Single handle right angle clamp, Right Angle Clamp, Best DIY Right Angle Clamp, 90 degree clamp

Best DIY Right Angle Clamp Step by Step

Having corner clamps in a workshop is a must. When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp is much needed. Learn how to make a DIY 90 degree clamp.

Having right angle clamps or 90-degree clamps in the workshop is a must. Many projects will not require those but at some point, you will not be able to do without them. Whether you would be building furniture, cabinets, small cupboards or just fixing two pieces of wood together an easy-to-use yet accurate corner clamp is a must-have.

There are all sorts of different types of right-angle clamps or 90-degree clamps on the market but the problem is, especially in the case of the cheaper ones, they don’t work. In some cases, they don’t work at all. You may be thinking how is this possible with such a simple device, yet, there are only a few that I would recommend. The problem is mainly in the precision of the device construction which directly affects the accuracy of the clamp.

You can buy a few clamps for your workshop, but you can build them as well.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Based on my experience, I decided to build my own angle clamps. And I would recommend you do the same. The cost is minimal to an equally available clamp you could buy (Unfortunately, clamps are not cheap and you always need a few of them).

The material is easily available and these clamps DO work. And besides, it is also fun to make your own tools for the workshop. In my experience, this is the best DIY right-angle clamp you can make. In this article, I will walk you through how to build these DIY corner clamps step by step and how to use them.

RELATED:

DIY Right Angle Clamp Video

If you want to see how to build it, watch the video below for a step-by-step guide on how to make a right-angle clamp.

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Table of Contents

  1. Right Angle Clamp Video
  2. Downloadable Right Angle Clamps PDF
  3. Material you will need
  4. General Questions
    1. How does a right-angle clamp work?
    2. How do you clamp a corner at 90 degrees?
    3. Do I need a right-angle clamp?
    4. Important aspects to consider when selecting angle corner clamps
  5. Making a 90 Degree Clamp
    1. Step 1: Make the Base
    2. Step 2: Make the Jaws
    3. Step 3: Make the Spindle
    4. Step 4: Assembling the Clamp
  6. How to use Right Angle Corner Clamps
  7. Woodworking Jigs

*Safety is your responsibility. Always be cautious when using any power tool. I am using a circular saw to build the clamps. Take a look at these safety tips on how to work with a circular saw.

Right Angle Clamp Plans

Download the DIY Corner Clamp Plans here
Right Angle Clamp Downloadable PDF PLans
Download plans here

Material you will need to build the Angle Clamp

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Right Angle Clamp:
Birch Plywood 12 mm – https://amzn.to/3RGfpFq
Base: 150 x 150 x 12 mm
Jaws: 125 x 125 x 24 mm , 20 – 110 x 20 x 24 mm
Spindle nut: 35 x 20 x 24 mm
6x Wood Screws – 1,5 x 30 mm
2x Washer (to fit a 15 mm, 20 mm hole)
M6 T-nuts, 2x M6 Bolts
Threaded rod ø6mm – https://amzn.to/3TJjwn0
Hardware Assortment Kit – https://amzn.to/41PodgQ

Check all the Tools I Use

Tools:
Circular Saw – https://amzn.to/4aMD0xg
Jigsaw – https://amzn.to/3S85cDr
Hand Drill – https://amzn.to/3HqLEnH
Spring Clamps – https://amzn.to/41Nuh9D
F-Clamps – https://amzn.to/48ArzY1
Center Hole Punch – https://amzn.to/48Fq7mv
Machinist Square / Speed Square


Other:
Wood Glue – https://amzn.to/48ltKhJ
Epoxy – https://amzn.to/3tJ5R4L
Countersink Drill Bit Set – https://amzn.to/3vubi80
Forstner bit – 15mm, 20mm – https://amzn.to/3Hd1aDb
Sandpaper Sheets / Sanding Wheel
Jigsaw Blades – https://amzn.to/4aXeF83

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Having corner clamps in a workshop is a must. When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position

How does a right angle clamp work?

A right-angle clamp consists of two main parts. An L-shaped block that pushes against an equally shaped frame. Both pieces sit on a base that provides support from below.

A handle is attached to the L-shaped block that moves forward using a spindle. Both the L-shaped pieces need to be high enough to ensure proper fixation. When moving the spindle, the pieces press against each other fixing the wood pieces in position and keeping them perfectly aligned at 90 degrees.

NOTE: Glue, screws, or other types of fasteners can be used to fix the pieces together.

How to clamp a corner at 90 degrees?

