Rockler miter tight picture frame clamp?

Create a Post
Stephen Enggass

Stephen Enggass

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Posts
185
Location
Maine
Does anyone use or has used this device? Seems like it would be difficult to nail from backside while being clamped due to tightening knob. Thoughts?
Is worth the investment? Or better to use strap clamp and nail/pin?
 
I'm pretty sure that some framers do use that style of vise, though I'm not sure if they use this brand.
A more traditional Mitre Vise looks like this: https://888mfgcorp.com/castironmitrevise4capacity8026.aspx and this https://www.unitedmfrs.com/United_Mitre_Vise_p/635.htm
The old school method of joining frames was nail hammered in from the sides of the corners.
If you are using these vises and underpinning (v-nail or similar from the back), you will likely do a two step process.
Glue and clamp first then underpin, or glue and underpin, then clamp.

I prefer to glue and clamp my corners before underpinning.
I use only two knob clamps. That allows me to control each rail of moulding individually. I have tried single knob clamps, and been unimpressed. One rail sometimes wants to move in a way that the other doesn't.

I only use strap clamps to fix frames that can't be fixed in a vise, or to fix frames that I have completely put together, and a corner joint has popped.

Do a search for Vise, and see lots of opinions
 
Thanks. Which two knob clamps do you use? I think this clamp is good, but hard to pin corners while in clamp. When you say glue then clamp, do you wait for glue to dry or do you pin while in the clamp? Sorry for the newb questions.
 
10 to 15 minutes is a good time to wait and then take it out of the vise clamp and underpin the frame.
The glue has set enough to not come apart from the pinning.
 
What framah said.
I glue and clamp a corner for 15 minutes. Undepin separately.
I have multiple clamps. I could do all four corners at once, but I'll usually only do the two opposite corners first, then either other corner, then the last one. Clean off excess glue, then I will use the underpinner.
I'm usually working on multiple frames at a time, so this method doesn't waste any more time.
If you use this method, you don't have to clean excess glue off of the underpinner.

I have four Stanley Clamps, two clamps that are likely from United Manufacturing, one 7" clamp from 888 Manufacturing, and a Multi Angle clamp from 888 Manufacturing.
 
Rick Granick said:
The Stanley 400 is the gold standard of miter vises. They aren't made anymore, but you might be able to find a used one.
:Cool: Rick
Click to expand...
I have 4 original Stanley 400 vises.
I bought 2 of them brand new from United Manufacturing back in about 1981.
I acquired 2 more of them from a shop I worked in at about 2010.
I also have 6 United Manufacturing vises that are Stanley knockoffs but they are excellent knockoffs made in the USA like the Stanleys.
They are just like the Stanleys and they come with speed handles.

I have used a few of the Cr#ppy Chinese knockoffs and they are not good.
Cheaply made and even the main bolt for tightening the clamp is made from a smaller thread and weaker material and they might even not be at 45°.

Over the years it's been debated over and over about gluing, clamping and v-nailing.
We have about 12 vises at work and some frames I glue and clamp, especially if it is an expensive or very large or a moulding that has a pattern.
There are also many profiles that I just join in the v-nailer.
I've been doing this for 50 years now and I just know what to do.
I don't waste time when I join in a vise because I can fill a number of vises with frames in a few minutes and then move on to other things like cutting mats, mounting, fitting, stretching, etc. (and designing with customers...:kaffeetrinker-2:)

We are a very busy shop and I don't just work on one picture at a time.
I might work on 6,12, 20 pictures at the same time like an assembly line.:cool:
(along with the other guys I work with):thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
neilframer said:
Cheaply made and even the main bolt for tightening the clamp is made from a smaller thread and weaker material and they might even not be at 45°.
Click to expand...
I mentioned "they might even not be at 45°"...
I should have said that some of these cheaply made vises are not made accurately enough for 2- 45° cuts to make a good 90° corner.
:popc:
 
Last edited:
I have a few of the extinct Stanley strap clamps, which I use a lot. Simple to use. Mostly in
conjunction with a jointing biscuit. They are virtually impossible to wear out as it's easy to
replace the webbing. Recently I bought a similar tool made by Rockler. They aren't quite as
good as the Stanley. Quite hard to cinch up as you can't get a wrench on them and the tightening
is by a little lever.
It's true that you can't nail the corners (easily) with the strap on although not impossible. You can
take the whole frame to the pinner though while still tightly clamped.

