TOOLS - CLAMPS

As a professional woodworker, I’ve found that you never can have enough clamps.  As many as I’ve bought over the years and sit at the ready on racks in my shop, I always seem not to have enough or not enough of the right size.  The same goes for my hobby workbench.  Two of the clamps I use most often in model railroading are spring clamps, and quick-clamps.   Both are basically miniature versions of what I would use in my commercial shop.    Home Depot used to, and maybe still does, sell a bag of cheap, plastic spring clamps.  They were black with yellow jaws, and there were a variety of sizes in the bags.  The most useful for model railroading, were the four smallest ones, although occasionally the larger ones are used.   In the quick-clamp department, both Irwin, and DeWalt made miniature version of this type of clamp.  Both are very decent, with the DeWalt being slightly larger and beefier.  

While shopping at a Woodcraft Store, I recently came across both miniature spring and quick-clamps.  The spring clamps are made by Bora Portamate.  They come in a box of 20 for around $15.  They are superior to the Home Depot versions, in terms of quality of manufacturing; operation; and larger jaw clearance.  They also are all the small size you need.    The quick-clamps are made by WoodRiver, which is the Woodcraft in-house brand.  Sold in a pair, for $13, they are as good, if not better than both the Irwin and DeWalt versions, and may be cheaper too.   The jaw pads are the largest of the three and the metal shaft is heavier.  The release is between the handles, which is awkward, only because I’m used to it being in front of the handles.  It works fine.  

The Quick Clamps - Wood River is at the bottom.  

The Bora spring clamps.  Easy to store at workbench