While working with wood you will need to clamp wood for different projects. The wood will have to be clamped in different positions according to the project requirement. To clamp wood at angles such as ninety degrees you will need to know a few things beforehand. So, how should you clamp wood at 90 degrees?
In order to clamp wood at ninety degrees, you should use corner clamps or you can also use a jig to clamp the wood at a ninety-degree angle. You can then glue the wood together before clamping and use screws after clamping to secure the angle stays exactly 90 degrees.
Read on as we highlight all the steps to clamp wood together at ninety degrees, give you the best recommendations for corner clamps along with tips on how to best use them, and finally answer all the common questions regarding corner clamps. Let’s dive right in.
Step-By-Step guide To Clamp Wood Together At 90 Degrees
Whether you are making cabinets or some other woodworking project where you need to clamp wood together at the corners, you will need a jig or a corner clamp for the job. Let’s discuss the different types of tools that can be used for clamping wood.
Clamps come in different types and sizes (for smaller to larger pieces of wood). Whether you use a dedicated corner clamp or a jig to clamp wood at the required ninety degrees, the steps are similar (only the functional instructions vary depending on the tool used).
Clamps come either with a vise to hold the wood pieces together or they come with adjustable handles which lock the wood in the required position required. Now that we know the tools available for clamping let’s talk about the steps involved in clamping wood.
Step 1: Setup the wood pieces
The first step before clamping wood is to make sure the wood pieces are set up the right way so that the clamp can be fixed on the wood. The wood pieces should be set up by putting the corners together so that they are ninety degrees.
Step 2: Make sure the wood is flush
Once you have set up the wood you should make sure that the wood pieces are flush across each other without even the smallest gaps visible. This step will ensure that any work done on the wood is accurate.
Step 3: Apply glue
Once you know how the wood corners will align together, you can then glue them together if you want to join them together. Apply glue to the corners which are to be joined and then align them so they join perfectly.
Step 4: Clamp the wood
Once you have set up the wood and made sure that they are flush and have no gaps, then you can use the clamps or jig to clamp the wood together. According to the tool or clamp you are using you should follow the guideline accordingly.
Some clamps can hold the wood corners with a single tool, however, most corner clamps need and should be used in pairs so that each corner can be held together for the least amount of fuss.
Step 5: Make sure the corners are properly aligned
Once the wood is properly aligned and you have clamped the wood, you should again make sure that the wood is properly aligned and flush properly with the wood setup with both pieces flush together and having no gaps.
If needed you can lightly hit the wood with a soft hammer to align it properly.
Step 6: Screw the wood pieces together
If you applied glue to the wood pieces, you can use the clamps to hold them in place until the glue dries. Once the glue has dried you can then add screws if you require, which is recommended.
First, you need to drill holes for the screws, usually, the clamps you are using have some space on the sides where you can drill and add screws. First drill the holes for the screws, put the screws on, and then tighten them.
Best Corner Clamps
As we have talked about tools to help you clamp together wood at ninety degrees, let’s discuss a few tools available online on Amazon that are good choices to buy if you need corner clamps for woodworking.
- LEATBUY angle clamps
These clamps are “Amazon’s Choice” and have great reviews from most users. The maximum clamping range is 2.7 inches. The design of having clamps on both sides means that no gaps will be left when clamping wood.
The adjustable vise means that you can use wood of different thicknesses and join them together if required.
2. Kreg corner clamp
At almost two thousand reviews and still rated good, this clamp is a great choice for users who want a fast and easy clamping process. The adjustable handle allows for different thicknesses of wood up to 4 inches.
Make sure to set the adjustments that you require at the start to make sure the tool works as intended. Follow the instructions to make the required adjustments.
Pro tips for using clamps on wood
Here are some tips for you to make your life easier when using clamps!
- C clamp jaws with soft pads/wood:
C clamps can leave dents and damage items you are working with. The good news is you can use felt pads designed for table and chair legs by sticking them to the clamp jaws. This will prevent any further dents.
Alternatively, you can use small pieces of wood with magnet pieces inside to protect wood from marks from the clamp. Just use the magnet to stick the wood to the jaws of the clamp and use them as intended.
- Use wax paper to prevent wood clamp stains:
You can use wax paper between the wood clamp and the wood to prevent black stains caused by wood clamps and glue.
- Increase grip while using a screwdriver:
While using a screwdriver you can put rubber gloves over the handles or bike handles to get better grip strength and torque while tightening screws.
- Foam stabilizers:
While using pipe and bar clamps for gluing wood, they tend to flop and ruing your glue jobs. You can use foam insulation pads with supports cut in the middle to hold them steady during glue jobs.
- Use play-doh to glue delicate pieces:
To hold delicate pieces of wood together you can apply glue to the pieces and embed the pieces in the play-doh clay which will hold them until the glue has dried.
- Alternate clamps above and below:
Depending on the size and number of wood pieces you are using and gluing up you should alternate by putting clamps above and below the wood spaced evenly apart.
Alternating between clamping on both sides of the wood will ensure that the wood does not deform or fall inward causing damage to your project.
Final thoughts
As you have seen, we have discussed the uses of clamps and ways you can use them to hold wood together at exactly ninety degrees. We have shown you each of the steps to clamp wood at ninety degrees for your projects and given recommendations for clamps to buy.
Make sure to follow the steps we have highlighted to get the best results for your projects. Invest in different types and clamps as and when needed and you will soon have a good collection for every use. Good luck with your woodworking.
