The Wooden Clamp Journal, or WCJ

This is our second issue of the Journal. Please send your comments, and any contributions, and I'll try to get Issue Three out, probably after Brimfield (Late May, for those of you who don't follow events in the NorthEast).

W C J  H o m e Page     L a s t Issue ..... N e x t Issue a work in progress.....

Table of Contents

• Editorial Comments
• Links to other sites
• Announcements of Coming Events
• Reports on Past Events
• Descriptions of Clamps
• Histories of Makers, Sellers, and Owners
• Notices: For Sale or Trade and Wanted

Editorial Comments

The WCJ is for presentation and discussion of any material related to wooden clamps, and related devices, whether factory made or craft made. I'd be especially keen to receive information about clamps made outside the USA.

The companies that made wooden clamps also made pianoforte clamps (aka bar clamps) and bench screws. I think those are worth discussing too.

Discussions are also welcome about transitional clamps, with metal screws, or about other clamping devices, such as Tarbell's Improved Clamp, patented in the 1890s.

Please mail your ideas or suggestions about what you want to read.

Links to Other Sites

A general listing of

• old tool events
• dealers in old tools
• front page to the collection containing the items above

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Announcements of Coming Events

• 1997 May 8-11, EAIA Annual Meeting
  Winston-Salem NC
  Contact Kathy Fox 908 277 6922
• 1997 May 14-18, July 9-13, September 3-7, Brimfield Fair
  Brimfield MA
  There are dozens of "fields", each with its own contact.   Heart of the Mart has 450 dealers
• Your event could go here; just let me know.

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Reports on Past Events

Sorry but I missed the Crane auctions. Also, I'll miss the EAIA get-together in Winston Salem; but I think you'll enjoy the city, and the tour to High Point.  

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Descriptions of Clamps

The Field Guide has been updated with the dimensions of  Screws and Jaws for Grand Rapids Hand Screw Company clamps.

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Histories of Makers, Sellers, and Owners

This spring has been eventful for me.  In February, I went down South; I visited the Furniture Museum in High Point NC, and later looked at the restoration work being done in Milton NC on the Thomas Day house.  In 1850, his establishment was one fourth of the furniture manufacturing in the state, in terms of investments and workers.  Many of his pieces were sold to Governor David S. Reid. Unfortunately, he went bankrupt, and later his shop burned; no tool inventories are available.  I have no information about the clamps he used.  

On the way back, I stopped at Lancaster PA, and found a Grand Rapids Hand Screw Company clamp - only the second one I have seen!  A few phone calls and letters later, I had a wealth of information about this company from the Public Museum of Grand Rapids.  The result is an update to the Makers page of this site.

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Notices: For Sale, Trade, or Wanted

For Sale:
For Trade:
Wanted:

1. The editor wants clamps made outside New England. Send mail with description.

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last revised and validated

Copyright © 1996- Wooden Clamp Journal