Miter Clamps
I make my own pinchdogs out of two components that can be obtained easily: spring clamps and drywall screws.
Miter clamps (known as pinchdogs in our part of the Southwest) are mighty useful for putting pressure on a mitered frame during a glue-up or nailing session.
But miter clamps are not always easy to locate. As shown in the drawing, I make my own pinchdogs out of two components that can be obtained easily: spring clamps and drywall screws.
To make a pinchdog, I first center punch and drill 7/64-in. holes in the jaws of a spring clamp. Rather than center the holes in the jaws, I put them a bit off-center.
This placement permits the clamp to reach a bit further and to grab the work at odd angles. The offset placement also allows me to use a couple of clamps at the same time if I need to apply extra pressure.
I run a #6 drywall screw into the holes in the spring-clamp jaws. The sharp points of the drywall screws will bite into almost any material.
—Sven Hanson, Albuquerque, NM
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #91
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Like many of these tips, this was a great idea 25 years ago. Today, $40 will get you a set of genuine Collins clamps. ( https://collinstool.com/tools/miter-clamps/ ) Amazon sells knock-offs even cheaper, but Collins is the best. While you're at it, get one of his coping feet for your jigsaw.