A newish tool from Veritas is this quick-release cam clamp. Made of cast and turned steel it sits into bench dog holes. Available with 3/4" or 20mm diameter shafts.
The cam is worked with your thumb and has three positions to register at. Open and 1/8” and 1/4” of travel. Veritas claim up to 300lbs of force, so don’t get your fingers caught.
My bench top has a series of 3/4” holes. The Bench Blade slides into these and sits 1/4" proud above the work surface.
Of course where the clamp sits is dependant on where the dog holes are. So in use you need something positioned at the other end of the workpiece to clamp against.
I clamped a piece of wood onto to my bench to act as the stop and set this up in relation to the Bench Blade. This is a bit fiddly, however it’s fine for running a batch of small components because once you set it all up the Blade is fast to work. And it does clamp with considerable force.
There are both standard post and wedge-lock versions. The wedge version sits in a dog-hole as thin as 5/8”.
This is not an essential tool but a great work helper and the price is good. What other clamp or vice can you buy for under $25?
Made by Veritas in Canada and available from tool retailers.
Reviewed by Raf Nathan, AWR Tools & Equipment Editor