Importance of reliable fixing of workpieces

It is mostly impossible to obtain the quality of work you really want by simply holding the stock by hand. This fact has given rise to a range of methods of holding the piece tight while you are working on it. First and foremost is the workbench, but stock can also be held on a firm table by means of a clamp so that it can be processed.

Gluing is the second important application of clamping tools. Glued joints in wood will never be reliable unless they have be held under a certain evenly distributed pressure over a period of time. For this task, clamps are first and foremost, but the workbench can also give useful service.