Wood handscrews have been around for over a century. The early ones were basic devices with wood threads, but they were a mainstay in every woodshop. What makes a handscrew different from other woodworking clamps is the way the jaws can pivot out of parallel. The two steel spindles are threaded through cylindrical nuts in the hardwood jaws. One end of each spindle has a right-hand thread and the other end a left-hand thread. When you turn the handle, the jaws move in opposite directions to open or close. This unique construction is what makes a handscrew so handy in the shop. Keeping the large jaws parallel provides a long reach and a broad clamping surface — perfect for leveling the joints of a glueup. But you can angle the jaws inward, too. Doing this lets you apply a lot of clamping pressure.
For clearance when working with small parts, clamp them in a handscrew, then clamp the handscrew in your face vise.
A pair of handscrews clamped to the benchtop make a stable base for working the edge of a workpiece.
A handscrew acts as an extra hand to clamp small or awkward parts for safe and accurate drilling.
