Told this old timer his clamp trick was outdated... I was super wrong

Guy in his 70s showed up at my shop last Tuesday, saw me struggling to glue up a 12 foot panel. He tells me to use a rope tourniquet instead of bar clamps. I laughed it off, told him my Bessey clamps were fine. Three hours later the panel cupped bad. Next day I tried his rope method with a stick to twist it tight. Flat as a board. I hate admitting when I'm the rookie. Anyone else stubbornly ignore old tricks then get humbled.

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_scott1mo agoTop Commenter

Drove me nuts for years thinking the newest tool was always the best solution. I had a shelf full of high end clamps and felt like I was winning until I saw an old guy glue up a door with nothing but twisted up rope and a stick. Felt like a fool watching it come out perfect. Now I keep a few coils of good rope in my truck bed right next to the Bessey clamps. Some of those old methods just work better because they've been refined over decades of trial and error. Did you end up using the rope trick again since that day?

the_mary1mo ago

Honestly, I did the exact same thing with a cabinetmaker who showed me a wooden handplane.