Clamps

Discover our range of clamping tools online and make safe practice a priority in your workshop. Available in a wide selection of types, including temporary and permanent, we stock high-quality clamps to suit all applications and keep you productive.

Carefully chosen in line with quality and performance, you can find clamping tools on Cromwell.co.uk from well-known brands, like Stanley®, Eclipse Blue® and our own brand, Kennedy®.

What are clamps?

Used to grip and secure a work piece, clamps use compression force to keep an object in place while it's being worked on.

Why clamps?

Clamps are an extremely versatile tool and allow for multiple variants to be used together on one project to achieve the hold required. They're lightweight and are available in a wide range of styles to suit any application.

When are clamps used?

Used widely in metalwork and carpentry, clamps are a quick and easy solution for holding a work piece in place when cutting or drilling. The clamping force provided ensures zero movement to prevent any accidents from occurring.

Clamps are also used when pressure needs to be maintained when gluing up a project, keeping joints tightly held in place until dry.

Clamp types

With eight types of clamping tools available, there's plenty of variety for all types of applications.

• Screw clamps - Based around a screw mechanism and clamping jaws

• Quick-release clamps - Trigger mechanism design to clamp objects to a surface

• Bar clamps - Utilises a long bar to clamp long or wide objects at either end

• Locking clamps - Apply a pinching action to clamp large objects

• Angle clamps - Clamp and hold objects at an angle, used for mitres and corners

• Flooring clamps - Work with a flat surface to compress flooring or other panels

• Band clamps - A strap or band uses compression force to hold a piece in place

• Toggle clamps - Attached to a work surface this clamp uses downward pressure to secure a piece.

Considerations when choosing a clamp

• Strength - Consider the applications for which the clamp will be used to ensure your final choice can deliver the strength you need.

• Environment - Choose a clamp designed to stand up to the environment it'll be used in. For example, if your work requires resistance to high temperatures, consider clamps made from hard steel (including nickel).

• Size - Think about the overall size of the work pieces to be clamped when making your decision.

FAQs

What's the difference between a clamp and a vice?

A vice is a clamping device that is bolted to a work bench. It features two jaws and a closing lever and is ideal for holding heavier work pieces in position. A clamp (in all it's forms) is a more versatile tool in that some variants have the option to be positioned permanently, but in the main, they're a portable tool that can be used to hold a work piece securely in a variety of different positions.

What is clamp capacity?

This is the size of the work piece that can be held by a clamp when the clamping jaws are fully extended.