| Harbor Freight is an excellent place to get cheap stuff that doesn't have to be perfect. A great place for clamps. The thing you need to be careful of with clamps is applying too much pressure. If you clamp down too hard you are liable to squeeze all the glue out of a joint. One of the nice things about cam clamps is that they are fast (much faster than screw clamps) and they have enough holding power, but are easy to use effectively without over-clamping. Speed becomes everything when you're gluing a large surface like a fretboard or top. Especially in a dry climate. They're not cheap though and so you may need to wait until you can afford them to buy them. I forgot about Harbor Freight though. I got a great 12' disc sander there for $30 or $40. I still use it almost every day. Just don't expect to get a good straight edge or good set of allen wrenches there.
...Which reminds me, don't skimp on allen wrenches. Get as good a set as you can. |