Those Clamps

I hear ya, but we're both probably out of luck. Even if they were available as renewal parts, it would take a special swaging tool to install them.

Not if they have the spring lock.

Yes it would, but I worked for a company years ago and developed my own method. Interested? Email me.

Bill

Thanks Bill, I have found a metal button in the button box, hopefully I can use it on one of the posts. Thanks for your input. Interesting comments, set the mind thinking. Jan3F

It might help to say what type and brand of clamp we are talking about.....and pictures would help as well....

https://www.grainger.com/product/WESTWARD-Replacement-Swivel-Pad-10D573

http://www.besseytools.com/en/subcategory?ASIMOID_SC=000000000001f39700030023&ASIMOID_MC=000000000001f32000030023

Maybe we're in luck after all, if we have the kind held on by a spring circlet.

Well he must be talking about some sort of C clamp, but there are so many different types, can't really say....

http://www.adagiovineyards.com/violins/

http://www.plccenter.com/Brand/JORGENSEN

Interesting that you mention Jorgensen, but I don't see any of the classic wood-body versions in the picture.

Hello, thank you for the pic. Looks really impressive. I have not ever wanted to make a violin. I was carving jewelry patterns and made a left hand turn when my violin guy, offered me a job. Filling the shoes of his assistant who went to Newark, to learn the craft. At that time a State Labor Premier Wayne Goss, put music into all schools, and that started a flood of set ups and old school repairs that lasted 7 years for me, with only a couple of months break. Working for myself. I was thrown in at the deep end by Lance and was re-hairing my own bows after a few weeks. After many years we still chat, sometimes very loudly and colourfull. I shall explain, my clamps are 90 o right angle steel, approx 3" each way. I have glued thick cork on the bass bar, and shaped it to suit a violin finger board. I have graded the shape as they sit up to the nut. I also cork the round bit that wobbles, and I have recently re corked a set, shaping that little round cork to sit nicely on the back of the neck. I set the opening size and position before applying glue and lay them out in order. Only need 3 and a larger one for the FB to back of button or top back block. I warm the FB and use light animal hide glue of the best quality and not Gorilla. Glue granules for this gal. I know my method may be a bit old fashioned, but that is what I was taught, and if it works don't change it. Oh I also score the ebony back of FB. with a sharp knife and the neck block too. Hope you approve. thanks Jan

I don't think I have any spring circlet. May have to find the whole piece. Do some measuring and call the old boss, and get the thread id right. Thank you for helping too. Jan

I don't think my clamps have a brand and I shall measure the diameter of the round bit. This is the closest I have come to finding the piece, just have to get the right size. Thankyou for being so helpful. My violin making x boss, just told me to go shopping. Trust a woman to ignore the boss. Thank you, from Jan Murray Greenbank Queensland Australia.

I have made numerous of these over the years.... . If you have access to a metal lathe it is quite easy to accomplish. .... Simply turn some round bar to the correct outside diameter for the pads, then drill a hole in the end about two thirds the depth of the ball and just a bit smaller than the ball's diameter. .... Now open up the inside of the hole with a boring bar or ball end mill so that it has a slightly larger curvature than the ball itself and coming out to almost the entry of the hole but taking care not to enlarge the entry of the hole itself..... Now shape the rest of the pad as required, cut it off and press it onto the ball (you can use the clamp's action itself to achieve this), the smaller diameter of the hole entrance will retain it in place, and if you're accurate in your turning it will be pretty much indistinguishable from the original pad.

I do not have access to any engineering equipment. One member has offered to do this replacement for me. He is at Long Island NY. I have found 2 clamps with problems. They are small and I expect to find another. Any chance of me sending them to you for restoration. I am at Greenbank Brisbane. Jan

Hello Spades. I have dipped into the button box, for some metal buttons, that are similar shape to the pad on that clamp. Then find a machine shop operator that will consider my repair. Thank you for your input. Jan

Yes, the Bessey clamps you can get replacements for(called Morpads). I replace them regularly at work. They install with a roll pin. Other manufacturers of the same style also offer them and in some cases they are interchangeable - just have to make sure you specify the correct screw thread diameter.

As for those older style C clamps, I have never been able to find replacements, but then again, for my stock at home, I have never lost one. It seems like only those who didn't pay the initial purchase price seem to lose the parts, at least in my experience.

Kevin LaPaire, thank you for your input into my clamp situation. I shall continue to find a machine shop that will weld new pad on to post. Hopefully. thanks again, Jan

Thank you Solar Eagle, on your input to my quest on those clamps. Jan

Do a google search for "replacement clamp swivel pads", refine with size, make of clamp etc.

Segue: if I want to show, say, an Indian OP a google search, I go to Google India:-

https://www.google.co.in, and, do the search then just post a link to the search page. But whatever I do to try to do a US specific search google always defaults to a local UK search. Anyone know how to fix this?

Thank you Randall for taking the time to help me on my quest for parts for these clamps. Has been very interesting, and I will keep this information handy for future problems, if there are any. Never looked in Google India before. Jan

McMaster Carr has some replacements that don't use a spring clip if the ball is the right size.

Ozzb, thank you for giving me vital contact infomation to help me fix those clamps. Jan

How big are they? How many do you need to fix or replace?

I would start with a small block of hardwood, drill an appropriate sized hole half-way deep, and hot-glued that onto the threaded shaft end. Then, maybe to give it some hold, I would cross thread three wood screws into the sides of the hole from opposite sides and narrowed the hole diameter abouve the end ball on the threaded shaft. That should work for a few jobs and it can be modified and repaired in the future.

