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If you've been doing any kind of work around the house for a while, you probably have a few trusty old-school tools. C-clamps at hand. The C-clamp has been used for thousands of years. This is one of those incredibly simple tools that just works. This is also one of those tools you tend to collect several examples of different sizes.
Typically you use a C-clamp to hold something together, like two pieces of wood, or to hold something in place while working (I often use it for sawing lumber so I can hold the saw with both hands since I'm allergic to emergency rooms). But the C-clamp is actually very useful. universal tool it can be used in many creative – but useful! – ways. Here are some of my favorite ways to repurpose old C-clamps.
Carrying handle
If you need to carry something bulky, heavy and awkward, having temporary handles will always make the job easier. If you have a few C-clamps, you're good to go: simply clip a pair onto the item you're transporting and you'll have handy handles that make transport easy. They can also be used as handles for rolled materials such as rugs or rugs—simply thread the roll through a pair of C-clamps, tighten them, and move on.
Quiet Hammer
It's happened to us all: we need to hammer a nail somewhere, but there's nowhere to swing the hammer, or for some reason we don't want to hammer too hard. The solution is your trusty C-clamp: simply slide the clip onto the head of the nail and tighten. The clamping action relentlessly (and silently) drives the nail into place. Of course, it's not an efficient way to drive a lot of nails, but it's great in tight spots.
Emergency key
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Need to tighten or loosen a connector but don't have a wrench handy? Tighten the C-Lamp around the bolt, collar or joint until it grips tightly, then slowly rotate it in the desired direction. Make sure the clamp is tight enough to prevent slipping, and you may want to use something (a handy piece of cloth will do) to protect the connection from damage while you work.
Cord organizer
Whether it's organizing all the extension cords and power cords on your workbench or work area, or organizing the computer cables on your industrial-style desk, C-Clamps can keep all those cords under control and in a pinch. Simply gather the cords at the edge of the table and clamp them. This is an ideal temporary solution because the cords can pass through the clamps freely without risk of damage, and the clamps can be removed once the job is complete.
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Bookends
Need a couple of bookends to keep things on your shelf? A pair of C-clamps, attached to the outer edge and clamped as deep as possible, will do. This could even become a permanent design choice if your taste leans towards rustic or industrial.
Anchors
C-clamps are ideal devices when mounting points are needed, but you don't want to attach anything permanent that would require fastening and drilling into the structure. Need a clothesline to dry your clothes when your dryer is broken? All you need are two C-clamps and some rope or twine. Need to hang tools, clothes or anything else? C-clamps attached to any shelf combined with a hook will work wonders. Do you need to secure a tablecloth or other covering in place? Nothing holds objects to a horizontal surface better than C-clamps.
Reel holder
Whether you're spooling filament onto your 3D printer or feeding yourself twine or wire while working on a project, putting the spool on the C-clamp and then clamping it in place will give you a strong holder that you can pull out. This means you don't have to juggle the spool every time you need more slack, and you can easily release and reposition the spool if you're on the move while working.
