C-clamp
Hand tool

A C-clamp or G-clamp or G-cramp is a type of clamp device typically used to hold a wood or metal workpiece, and often used in, but are not limited to, carpentry and welding. Often believed that these clamps are called "C" clamps because of their C-shaped frame, in fact, they were originally called a carriage maker's clamp, or Carriage Clamp.
Description
C-clamps are typically made of steel or cast iron, though smaller clamps may be made of pot metal. At the top of the "C" is a flat surface. At the bottom is a threaded hole through which a large screw protrudes. A flat pad is attached to the top of the screw, forming the second clamping surface, and the other end of the screw features a handle for turning the screw - usually a small metal bar, perpendicular to the screw itself. When the clamp is completely closed, the flat face of the pad is in squeezes against the flat surface of the frame. The pad swivels freely at the top of the screw, enabling the screw to be turned (tightened or loosened) without turning an object held between the pad and the top of the frame.
Usage
A C-clamp is used by means of turning the screw through the bottom of the frame until the desired state of pressure or release is reached. In the case that the clamp is being tightened, this is when the objects being secured are satisfactorily secured between the pad on the screw and the flat end of the frame.
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This entry incorporates text from “C-clamp” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.