Are you sure you'll really need 30-40 clamps?

Have you built anything needing clamps before?

Reason I ask is it's possible you can get by with makeshift clamps cut from scrap plywood used with wedges, or sections of 3" or 4" PVC drain pipe with a piece cut out (C-shape so the opening can be sprung onto what you want to clamp, then allowed to close - may need a shim or two for adequate tension).

I built a 14' stripper scow 45 years ago & still have all the steel & aluminum c-clamps I acquired at the time (and since) but still I wonder what kind of operations (other than maybe glue-laminating a stem or keel) would require that many clamps all at the same time?

When I set to building a hollow mast for that scow I made clamps up out of short 2x2's, threaded steel rod & lots of nuts & washers. 20' mast needed about 45 clamps, x2 if I'd bought big-enough C-clamps... which I couldn't afford.

   You will need a lot of clamps, but I made my entire dory using clamps cut from 4" pcv pipe (thick walled stuff, perhaps schedule 20?). In the "Tips for Builders" section you will find an article about making and using these clamps.

Have fun with your project. You are on your way to having a great boat!

The only place you'll need an obscene amount of clamps is when you get to the gunwale/inwale stage.  I've seen people use slices of PVC pipe for this, but I've never done it personally.  It may be very economical, but there's got to be a price to pay somewhere.  When I'm dealing with long strips of wood covered in thickened epoxy, I don't want to be wrestling with cheap clamps.  You can find a bin of spring clamps at your local big box store for a buck or two each, which is a good investment.  Just make sure they're stiff and that they can open wide enough to handle your gunwale stock and whiskey plank.  DO NOT buy anything at Harbor Freight.  You will be wasting your money.  Their clamps aren't worth the effort of disposing of them.

Otherwise, just a normal set of bar clamps will do.  I like the Dewalt clamps.  Just make sure they open wide enough to capture your boat parts in addition to the thickness of your work bench if that's applicable.  A lot of benches are made out of 2x4's on edge, so that adds another 3.5".  Weights can be substituted for clamps in a lot of places.  

Oh, spars can also take some clamps, so make sure they're sized appropriately.  The good news is that once you're done with your boat, you'll still have a nice collection of clamps.  Woodworkers all have a common saying, "You can never have too many clamps."

Good luck and keep us posted.

Oh, how many clamps do you need?  Take the length of your boat's gunwale and divide it by 6" then add one.  That's the most you'll need if you want to do one side at a time.

Burk,

How many clamps do you need? One more than you can find after you've searched everywhere in your shop. :-)

When I built my schooner Puzzled Mullet, there were a couple of times when I was in exactly that situation.

I'm with Captain Skully when it comes to using spring clamps vs. PVC kluge clamps. Home Depot and Lowes are constantly having sales on them as loss leaders. If you work out how much a piece of PVC pipe costs and assign even 1/2 minimum wage to your time while cutting them with a hacksaw and cleaning up the mess and then consider the difference in what you get for your efforts/money, it's no contest - spring clamps win.

Have fun,

Laszlo

   Thanks for all the tips,  found decent prices at local Menard's At 11% off this weekend plus an old rebate so saved lots.  I bought selection of 2"and 3" clamps; all they had; now standing in front of a large bin of 2" $.99 spring clamps at HD I'm asking myself do I need 3" or 2" (or larger) spring clamps for my NE Dory build. Your sage experienced advice please!

   Not sure about the Dory. I am building a PocketShip and use the .99 HD clamps all the time. They come in handy for a variety of things. I have a bucket of them. I also have some C-clamps and some of the quick grip Irwin clamps from Lowes. I would take a look at the manual and see what is needed. I have bought mine over time as different things have come up. Good luck with your build! 

   I always keep a variety of sizes around. They often find their way into other uses after a build like holding a shop rag next to the Gojo dispensor. 

A couple, or more pistol grip bar clamps are often useful. The rubber pads on the clamp faces is a plus.

While I bet I agree with the spirit of CaptainScully's suggestion, I'll offer this opposing view- Harbor Freight CAN be a good source for clamps. A few years ago I took a chance on their HEAVY DUTY spring clamps for a strip kayak project. They were surpisingly tough/strong, and substantially cheaper than comparable clamps in the big box stores. I bought another batch about a month ago- the rubber grips were a different color but the quality was the same. 

I'm generally loathe to buy cheap tools (and that usually implicates all of HB) but these were a pleasant surprise.

Good luck!

Patrick

Started my NE Dory build today (w00t!) Home Depot has a bag of 22 various spring clamps for 10$ (Canadian). In the pack four clamps are one-inch, but the rest are 2, 3, or 4in. Bought four packs and glued all four bulkheads and the transom. So far so good :)

Note for any Canadians reading this: these were far and away the best deal. Canadian Tire and Réno Dépôt had only individual 4in spring clamps at like 6 bucks each.