This solid wood edging on plywood for example would have required a clamp every few inches.
Woodworking clamp caul. They provide pressure in places beyond the reach of standard clamps or reduce the number of clamps required. If you re clamping up oversized rough boards for a large tabletop cauls probably aren t necessary but if you re working with thin edge trim or other delicate parts cauls are the difference between nice tight fitting joints and having to start over. Woodriver 3 clamping squares 4pc. Clamping cauls are nothing more than rigid wooden bars that are clamped to panel glue ups one on top and another directly below it to keep the individual boards aligned to each other.
The crown of the cambered caul goes on the center of the joint and the ends get clamped down. 3 clamping squares 4pc. This applies the needed pressure all the way across the joint. For example in the picture below i m using some special cauls to make sure the sides of this cabinet are straight.
This refinement is especially useful when it s not possible to place a clamp at the center of the assembly. Clamping cauls woodworkers discovered early on that by cambering a caul to create a belly at its center it s possible to increase clamping pressure between the clamps that are positioned at each end of the caul. A caul spreads the clamping pressure more evenly over the thin edging. With clamping cauls in you workshop you ll be able to take on bigger projects.
The answer is not fancier clamps or specialized jigs. What kind of clamp will work best for you. With clamping cauls in you workshop you ll be able to take on bigger projects. Find a run down of clamps and their uses in this quick start guide.
The trick is figuring out how much of a curve to put into the caul in the first place. The main use for cauls is to ensure clamping force is distributed across a larger area than just the head of the clamp. If you are like most woodworkers and have had less than satisfactory results when using homemade cauls it is most likely due to a less than perfect curve. Cauls are used when clamping a panel or a project for glue up.
Or you can use a caul. Thin flexible parts require lots of clamps to create a consistently tight fit. Quick to make and easy to use cauls not only pull a joint tight and keep it at the correct angle but they also protect the workpiece from direct contact with the clamp jaws. And most woodworkers have a collection of clamps used for woodworking but you can never really have enough.
It is important to remember that cauls are not clamps but rather tools designed to improve the quality of panels glued up using long bar and pipe clamps. It is shopmade clamping cauls.