The 10 Best Angle Clamps
This wiki has been updated 18 times since it was first published in October of 2015. Professional and hobbyist woodworkers and metalworkers alike depend on angle clamps when they're working on projects that requires a firm grip and the precise alignment of two pieces of material. They make cabinet making, pipe welding and frame building a whole lot easier, and we've found some options suitable for casual home use as well as others built for heavy-duty commercial applications. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki. If you'd like to contribute your own research to the Wiki, please get started by reviewing this introductory video.
1. Bessey WSM-12
2. Kaka Industrial AC-60
3. Kaufhof KV4W
Editor's Notes
March 16, 2020:
During this round of updates, we removed several offerings due to availability issues, including the ZFE TZ7100 and Impakt Tools 9-inch. Our new additions are the Irwin Tools Quick Grip 226410, a reasonably priced model with a decent build quality that’s backed by a lifetime warranty; the Evwoge Positioning Squares, a pair of 5-1/2-inch aluminum squares, each equipped with its own pair of clamps to keep material snug; and the Miusuk 90 Degree, a plastic model that comes at an excellent price but isn’t built for heavy-duty applications, although it remains suitable for work on some picture frames craft projects.
A few things to get a grip on before you decide which model to buy:
Capacity: Each unit in this category is limited by the respective size of its jaws or, in the case of the Evwoge Positioning Squares, the size of its clamp attachments. Consider what size of stock you’re hoping to work on with these clamps, and make sure you pick an option with a jaw size that exceeds that number. While top-end models like the Bessey WSM-12 can handle material wider than four inches and the Irwin Tools Quick Grip 226410 can accommodate boards as wide as three inches, others are severely limited. The Miusuk 90 Degree, for example can’t handle material much wider than 3/4-inch.
Quantity: While you can typically get away with using a single clamp, and working on one corner at a time, it’s sometimes nice, especially when working on light-duty, square projects like picture frames, to get all four corners lined up at the same time. If this is an approach that sounds agreeable to you, then consider budgeting for a set of four. The Miusuk 90 Degree comes in a pack of four, presumably with this in mind, and the Bessey VAS23 Vario uses a single tool to act as four clamps simultaneously, so long as the perimeter of structure it’s holding doesn’t exceed 23 feet.
Installation: While light-duty options, like the ones we discussed in the last point, tend to have slight, lightweight designs that make them easy store on a shelf or in a tool bag until they’re needed, serious carpenters looking to outfit their workshops are likely interested in heavy-duty models that can be permanently fixed to a worktable. Many models, including the MLCS 9001 Can-Do, Hobart 770565 and Bessey WSM-12 feature slotted designs that make it easy to bolt them down. The Bessey Tools WS-3+2K comes with a pair of table clamps, to help facilitate simple, semi-permanent installation.
4. Evwoge Positioning Squares
5. Bessey VAS23 Vario
6. Irwin Tools Quick Grip 226410
7. Hobart 770565
8. Bessey Tools WS-3+2K
9. MLCS 9001 Can-Do
10. Miusuk 90 Degree
After deciding that the pen was mightier than the pliers, Canadian electrical contractor William Rhoda abandoned his career and headed back to college, where he majored in marketing and advertising and won a scholarship along the way to earning a diploma in creative communications. His past career landed him a depth of knowledge in tools and hardware, while his current career schooled him in audio, video and camera equipment. During his leisure time, he’s learned lots about outdoor gear, and years of tiresome backyard maintenance have taught him all about pools and hot tubs. His recreational pursuits include rest, relaxation and revolutionary action, and his roommate’s a hairless cat.