# How To Make A Wire Clamp Tool.



## Digitallad

I saw a wire clamp tool made by clamptool.com the other day and thought it should be easy enough to make for home use.

The pictures should be self explanatory so here goes ..



I like to use some paper tightly wrapped around the finished bit to protect against the jaws and it works quite well for me. I parted and then cut the taper


The rear parting tool still works like a charm


The finished taper 


Lined it up in the mill to cut the slots


Slot almost done


I used some brass to make the turn handle.


Milled a flat on the one side to thread


Drilled and tapped the handle


There after I case hardened the tip and drilled a 4.5mm hole in the threaded rod and installed a roll pin then assemble



Some notes: I opted not to install the front pin as per the original and I can say that it makes a difference after testing it. I made the tip to wide and will make a thinner tip for smaller/thinner wire clams.
All and all a fun and useful project to do.

Regards

Paul


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## Ed ke6bnl

On my first lathe a 9" southbend that was one of my first project never used a lathe before. We started with turning pvc then went on to this project. Yours is far nicer then mine which was more basic. I finally changed the front pin to a rolled hardened pin. Making a new better one is in the plans.  but the old one is working fine. I do not see the little notch in the point, just not showing in the pictures.


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## Bob Korves

Er, pardon my ignorance, but what does it do and how does it work?  Nice machining job...


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## dlane

Nice looking tool , and thanks for full size pics .
Not real sure what a wire clamp tool is for (yea clamping wire) but the application?.
Thanks for posting , guess I'll research it.


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## mmprestine

Usage.


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## dlane

Thanks


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## shoot summ

My Brother is actually the guy that sells that tool on Clamptool.com, he can do some crazy wire clamps with it.


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## oldboy1950

i looked at this post earlier this morning and thought  what a neat tool and nice machining but had no idea what it was for...now i know !
thank you, now i just may make one for myself.
Dan


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## Digitallad

Ed ke6bnl said:


> On my first lathe a 9" southbend that was one of my first project never used a lathe before. We started with turning pvc then went on to this project. Yours is far nicer then mine which was more basic. I finally changed the front pin to a rolled hardened pin. Making a new better one is in the plans.  but the old one is working fine. I do not see the little notch in the point, just not showing in the pictures.



Not a grate pic but yes the "cotch" is there.


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## f350ca

Great job, I have a small one I bought, have been wanting to build a bigger one, maybe this will inspire me

Greg


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## ch2co

Pretty cool tool!  Never saw one before, but I have seen wire clamps on a lot of equipment. When not using a screw thread hose clamp, I've always used Band-it tools and straps for the higher end terminations. High quality but rather expensive. This on the other hand needs to be incorporated in a Leatherman multitool.  Thanks.\

CHuck the grumpy one


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## ARKnack

Interesting. What kind of wire do you use. It looks like it needs to but soft enough to bend but strong enough not to stretch or brake.  A side view picture would be nice also.


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## Silverbullet

Thanks, more added to the list, I'm up to about 2045 before I finish them all.


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## Terrywerm

I made a similar tool a couple of years ago, and it has come in quite handy.  You did a nice job on yours, much fancier than I made mine. I made the main body and used a piece of 3/8" threaded rod with a wing nut on it. Works just fine!


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## atlas ten

I'm sure going to find one these handy after I make one. Now to find some scraps. I'm thinking mechanics wire will work.
Jack

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


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## David S

I also made mine out of some threaded rod.




David


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## FOMOGO

That's pretty cool. Have never run across one before, but sure looks like it would be very useful on a lot of applications and would save quite a bit on hose clamps, which are getting hard to find in any kind of quality material. I would think a stainless wire in several diameters would be the way to go for most things. Mike


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## Terrywerm

I have  used wires of different  sizes and materials. They all work quite  well.

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## David S

The wire listed here is what I use.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=59452&cat=1,43456

David


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## Digitallad

I have found that almost any wire will do depending on what you want to clamp. I have a tool that I bought few years back that can handle up to 4mm wire and you can just about cut a pipe with it but it is a bulky tool for smaller jobs. 
David I like your's better mine is still a bit bulky ,,, back to the shop again.


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## benmychree

Digitallad said:


> I have found that almost any wire will do depending on what you want to clamp. I have a tool that I bought few years back that can handle up to 4mm wire and you can just about cut a pipe with it but it is a bulky tool for smaller jobs.
> David I like your's better mine is still a bit bulky ,,, back to the shop again.


I have one of these tools that is of the original generation; the preferred wire for the clamps is good "ole Oklahoma Silk" or plain old baling wire.


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## JD8020

Almost 50 years ago a friend of mine showed me a tool like this.  I made one shortly there after, before I had a lathe or mill.  Very crude, but still works.  Now I have the tools I  need to make a refined version of it.  Roger


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## benmychree

Another observation is that the one that I have, mentioned above does not and never did have the forward pin shown in the pictures at the start of this thread, and it seems to work fine in spite of it.  I also use Punch Lock clamps, but they do not seem to draw down and seal as well as the wire clamps, especially for small hose.


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## coherent

I've made wire clamps using a cheap pop rivet gun (pliers). Just twist the wire and leave a loop on the very end. Loop around your hose and thru the loop. Then feed the end of the twisted wire through the gun tip and pull it tight with the rivet gun handle... bend it back and clip.  Should be easy to visualize. No where near as fancy and nice as this tool though, but if you already have a rivet gun handy, it works very well!


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## Ed ke6bnl

I like to see more on this one pop rivet gun, I have made 3 other version that work fine but not the pop rivet gun. many of my  air hoses have been switched over to the wire clamp method as well as water hoses that neec to be clamped,. I carry one version in my offroad buggy.


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## coherent

Ed ke6bnl said:


> I like to see more on this one pop rivet gun, I have made 3 other version that work fine but not the pop rivet gun. many of my  air hoses have been switched over to the wire clamp method as well as water hoses that neec to be clamped,. I carry one version in my offroad buggy.



Not my original post, but I did a quick search and found these photos (post #68 on linked thread) on another forum. Hopefully it's ok to post the link here. I've also seen some really simple and effective one made by using plain metal tent stakes (metal rod is the same) with just a little bending and a couple holes. Very simple to make and work well also.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/273086-show-what-tool-you-made-7.html#post3251479


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## Ed ke6bnl

will give that a try today


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