Over the years, I realized that I spend a lot of time doing repetitive tasks, like clamping and unclamping the workpieces or project I’m working on. Recently, I sat down to design something that would help save time when building a project that involves a lot of clamping. The result is this clamping station. It has proven to be versatile and a big helping hand in the shop. Best of all, it’s quick to build.
It starts with a plywood base. Slots along two edges are designed to house bar clamps or locking clamps typically used on a drill press table. I cut the slots using a router and a shop-made template for consistent size and spacing.
Next comes the top. For this, I used plywood with laminate for a smooth, easy-to-clean worksurface. A couple of hardwood cleats on two edges finish it up. The cleats make it easy to assemble and square up frames of all types.
To use the clamping station, I set it on my benchtop so the slots overhang the edges of the bench. The slots accommodate a wide range of clamps, including bar clamps, for seemingly endless clamping options.
