Harbor Freight clamp "improvement"

So about a year ago i bought a couple of HF’s aluminum bar clamps, to try them out. The other day the fiance beought home a couple more, cause she was near there and thought i could use them. I think i chose the right woman!

They have worked good for about everything i put them too. But i have noticed in some applications where a little more pressure is needed, that they distort. I have read elsewhere that others have noticed the same. I also read or saw a modification that supposedly helps.

Installing a piece of wood inside the aluminum channel. They used solid wood, pine i think, but i have a ton of scrap ply so i used that instead.

Cant remember exact measurments, may edit later.
Roughly 32”x 3/4”x 1 1/8” for thier 36” clamp.
I had to use handplane to shave.

Had to plow a dado on one side to clear the notches in upper part of the aluminum. Just guessed on distance, ended up just shy of a 3/8 dado by running it across single blade of tablesaw.

I left the piece short enough to be able to install the plastic cap back on end, then run a screw through cap into the ply.

Then drilled/countersunk a couple screws from each side. Not sure if others had done this, but seemed to be right thing to do. 2 near the cap end, and 2 in center of bar

I also had some scrap strips of “laminate” hardboard. Figured they would make good clamp pads. Cut them 1.5” x 1.5” and stuck them to some doublesided tape, and then to the clamps.

Just sharing in case someone can make use of it. I havent had a chance to test and see if it helps, we shall see.

Thanks.

Oh and while i was on clamps, i went up to my towns maintenance garage and borrowed thier pipe/thread cutters and ” standardized” all my pipe clamps. All mine were a different length. I also threaded both ends of all of them.

-- "....put that handsaw to work and make it earn its keep. - summerfi" <==< JuStiN >==>=->