glued up the scales and tang with gorilla glue (expanding kind) and wrapped with tape. Then I look at it and dang you idiot. So I use a needle and poke a lot of small holes along the tang. Let it sit and come back and glue is squarting out of the holes. I let it sit till it should be dry. Pulled off the tape and glue was still setting up. So just be carfule with what you use to claps and your glue selection.
 
I finished the handles yesterday. they all looked good. the tubing clearly applies adequate pressure.
 
Never thought about using it, but then again, I don't have any. Looks like I good option though. Normally I have enough clamps, as I buy mini c-clamps and squeeze clamps quite often. If all else fails, electrical or masking tape is the next option.
 
In my experience, epoxy sticks to surgical tubing too well. Maybe I should have used release agent on it...?

I have been using inner-tubes of all kinds forever.

There are two ways to cut them. You can cut cross sections which are like industrial grade rubber bands. Ten speed tubes make little rubber bands, and tractor tubes make holy **** rubber bands.

Split tubes lengthwise and you get something like surgical tubing that doesn't stick to epoxy, and it doesn't roll around At All. That works way better for me.

There's a zillion different sizes and thicknesses, and used tubes are free wherever they fix tires. From the bicycle store, to the dirtbke/ATV store, to the John Deere store, the selection is endless.

That said, Kant-Twist clamps are one of the best investments I've made.
 
grizzled gizzard said:
In my experience, epoxy sticks to surgical tubing too well. Maybe I should have used release agent on it...?

I have been using inner-tubes of all kinds forever.

There are two ways to cut them. You can cut cross sections which are like industrial grade rubber bands. Ten speed tubes make little rubber bands, and tractor tubes make holy **** rubber bands.

Split tubes lengthwise and you get something like surgical tubing that doesn't stick to epoxy, and it doesn't roll around At All. That works way better for me.

There's a zillion different sizes and thicknesses, and used tubes are free wherever they fix tires. From the bicycle store, to the dirtbke/ATV store, to the John Deere store, the selection is endless.

That said, Kant-Twist clamps are one of the best investments I've made.
Click to expand...

Nice to see ya' around Grizz!
 
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