Corner clamps are definitely one of the most important and necessary pieces of equipment you will need for your workshop. From building cabinets, cupboards, or tables to joining two pieces of wood together a corner clamp is the right tool for the job and will help you achieve your goals. In this blog post, I am listing the 3 Best DIY Corner Clamps you will need for your workshop.
There are multiple types of corner clamps.
- Clamping squares are generally used for all types of inner joints and can be used both on the inside and outside of the corner.
- A single-handle corner clamp (right angle clamp) is used for tight 90-degree angles.
- A double-handle corner clamp is used for heavy-duty projects where more clamping power is necessary.
If you are looking to buy corner clamps you will find out they are quite expensive and the quality is speculative. That is especially the case of single and double-handle 90-degree clamps. You can find a lot of types of corner clamps on the market, but there are only a few I would recommend.
However, you don’t need to spend money on buying clamps for your workshop, you can build them yourself. All of the clamps featured in this blog post are easy to make, and with a little diligence, any woodworking beginner can make them. Save the money and invest it elsewhere.
To create the clamps, you can use a circular saw or a jigsaw. Some additional jigs for either saw might come in handy during the construction. The required materials are affordable and can be found at local stores.
NOTE: Remember, woodworking projects usually require a lot of clamps (I mean a lot…), and having a variety of homemade clamps available is definitely not a bad idea.
Here are the 3 best DIY Corner Clamps that will assist you in successfully completing nearly any project.
Read below how to make these workshop clamps, how difficult it is to build them, and what material you will need. I’ve crafted and tested each one. Each type of corner clamp has a different use. Every corner clamp serves a unique purpose. Learn about their applications, advantages, and the time and cost involved in making them.
RELATED:
Table of Contents
- General Questions
- Most important things to keep in mind when making a corner clamp
- DIY Corner Clamps
- DIY Corner Clamp (Clamping Squares)
- Single Handle DIY Right Angle Clamp (90 Degree Clamp)
- Double Handle DIY Right Angle Clamp (90 Degree Clamp)
- My Experience
*Safety is your responsibility. Make sure you know what you’re doing and take all necessary safety precautions while working with power tools. Safety comes first! Always be cautious and careful when using any power tool.
Most important things to keep in mind when making a corner clamp
1. Design and Build
For a robust and durable build, I suggest using Baltic birch plywood. I recommend using Baltic birch plywood for the project. Birch plywood is a high-quality material that will reflect on the quality of the finished product. Also, think about the construction. The construction must be strong enough to hold firmly the wood pieces in position and should be able to withstand heavy loads.
2. Setup
Setting up the corner clamp should be easy, quick, and simple enough. Keep in mind that a project typically requires a lot of clamps. Spending a lot of time on their setup would be undesirable. Add extra slots and cutouts in your design. They will add additional ways how to attach the clamp to the material. Having these extra fixation options available is well worth it.
3. Accuracy
The accuracy of the corner clamp ultimately determines how precise the woodworking joint will be and if the clamp will hold the pieces in position at perfect 90 degrees.
There does not need to be a trade-off between accuracy and construction. You can build high-precision clamps even with basic tools. Also, consider if the quick-release clamp functionality makes sense. If not built well (and this is the case with most clamps available on the market), the quick-release feature is rather a disadvantage and can be an obstacle for precise perpendicular joints.
Best DIY Corner Clamps
| Type of Corner Clamps | Time to Build | Difficulty | Cost of Build | Best For |
| Corner Clamp (Clamping Square) | 2 Hours | Beginner | Few dollars | Clamping Miter Corner |
| Right Angle Clamp (90 Degree Clamp) | 2-3 Hours | Beginner, Advance | Few tens of dollars | Precise 90-degree joints. Assembling large boards. |
| Double Handle Corner Clamp | 3-4 Hours | Beginner, Advance | Few tens of dollars | Joints that require strength |
Below you will find a summary of how to make these different types of DIY corner clamps.
There are multiple tools I have been using to make those – a circular saw, a trimming router, and a jigsaw but not all of them are necessary. A trimming router can be replaced with a jigsaw, and in many cases, a simple hand saw will do the job. There is no need for a lot of tools or power tools to make precision clamps. You can make good quality corner clamps even with a few basic tools.
For more details on each type of corner clamp, be sure to check out the relevant article.
Best DIY Corner Clamps
A corner clamp, also known as a clamping square, is used when assembling 2 pieces of wood together at 90 degrees.
Depending on the design they can be used both on the inside and outside of the corner and are very handy when joining 2 pieces of wood of different thicknesses. With a tiny addon, they can be also easily used to clamp miter joints.
Clamping squares can be used with all types of edges – perpendicular, beveled, or fragile cutting edges. Woodworking projects usually require a lot of clamps and a clamping square is one of the most commonly used clamps.