The best way how to join two pieces of wood at a right angle is by using 90-degree corner clamps. These clamps are easily available on the market or you can build them yourself. Keep in mind that the quality of angle corner clamps varies from each other.

How to clamp wood at 90 degrees:

  • Place the wood pieces in the corner clamp and make sure there is no gap between them.
  • Use one hand to start tightening the jaws and the other one to manage and adjust the joint as necessary.
  • Fix the corner of the wood pieces with glue or fasteners.
  • Sand or finish the joint as desired.

Do I need a right angle clamp?

A right-angle clamp is a must in a workshop. When building furniture, cupboards, or assembling cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right-angle clamp will help hold the pieces in position.

It is quite difficult to work with larger wood sheets and assembling all the pieces together could be a challenge. A right-angle clamp can easily hold all the parts in position and provides the desired assembly comfort.

Important aspects to consider when selecting and using angle corner clamps

  1. Setup: the setup has to be easy, quick, and simple. Clamps with a single handle are much easier to operate. One hand is operating the jaw which clamps both pieces together, the other one is managing the joint and making adjustments as necessary
  2. Accuracy: the accuracy and the construction of the clamp ultimately determine the precision and the result. Quality clamps will hold the wood pieces in position ensuring a perfect 90-degree joint.
  3. Size: the size of the clamp determines the thickness of the material that can be joined together. Also, the width and the height of the jaws have a direct impact on the strength of the joint. The larger the area of the jaws the bigger and heavier materials the clamp can hold.
  4. Clamping pressure: be mindful of the clamping pressure and avoid overtightening, as this can lead to distortion or damage to the material.

Let's Start

The angle clamp consists of 3 main parts: The base, jaws, and spindle.

All the material used is easily available. The entire clamp (the base and the jaws) is made from birch plywood. The spindle is made from a 6mm threaded rod and a wooden knob is used for the handle.

Corner Clamp Parameters:

  • The total size of the angle clamp is 150 x 150 x 36 mm
  • The maximum clamping range is approximately 6cm
  • Jaw’s width, depth, and height are 125 x 20 x 24 mm

This right-angle clamp is designed to clamp 2 pieces of wood of the same thickness. It allows for a small variation in the thicknesses of the pieces though there are other types of clamps that are more suitable to clamp wood pieces of different thicknesses.

How to Make a 90 Degree Clamp

Step 1: Make the base

Start by cutting and shaping the plywood desk for the base. The base is 150 x 150 x 12 mm. Easily done with a circular saw crosscut jig. You will end up with nice clean perpendicular cuts.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Draw the design and cut out the inner parts. The cut square is 40 x 40 mm. The diagonal cut is not necessary – it is a design feature. For the inner cuts, I am using a jigsaw cutting station.

NOTE: Cutting a square in the corner of the base will allow excess glue from the joint to drip outside the clamp base.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

RELATED: How Cut Straight With a Jigsaw

Step 2: Make the Jaws

The total height of the jaws is 24 mm. They are made from two plywood pieces that are stacked on top of each other and glued together. This height is sufficient to hold bigger and heavier wood pieces.

Measure and cut the wood pieces for the jaws (2 L-shaped frames).

  • Front jaw: 1 piece- 125 x 125 mm
  • Back jaw: 2 pieces – 110 x 20 mm
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

After cutting all the pieces, sand them and make sure that all the parts fit perfectly.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
Base pieces of the corner clamp

1. Make the Back Jaw

Let’s start with the back jaw first.

Glue the first part of the L-shaped frame on the clamp base. After the glue dries you can additionally secure the piece with screws. 

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Repeat the process for the second piece. Use an angle to ensure that both pieces are perpendicular to each other. Align the angle with the first piece and attach the other one.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

2. Make the Front Jaw

Start with a 125 x 125 mm piece. Draw the design and cut off the unnecessary parts. You should end up with a piece whose height is 24 mm and the width of each of the arms is 20 mm.

It is easy to make the cuts using a hand drill in combination with a jigsaw and a jigsaw cutting station or a jigsaw guide track.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

To be able to attach the spindle you need to create a pocket in the middle of the front part. The pocket will hold the threaded rod with an attached nut at the end that will push the front jaw forward.

Drill a 20mm hole with a Forstner bit deep enough to insert a washer. Then drill a 15mm hole to accommodate for an M6 nut and a washer (a depth of 8mm should be enough).

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

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Step 3: Make the Spindle

The spindle consists of 2 main parts. The spindle nut and the threaded rod.

