Making Luthier Spool clamps!

Not everything in a luthiers toolbox is cheap to buy, making your own spool clamps is something very economical.

Ingredients to make 20 spool clamps:

One IKEA chopping board, (Legitim). white polyethylene     8mm thick.    24x34cm 80p in UK 

Hole saw. 38mm from poundland  £1

M6 coach bolts. 4" or 100mm for lyres, kanteles, dulcimers, mandolins, ukes.   

(Longer bolts are needed for guitars etc)

20 of these

25 or  30mm washers 40 of these 

Wing or butterfly nuts.    X 20

I was able to purchase all the metal hardware from my local wilkinson for £2,99 in their self service pick and mix bags 

Total cost for 20 clamps  £4.79! 

(I can't take credit for this,  I read about using chopping boards and hole saws in a mandolin making book by Graham Macdonald but this was the first time I got round to trying it)

Instructions 

Use the hole saw in a bench drill to cut out the clamps from the chopping board.    

Inset the bolt with a washer and slide on another clamp piece and washer.

Screw on the butterfly nut

Done.  :-)

They work really well despite the top and bott being loose.  The texture of the chopping board also helps.