Drawer-Slip Cramps

After I used drawer-slips for the first time, I went out to do a little more research.

Robert Wearing, in "The Essential Woodworker, talked of drawers slips and offered up some great drawings...in the Appendix he provided a drawing of how to make clamps to apply pressure to drawer-slips.

Wearing refered to them as cramps.

Design Plan

Wood Selection and Milling

Assembly

 

Design Plan

I looked around and Walke Moore Tools made and sold a version of these cramps...but they were sold out and are not currently available.

They did, however, sell a hardware kit for these cramps...I bought a set to make my own cramps...in the larger (6 inch), traditional version.

The longer (4.75 inches) 5/16-18 threaded rod forms the opening jaw end...this rod gets a washer and the eared nut on the outer most, front end of the top jaw.

The shorter (4.25 inches) threaded rod forms the butt jaw end...this rod gets a washer and the nut on the innermost, butt end of the upper, slider jaw.

Here is a comparison of the different Walke Moore models...on the left are the traditional style in both the 4 inch and the 6 inch models. They will not totally close due to the nut.

On the right are the 4 and 6 inch counterbore models which will totally close.

My Sketchup model...I am planning to make the traditional style cramps...one in the 4 inch model and one in the 6 inch model.

 

Each cramp is comprised of two jaws...the top (or sliding) jaw, a four inch model, is shown dimensioned here...

...the holes in the top jaw are drilled through the jaw...3/8 inch diameter.

The jaw hole is 2 1/4 inch from the butt end in the 4 inch model...2 3/4 inch from the butt end in the 6 inch model.

 

A bottom (or fixed) jaws is shown here...the holes are drilled at 1/4", they are stopped 1/8" before going through...then the holes are reamed with a 5/16-18 tap to accept the threaded rods.
Wood Selection and Milling

Recommended: "Any dense hardwood and it should be quartersawn stock."

I pulled a couple of 4/4 white oak boards from the attic...quartersawn with flakes on the surface...

...plus pretty good vertical end grain.
Made a graph paper model...
...then created a 1/4 inch thick MDF template.
Milled the oak to 3/4 inch thickness...jointed and planed...ripped to 1 1/2 inches and chopped...
...then arc was marked out and cut at the bandsaw...
Oak blanks...
On the lower jaws, I drilled 1/4 inch holes...stopped at 5/8 inch deep...leaving 1/8 inch thickness.
Then tapped the holes to 5/16-18...

Drilled 3/8 through holes in the top, sliding jaws.

These holes are oversized and allow the upper slider jaw alot of room for the 5/16 rods.

Assembly
Double nuts on 5/16 threaded rod...the lockout allows a wrench to screw them into the jaws.
Prepped to put a nut, + washer + lower jaw onto the shorter threaded rod at the back.
Placed washers and nuts in appropriate locations...and it becomes a working cramp...
Both models completed...4 and 6
Should be a great flexible, utile small cramp....you can never have too many cramps...
...shown clamping a drawer-slip.
Rubbed on a couple of coats of shop mixed wiping varnish...
Liked these so much that I bought a second set of hardware...this time I secured the 4" kit hardware from TFWW.
Switched out the hardware..putting the shorter threaded rods on the 4 inch model.
I now have a pair of the 4" and a pair of the 6".

 

 

 

 

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