1. Spindle Nut

Cut a piece of plywood (35 x 20 x 24 mm). Drill a 20mm hole with a Forstner bit in the middle and insert a T-nut.

NOTE: Drilling a hole with a Forsner bit is not necessary. If you mount the T-nut right on top, the spindle will work well. But having the T-nut flush with the surface looks just so nice 😉

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Glue the spindle nut to the clamp base and fix it additionally with screws. This time I recommend using screws since the spindle nut will take a lot of pressure.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

2. The Spindle

Measure and cut the threaded rod for the spindle. Take into account the handle and the nut that pushes the jaw forward.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Step 4: Assemble the clamp

And now the most fun part – assembling all the pieces of the angle clamp together.

First, screw the threaded rod into the spindle nut. Put on the washer and the handle as shown in the picture below. Then place the nuts on both ends of the rod and fix them with epoxy.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

NOTE: I am using a star knob as a handle. It looks awesome and has a good hand grip. If you want to see how I made it take a look at this article – How to make Star Knobs with a Knob Jig.

Dado Jig For Router - Making a six star wooden knob
Dado Jig For Router - A six star wooden knob

Once the epoxy fully hardens and the nuts are fixed, slide the handle on the nut. For a permanent fix add again some epoxy or wood glue.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Place a smaller washer that fits in the 15mm hole (It will be easier for the threaded rod to push the front jaw forward).

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

Screw the threaded rod until the nut touches the smaller washer and fix the bigger washer to the front jaw with epoxy. Be careful not the get the epoxy inside the drilled hole.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.

This is what the finished right-angle clamp looks like. Let’s use it!

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
Finished DIY 90 degree clamp

How to use right angle corner clamps

90-degree corner clamps secure pieces together at a right angle, guaranteeing precise and stable joints throughout the assembly process. This is how to use them:

  1. Open the clamp’s jaws and insert the first wood piece in. Make sure the piece is lined up with the jaw’s L-shaped frame
  2. Insert the second piece and align both wood pieces until the edges are completely flush
  3. Start tightening the clamp with one hand while holding the wood pieces in place with the other
  4. Adjust the clamp and the pieces until they are tight, ensuring not to overtighten the clamp
  5. Fix the wood pieces with glue, screws, or other types of fasteners
  6. Sand or finish the joint as desired

Don’t over-tighten which could result in damaging the material or the clamp. If you want to fix the wood pieces with glue then do that during step 1.

TIP: Place a piece of wax paper right below the joint. You will be able to easily get rid of the glue excess keeping your workbench clean.

When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
Using right angle clamps to join 2 pieces of wood
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a right angle clamp will hold the pieces in position.
Perfect 90 degree angle using right angle clamps

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Having corner clamps in a workshop is a must. When assembling furniture, cupboards or cabinets where large pieces need to be joined at 90 degrees a 90 degree clamp will hold the pieces in position

My Take

When it comes to holding materials securely at a 90-degree angle, corner clamps are an essential tool for any woodworker. They help ensure that the joint is precisely aligned and can be easily glued, screwed, or fastened together. 

Unfortunately, corner clamps are not that cheap, and your will need many of those in your workshop. It is definitely worth spending the time and making them… Not only you will save money, but you will also have a good feeling from the work done and appreciate a nice addition to your workshop. 😉

Now you have all the information needed, so let’s build them!

How to make a 90 Degree Clamping Jig

Woodworking Jigs used for this project:

RELATED: Interested in other types of workshop clamps? Take a look at these: DIY Corner Clamps or the ones below.

DIY Corner Clamp

Corner clamps are so much needed in a workshop. This corner clamping jig can be used for all types of perpendicular inner joints, such as t-joints, dado joints or rabbet joints. Learn step-by-step how to make a perfect DIY corner clamp.

Double Handle Corner Clamps

Double handle corner clamp for projects requiring more clamping power. It can be used as a clamping device, workbench vise or a saw guide for miter cuts and perfect 90 degree joints.
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About the author, Lukas
About the author, Lukas

Meet the creator of AllFlavor Workshop! As a passionate DIYer and woodworking enthusiast, Lukas is always looking for ways to make things himself rather than buying them off the shelf. With a keen eye for design and a knack for working with wood, Lukas enjoys sharing his craft with others and helping them discover the joy of building. Whether you're an experienced woodworker or a novice looking to try your hand at a new hobby, you're sure to find plenty of inspiration and tips on AllFlavor Workshop.