Clamp Handle Hand Grip

Getting a firm grasp on bar clamp handles can be hard at times. Dry, winter hands combined with a touch of arthritis can take the fun out of my shop time real fast, especially on a project that calls for a lot of clamps. A good fix for this is a simple plywood wheel that slides on to the clamp handle. A slot in the wheel and a screw lets you cinch the wheel firmly in place. The size of the handle hole may vary depending on your clamp handles. For the clamp size shown here, the handle wheel starts as a 3¼" square piece of plywood. First, drill a hole in the center with a 1⅛" Forstner bit. Next, cut the relief slot centered on the side of the block at the band saw. Then drill the pilot and counterbored clearance hole for the screw (detail ‘a’). Next, head to the band saw and cut out the outer circumference. Then, to finish up, sand the wheel smooth before installing it on the clamp handle.