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I stumbled upon these clamps from Lidwig , an Australian company , a couple weeks back, but decided to hold my post until a few samples made it to our shop. Those samples arrived this week.
To me, this is a new concept in woodworking clamps. These clamps work similar to locking pliers, you know , Vice-Grips. Once the clamps are set, it takes a single hand to close or open the clamp. And as you can see in the photo above, Lidwig has a number of designs and sizes; each clamp has a screw-adjust for dialing in the perfect grip.
The X-4 and X-5 clamps are made of glass-filled resin. Each clamp is available with a swivel or a fixed clamp pad. The X-5 has a spring-loaded catch that locks in six different positions. The maximum opening for the X-5 is just more than 6″. The X-4 opening is maxed out at 2″.
The X-6 and X-7 clamps are produced from lightweight aluminum. These clamps also have a deeper throat at 3″ to the pad center. The X-6 has an opening of just more than 2″ and the X-7 is fully adjustable, quick sliding bar that allows speedy clamp adjustments. Set the X-7 clamp for anywhere between 0 and 12-1/4″.
Here’s how to use these clamps. Close the clamp handles and adjust the clamp pads until the two pads just touch your material. Remove the clamp and rotate the adjustment knob up to two complete revolutions, then reposition the clamp and squeeze the handle closed. These clamps can be preset so the complete clamp action is quick.
So how much do these clamps cost and where can you get them? As I noted, these clamps are new but as of today date, Lidwig clamps are available at Eagle America (eagleamerica.com) or click here to go directly to the store listing for Lidwig clamps. Pricing are as follows: X-4, $20.99; X-5, $25.99; X-6, $35.99; X-7, $57.99.
Here’s another fun gadget from Lidwig. Pictured is the Claw. The Claw is labeled to hold extension cords, air hoses and band saw blades, and it does that extremely well. But my first thought was to use this product to hang 4″ dust collection hose. The Claw wraps perfectly around the hose and can be hung anywhere in the shop. As a bonus, the hook is on a swivel, so once piped, you could move from tool to tool with ease. The Claw is available for a whopping $8.
Lidwig clamps look good at first glance. As I get a chance to use them in the shop, I’ll let you know if that opinion holds up. Take a look at these clamps (go here to watch video at Stu’s Shed), then leave a comment and share your thoughts.
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I thought that clamps where just as the classic models and that’s it, but with this models you really have the chance to use them for multiple purposes and the sizes are just perfect. Thanks for the post.