I picked up this thingy many years ago in a sale.....



vice002smaller.jpg
vice001.jpg


Quite a cute little gizmo. 😁 I use it now and then.
 
In my first year of business, I went to a salvage facility to pick up some metal shelving that I use to store length moulding.
When I mentioned what I do for a living the owner brought me into another room where he had four Stanley clamps, with a variety of handles on them.
At the time, I had one Stanley clamp, and two United clamps at the time, and was happy to purchase one more clamp, but I couldn't think what I would need more than four clamps for.
I really wish I had picked up all four, but money was tight.
I picked up another two recently.
Definitely my favorite clamps.
 
neilframer said:
They are just like the Stanleys and they come with speed handles.
Click to expand...

What are the speed handles? Are they the Cylinder handles?
The two Stanley I recently picked up had handles that look like the ones on outside water faucets, but more heavy duty. I'm really liking them.

Brian
 
Rick Granick said:
The Stanley 400 is the gold standard of miter vises. They aren't made anymore, but you might be able to find a used one. :Cool: Rick
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I have 8, don't need that many often but if I'm working on multiple frames it is nice to have the extra. You can get a good Stanley 400 on ebay for anywhere between $50.00 to $100.00. The lower priced ones generally need a little TLC but they are easy to clean up and put into service. I've sandblasted all of mine and repainted them the original midnight blue with yellow clamps.
 
alacrity8 said:
What are the speed handles? Are they the Cylinder handles?
The two Stanley I recently picked up had handles that look like the ones on outside water faucets, but more heavy duty. I'm really liking them.

Brian
Click to expand...
These are the stock Stanley handles...
th-1.jpeg

These are the "speed handles"..
th.jpeg

Way back when we had to drill and nail the corners, the stock Stanley handles would get in the way of doing that so you could replace the larger stock ones with the speed handles.
 
watch craig's list in your area (od ebay sometimes)... I have picked up most of my stanley 400 (not chinese ones) for less than $50 each
they are heavy, so shipping can be spendy
 
these are a good substitute for the Stanley 400. we just bought 2 of them and they're working out nicely. we've purchased other versions of this style of clamp and been pretty disappointed, but these rockler ones are just as good as our old stanley's.
 
prospero said:
This is one of the old Stanley clamps.....

View attachment 31540
Click to expand...

Interesting experience today.......

I was cinching up one of my new Rockler clamps and broke it. 😧
Sheared the winding spindle.

It only has a 3" lever and even with my gargantuan strength it should stand up to more tension than this.
So I am back to my quest to find more Stanley ones. I did find one on EBay and got my bid in. I did lend one to a
friend and must reel that in... 🙄 Thing is, I like to leave them on the frame overnight and are doing 22 frames at the mo
and have only 6 clamps + 3 other(unbroken) Rockler ones which will no doubt fail at the crucial moment.

Searching further on the web I found a site that deals in 'Vintage' tools. Quite a few were identical to tools that
I use on a daily basis. :D

Now I may be banging on like an old curmudgeon, but tools that I have used intensively for 30 years still doing
sterling service and ones that I bought weeks ago knackered? Go figure. :p
 
vintagetoolshop.com

Vintage Tool Shop, Piddlehinton - Fine Hand Tools Bought & Sold

The Vintage Tool Shop of Piddlehinton buys & sells quality Vintage and Used Hand Tools of all types, from good hand planes, chisels and carving tools to all manner of tools used by crafts as diverse as stonemasons or blacksmiths, leather workers etc etc. We find, restore and resell online.
vintagetoolshop.com

:)

It's in England. interesting to browse the site though.
 
Create a Post
Back
Top