The body of the corner clamp has a drilled hole in the center for better clamping, which can be also used for clamping miter joints. There are 2 routed slots on both sides of the clamp and the tip of the clamp is flattened to prevent the glue from getting on it.
To build it you will need a circular saw or a hand saw, and a hand drill. Additionally, I am using a router and a jigsaw but those are not necessary to build it.
| Material and tools needed | Time to build | Cost of build | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Plywood Wood Glue Router Bit Forstner Bit Double-sided "Carpet" Tape Sandpaper Circular Saw HAnd Saw |
Several hours (around 2 hours) | Few dollars | Beginner |
Woodworking jigs that can help in the building process (not a necessity though):
CONCLUSION: These corner clamps are great for joining 2 pieces of wood at 90 degrees. They are easy to use and quick to set up. Very useful for any woodworking project.
A single handle right angle clamp is used when attaching 2 pieces of wood at 90 degrees usually on the edge of the corner.
Due to their design, they are used to clamp 2 pieces of wood of the same thickness. They can be used on the edges of the boards and can be used to make t-joints both along the edge of the board as well as on the end of the board.
They are perfect when working with larger sheets of wood. Assembling bigger boards together could be a challenge, but the right-angle clamp easily holds all the pieces in place and provides the necessary strength and comfort.
The spindle provides the necessary power to hold the pieces together, which is suitable for heavy-duty projects.
To build it you will need a circular saw or a jigsaw, and a hand drill.
| Material and tools needed | Time to build | Cost of build | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Plywood Wood Screws, Washers T-nut Threaded Rod Forstner Bit Star Knob Sandpaper |
Several hours (2-3 hours) | Few tens of dollars | Beginner/Advanced |
Woodworking jigs that can help in the building process (not a necessity though):
- Circular Saw Guide and Crosscut Jig
- Ruler Marking Gauge
- Jigsaw Cutting Station
- Quick and Easy Drill Press Table
- Desktop Clamp Vise
- Star Knob Jig
CONCLUSION: The clamp is easy to build and quick to set up, great for projects where more clamping power is necessary. With a little diligence, you can achieve an accurate 90-degree angle. I have used it for several projects and I am very satisfied with how strong the connection is.
A double handle right angle clamp is used for heavy-duty projects where a lot of clamping power is necessary.
Each of the jaws can be used separately, which gives the clamp many ways to use it. The versatility of the tool is amazing and to classify it only as a clamp wouldn’t be correct. The independent jaws allow the clamping of pieces of wood of different thicknesses.
The tool is mainly used as a clamping device but can be used as a drill press vise or even as a guide for making miter cuts. Another great application is to use it as a device for clamping picture frames, and that is actually how I use it.
It can be used freely or can be clamped down to a workbench for better stability. The clamp contains a drilled hole in the base at the joint section for glue excess.
To build it you will need a circular saw or a jigsaw, and a hand drill.
| Material and tools needed | Time to build | Cost of build | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Plywood, MDF Drill Bit, Router Bit T-nut Forstner Bit Steel Square Threaded Rod Star Knobs Wood Screws |
Several hours (2-3 hours) | Few tens of dollars | Beginner/Advanced |
Woodworking jigs that can help in the building process (not a necessity though):
- Ruler Marking Gauge
- Circular Saw Track
- Jigsaw Table
- Simple Drill Press Table
- Drill Press Vise
- Star Knob Jig
CONCLUSION: The versatility of the clamp is amazing and it can be used in multiple ways. I am using it the most for clamping pieces of wood of different thicknesses, clamping picture frames, and occasionally as a drill press vise.
It takes some time to build the clamp but the construction is durable and will last for a long time.
My Experience
These corner clamps are invaluable in the workshop. When working on woodworking projects, you’ll quickly realize you can never have too many clamps.
You can find a lot of decent clamping squares on the market (which really are 90 degrees), but in the case of single/double-handle right-angle clamps, the situation is worse. Many of them have imperfections, they are either not exactly 90- degrees, the spindle interferes with the joint, or the “quick release” functionality prevents the clamp from holding the work material precisely at 90 degrees.
Though they might suffice for basic clamping tasks, if precision is your goal, these clamps often fall short.
However, with a bit of effort and attention to detail, you can craft these clamps yourself. They’ll likely surpass the accuracy of many commercially available ones. Plus, crafting them yourself can be cost-effective. Clamps are not cheap and the extra money will certainly find use elsewhere.
I have used these clamps on numerous projects, and they’ve consistently delivered great results. Pick one below and build it.
Best DIY Corner Clamps For Every Workshop
📌 Found this post useful and inspiring?
Ready to build it? Save THIS PIN to your Board on Pinterest!
