If you do enough woodworking, sooner or later you are going to come across a small piece you have to hold steady in order to drill, or cut, or router. Holding these small pieces by hand can be tricky, and dangerous. There are many alternatives, but my favorite happens to be using handscrews.

I remember being a little kid playing out in my dad’s shop many years ago and always having trouble figuring out how to open or tighten the handscrews. The reverse threads and the fact the screws go in opposite direction always confused me. Fast-forward many years, and I still get slightly confused by the handscrews at times (just kidding, maybe…). Though I find them absolutely invaluable for many jobs. Holding odd shaped pieces are their specialty, but they are also great for holding any small piece you are manipulating. Whether it is routing, drilling, cutting, chiseling, or doing any other number of woodworking tasks, these specialty clamps are most helpful. Just make certain to tighten them down well to get a firm grip on the piece, and you’ll have a lot of extra leverage to help hold it steady – and you’ll be keeping your fingers farther from harm’s way!

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