With a light yet sturdy hold, these clamps help you keep workpieces in place hands-free for measuring and inspecting. Thread them right into your fixturing surface, whether it’s a plate, tower, or table. Because they apply less pressure than machining clamps, they won’t distort your parts, so you can take accurate measurements. While these clamps aren’t sturdy enough for use in machining, you can still use them for light fabrication work, such as laser engraving.

Hold-down clamps secure parts from the top.

Tension spring clamps are the most common type of clamp. Slide the arm down the shaft until it touches the top of your workpiece. Since you apply pressure directly, using too much force might move your part. Clamps with a rubber-coated tip are less likely to scrape parts than clamps with an uncoated tip.

Wire tension spring clamps have a slimmer profile than standard clamps, which means they don’t cover up as much of your workpiece. They’re often used to clamp small parts. Pull the wire arm away from the shaft, position your part, then release the arm so it moves back to cradle your part in place.

Clamps with a thumb screw give you more control over the pressure you apply on a workpiece than tension spring clamps. Twisting the screw moves the clamp up or down in small increments, so they’re less likely to dent or scratch your workpiece. The knurled head on the screw is slip resistant, letting you make precise turns with reliable grip.

Clamps with squeeze tabs on the back are best for supporting delicate parts. They have the lightest touch of any clamps we offer, because the tension is held in the tabs rather than the clamp itself. Press the tabs together like a clothespin and rotate the clamp where you need it.

Side clamps don’t block access to the top of your workpiece like hold-down clamps. They push one side of your workpiece against another barrier, such as a standoff, support, or corner plate. Made of durable yet flexible plastic, the outer edge of the clamp slightly contracts when you pull the circular trigger—like drawing a bow.

Positioning clamps give you the most flexible setup of any clamps. They’re the best choice for curved or irregular shapes, such as cylinders. Both sliding pins on each arm have an O-ring that compresses when you push them tight against a workpiece. The O-ring cushions the pressure you apply, and it also gives grip while protecting parts from scratches. With an arm that rotates 360°, you can create movable supports. These clamps also have a magnetic flange to help secure metal parts.

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