Izzy Swan shared the woodworking tips featured in this video.
Izzy demonstrates several practical, money-saving pipe clamp tricks for a flat workbench workflow, including mounting pipe clamps to the bench side, holding panels for planing and scraping, a clever leg-holding trick, a quick vise hack, and advice on buying and preparing pipe and protective jaw pads.
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Mounting Pipe Clamps to a Flat Bench
Mounting a pipe clamp to the side of a flat bench gives a traditional-style hold without drilling dog holes into a pristine top. Izzy shows how a simple board with drilled holes, a small relief cut, and pocket-screw mounts creates a movable clamp station that sits about a half inch above the table for effective holding.
The setup is adaptable to different bench styles and only needs occasional tweaking for clearance near a vise. A lower stop block prevents panels from slipping, and a secondary clamp or a locking mechanism on the clamp can be added if a firmer hold is desired.
Holding Panels and Long Workpieces
Side-mounted pipe clamps work well for securing panels, drawer fronts, or doors so edges and surfaces can be planed or scraped without a traditional bench dog system. The method gives clear access to the surface and keeps a panel steady when fitting into a carcass or cleaning up glue lines.
Izzy suggests using an additional clamp for wider panels that might flop and positioning the clamps so multiple sizes of panels can be handled. This approach is particularly useful for occasional panel work in a non-traditional bench workflow.
Shaping Curved Legs and Odd Shapes
One standout trick comes from Izzy’s great uncle: use a length of pipe with a wooden sleeve split in half to cradle cabriole or curved legs. The half-round wooden block with a hole sized to the pipe is clamped in the pipe clamp and then secured in a vise, creating a firm, ergonomic hold for rasping and carving.
This holding method keeps the work at a comfortable angle and is often better than a pattern vise for aggressive shaping. It’s a low-tech solution that makes shaping safer and more efficient for delicate or irregular profiles.
Quick Bench Vise Hack for Flat Work
If the bench top lacks dog holes, a simple hack is to use a pipe clamp over the workpiece with the bench vise to hold it flat. The pipe clamp acts as a cross clamp to keep thin or long pieces from moving while planing or scraping.
This is a quick, temporary workaround that leverages existing shop hardware without permanent modifications to the bench. It’s especially handy for occasional flat-work tasks and small glue-ups.
Buying and Preparing Pipe
Buying a full 10-foot length of pipe and having it cut and threaded by the supplier is usually much cheaper per clamp than buying pre-cut 36-inch pipes. Izzy recommends purchasing longer pipe and cutting it into multiple clamp lengths to save money, and notes that most big-box stores will cut and thread for a modest price.
If cuts or threads must be done in-shop, common tools like an angle grinder, metal bandsaw, hacksaw, and an inexpensive die set will handle the job. Choosing pipe type is also a consideration—black pipe is economical but benefits from smoothing and finish to reduce marking.
Protecting Clamped Work and Clamp Storage
Steel jaws can mar wood, so Izzy highlights the value of dense cork rubber pads attached with double-sided tape to protect clamped surfaces and add non-slip grip. Cutting the material into small squares and sticking them to vise jaws or clamp faces is an inexpensive way to prevent dents and help with repeatable glue-ups.
To keep black pipe from leaving marks, Izzy suggests sanding any rough finish and applying paste wax to the pipe; silicone-based cleaners remove residual marks if they occur. For storage, a tiered pipe clamp rack design can hold multiple clamps level and allow stacked glue-ups, which is ideal for small shops doing short-run production.
Why These Tricks Matter
These pipe clamp techniques combine low cost with high versatility, letting small shops expand clamping capability without committing to a traditional bench or expensive hardware. The methods are adaptable and help bridge the gap between a simple flat bench and the holding flexibility of a full-featured workbench.
Izzy emphasizes that parallel clamps still have their place, but pipe clamps offer a budget-friendly complement for many glue-ups, panel work, and shaping tasks. The overall approach saves money, reduces permanent bench modifications, and increases shop flexibility.
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