For decades I’ve used spiral wraps of slender strips of rubber cut from inner tubes in gluing up oars, paddles, and spars. I used the rubber strips initially because I didn’t have enough clamps for the longer pieces or clamps large enough to span blanks for oar and paddle blades. Even though I now have plenty of clamps, including bar clamps, I still use rubber strips for those particular jobs. The strips are easy to apply and provide plenty of pressure. The rubber weighs next to nothing—a set of clamps is heavy and can cause a workpiece to sag and curve—and hardly occupies any space while doing its job, so the workpiece is easy to set aside while the glue cures. I used to wrap the rubber strips directly on the glue-ups.
Photographs by the author
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Great ideas! Is 15 x 6.00 x 6 for a trailer or is that off an airplane?
That inner tube was made for “Lawn and Garden” use and likely fit a riding mower rear wheel. It produced roughly 33′ of strips that were 1/2″ to 5/8″ wide.
I have long considered using rubber strips for glue-ups but in my reading I recall being warned not to do this as it may create a twist over a long run.
Of course taking a reverse second winding twist over the first would tend to counteract that tendency.
On the other hand, it is hard to find lumber yard stock without a twist these days. Maybe a little reverse twist would be beneficial.
You are “sneaky smart.” Articles like yours make some of us smack our foreheads and say “Why didn’t I think of this?”
Thanks for sharing.
Keep up the great tips. I am glad I didn’t toss those lawn tractor and trailer tubes. I often thought I could use work-out stretch bands but they would cost too much. Free is good.
Luthiers (guitar builders) use rubber clamping bands all the time. You can get a pack of 5, 3/4″x84″ bands for under $20 at Stewmac. The stretch-wrap underlayment is the perfect solution for an epoxy job with clamping band. Great idea!
I cut up mountain bike tubes into “rings” and use them for so many tasks. Excellent for bundling loose paddles, ski poles, xc skis, tent poles, garden stakes, extension cords etc. I hadn’t thought of them for clamping glue-ups!