Clamping Square

This clamping square was created as a lower cost alternative to the Woodpeckers clamping squares + CSP clamps and their multiple clones.

This design makes some tradeoffs:

• It can only be used/clamped on the inside of a joint and therefore cannot be used to line up butt joints.
• Both the square and the clamps are bulkier and harder to manipulate.
• Lower precision. Initially it is entirely dependent on the squareness of cut, but wood is more likely to change over time than aluminum.
• Squeeze-out may bond to the surface of the square if some countermeasures are not added (like packing tape).

Materials

• Scrap material about 3/4" thick and enough for a >192mm square.
• 2x Bessey TK-6 clamps.

Tools

• Saw
• Drill
• Sandpaper

Cut a square with roughly 192mm sides as precisely as possible.

Pick two opposing corners and connect with a line.

Cut off the same two opposing corners 23mm deep and perpendicular to the line.

Cut the along the line centering it on the kerf.

Mark a line parallel to each face 16mm from the face. Then, measure and mark each hole position every 32mm referencing the faces.

Drill and chamfer 3/8" holes as perpendicular as possible. Also sand the corner between the two reference faces for glue clearance.

Add some clear plastic packing tape to the reference surfaces to avoid gluing the square to your work.