New Use for a handscrew?

[charlese]

Today, I discovered a new use (at least for me) for a handscrew clamp. Have any of you used one of these for a spreader?

It helped me to fix a dumb mistake. I have been making an additional drawer/shelf combination that hang up with 'L' hooks (square bend hooks).

I had made the case and thought I had completed all parts for the two drawers. I had already glued and brad nailed the first drawer together when I realized I had not cut a groove or rabbet for the drawer bottom.

About 15 minutes had passed since the assembly so now was a problem of how to salvage it. The glue had certainly started to set up. Several scenarios passed through my empty brain and I finally decided to take it apart, then make the cuts. No luck in taking it apart with a hammer. Just couldn't get enough of a swing from the insides of the bottomless box.

Ahh! a spreader clamp!!! The only spreader clamps I have are the newer Bessey K clamps. They won't spread anything smaller than about 10". Grabbed a 6" hand screw and bingo!!:D This thing worked like a real spreader and separated both the glue joints and the nails.

Now it was easy to fix my mistake without starting over.

[Bruce]

I had already glued and brad nailed the first drawer together when I realized I had not cut a groove or rabbet for the drawer bottom.

So you put the first one together without a bottom? Oops!

[a1gutterman]

Good thinking Chuck! Just another SS'r thinking like a SS'r. Ingenuity, diversity, multitasking tools, it's all there.

BTW, I can understand the need to disassemble to cut the groove, or dado, but if you were using the rabbet method, is there a reason that you could knot have used a router?

[charlese]

BTW, I can understand the need to disassemble to cut the groove, or dado, but if you were using the rabbet method, is there a reason that you could knot have used a router?

Yep! That's one of the possibilities that echoed through my empty skull. But here's how I figured - If routed, I'd have to set up the router. Since the SS was already set up with a dado blade, set at 1/4" - I should use the saw. I just finished sawing the 1/4" dados for the dividers. Also, if I used a router, Could I stop it before it went through the sides?

As you can imagine, if you have ever done anything like this, EEK!!! I also envisioned making an entirely new drawer, or just attaching the bottom to the bottom of the drawer and sawing off the same thickness from the top. The way both drawers came out, I very well could have used the router since I cut the sides down the thickness of the bottom plywood. It would have been smarter if I had sawed grooves for the bottom as the drawers would have been easier to slide in and out, with less friction.

Oh well! This way worked for this time. Just wasn't thinking too clearly. Was in too much of a hurry as it was getting warm in the shop. My A/C just won't hold 80 degrees when the outside temp is 112. These days, I have to get an earlier start and quit about 2 PM or 2:30.

Well, none of that mattered, because it came apart easily with my new spreader. I really think that method was the easiest. The brads pulled through the front and back and were easy to remove from the sides with linesman pliers. Then used the dado blade to cut rabbets on the front and back. Of course both front and back of that drawer became the backs of the finished drawers. (they are a little messy, with the extra holes!)

The new drawers look like these (that you have seen before) I mounted the unit just above the double unit (second photo) So now I have four drawers and two shelves.