Thank you Beefburger, for helping advise me on the repair of my clamps. I like the idea of hardwood block, and I plan to give it a go, threaded, with a metal disck clothing button attached to the end of that. Thanks again, Jan

Don't know exactly know what type of clamp you are speaking of but I have used the following two methods to repair the pads on metal "C" clamps. Up to about 15 years ago there was a very complete tool store that stocked many types/sizes of clamps. One type used the cups with an internal snap ring/grove to hold the cup onto the ball of the threaded screw rod. They also stocked these parts. They are made and work. Search google and find out where to get them. They are available. Much to my displeasure the store closed from competition with the big boxes.

Since then I take an appropriate thickness and diameter round piece of steel and weld an appropriate sized stub of a pipe to the center of one flat side of the disk. The inside of the pipe is a close fit to the i.d. of the ball on the threaded rod so the ball goes in it. I place the ball inside the pipe/disk and then heat it up so it can be hammered and formed around the upper part of the ball. This keeps the disk/pipe on the rod end ball. Not the most beautiful but extremely functional and workable. Several friends have seen these and asked me to repair their clamps. They all phrase the repaired clamps.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Thanks Old salt, for your advise on my old clamps. I shall value all these comments, and hopefully have a positive result. Jan

HIre a machinist to make replacement soles.

Another DIY way for repair, Find a washer that DOESNT fit over the ball and find a nut that DOES. Cut the washer in half, fit over ball and weld/glue/solder both washer halves to the nut,

Thank you Bubble Rob, I am taking some of this info over to the violin maker, He has the metal lathe. See if I can entice him to use it. lol............Jan

Take two of your clamps (one complete and one with the lost end) to a small machine shop or a friend with a lathe. Ask them to machine you a few replacement lost ends all with the same ball diameter. At this point you may want them to make a couple of sets with different outside diameters. Have them machine a groove for an internal cir-clip so the need to swage the ends onto the balls goes away. Don't use standard cir-clips because the lugs incorporated to fit and remove the clip will both impede the angle of deflection in one direction and prevent you from pushing them over the ball. Get a spring (tension or compression does not matter) of the required diameter (I/D =½ spring metal diameter less than the ball diameter). Slit it down one side so that you create a series of spring metal split rings. It is easier to do if you slide the spring over a bolt (and if is a compression spring screw on a nut to compress the spring so that it bottoms) before you slit it. With two pairs of pliers twist the rings to remove the pitch. The rings will slot into the grooves retaining the new head without impeding it's movement in any direction. You need to push it over the ball first, fit the new end then locate the spring into the groove with the end of a (possible bent) screwdriver. Make sure that you explain to the machine shop/friend that you are not using standard cir-clips so that they can make the grooves the correct depth (probably better to make the rings first).

jhhassociates, thank you for replying and giving me instructions to help me resolve this situation that I am trying to resolve. I guess I am going to look for a machine shop. With your instructions in hand to help. As you can see other members have offered similar advise and I am so thankfull for all this input from people that have generously given forth info for me. Jan

Try this site http://www.besseytools.com/en/product_details.php?ASIMOID=000000000001f28700030023&ASIMOID_SC=000000000001f39700030023&ASIMOID_MC=000000000001f32000030023

When you say older clamps compared with cheesy new clamps I know what you mean. Any thing made today comes from China if bought in HD. HF or Lowes.The threaded hole in the frame gets sloppy, the screw doesn't align, just junk. I made pads for my clamps and I can do the same for you if I already don't have the same sizes. Just need the pad diameter, and ball diameter of the screw. I'll take it from there. Oh, you need a way of swaging them on, I'll show you that too. Good luck no matter which way you go.

BillV

BillyV, my clamps are small and the discs are small, there is no ball on the small ones, just the larger one that I use for the one nearest to the body. My mistake for not being clearer on that point. I bought a couple of similar clamps years ago, probably Chinese made and they bent under slight pressure. I have disgarded them.

I am seriously considering your offer as I do not know of any engineering workshops out this way. I will make inquiries and see what happens. I am in Queensland Australia. I do have a close friend who lives in Florida, when she is home. Louise comes from Long Island area, and he daughter is somewhere around there.

I do not have the tools to do this work but I would like to see my gear working well. Thank you for your kind offer. I will get back to you. Jan

No problem at all. Send some photos of the screw end and I'll think something up.

Bill

http://www.dawntools.com.au/spare_parts_dawn_tools.php

Scroll down to about the bottom 1/3 of the page: there are three sets of entries.

Randall, thank you for your reply. How do I put a pic of my clamp up so it helps with this discussion. I am not a computer expert. Just realised I have Dawn small bench vices. Off subject. I did find the replacement pads, for sliding bar clamps. Mine are rigid right angle with the screw down post, with the little pad at the end. No ball, about 10ml across. I shall keep this information handy, thank you again. Jan

"How do I put a pic of my clamp up so it helps with this discussion?"

Click on the little green camera:-

Click on "Choose file", or, browse; find your picture and double click; then, submit.

(Doesn't seem to work for me in IE anymore: use firefox or chrome or any other browser.)

Thanks Randall, I have posted pics of the clamps. Jan

THE CLAMPS. 50ml across, bass and side. 30ml at the top holding screw. Missing pad on RHS clamp.

Buy a cheap "c" clamp that has a cup that has the threaded stem going through the pad and not into a socket on the pad. Remove the cheap pad and place it over on the end of the threaded stem of the clamp being repaired. Peen over the end of the threaded stem to hold the pad on the threaded stem. Make sure the peened end is recessed enough on the threaded stem that it won't touch any of the items being held.

The picture looks like this is the way that the clamp was originally made but then it was done much "neater". This also takes advantage of the "lesser" quality of the big box store's quality.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Wrench twirler, is there any way that you can put me in contact with your violin repairer. I am close to not doing much more work. Still interested in this skill, after many years as well. Jan jmviolins16@bigpond.com.au