Sometimes a clamp is more useful if it pushes things apart rather than draws them together. When I had to coax ceiling boards into position on a project, I applied this idea by way of some modified Quick-Clamps. As shown in the drawing, I reversed the trigger pieces on their bars I did this by knocking out the roll pins that keep the assemblies together. The trick in this situation is to be sure not to release the trigger and then lose its spring during this modification.
For this job, I screwed bearing blocks to the top plate of the wall to give the clamp bars something to push against. You can also apply this idea to bench clamps by removing the trigger assembly and feeding the bar up through the bench top. Reset the trigger, and you’ve got a hold-down.
Neil Whittaker, Salt Spring Island, None
