Wire Clamp Tool - Cheap and Easy!

Here is my version of the very handy "Wire clamp tool", similar to the one in this illustration.

It is used to clamp tubing - using wire. The resulting clamp has a very low profile and can be made extremely tight! You can clams two tubes with different sizes, one inside the other, and have it air tight!

You can buy them ($40 and up) or follow some other very good Instructables to make your own.

My version will cost you less than $5, take less than an hour to make and I think it is easier to use than the conventional ones.

Step 1: Buy Only 4 Parts. Less Than $5!

Eye bolt + 2 nuts

Mending plate

These are available at any hardware store. And the size does not really matter. Don't go smaller than 4" mending plate - unless you have very small hands! Make sue you match the eye bolt size to the hole size in the mending plate.

I had to drill out the hole in the mending plate a bit to get the eye bolt through. You don't want it to loose.

Step 2: Cut the Mending Plate

Cut the mending plate on the red line. The angle is not very important.

I used an angle grinder, but a hack saw should do it as well.

Leave a 1/8" point. Make this point into a fish mouth using a round file or the hacksaw. This will grab the wire, so make it smooth with sanding paper so it wouldn't cut the wire.

Step 3: Install Eye Bolt, Drill Holes

Install the eye bolt in the first hole back from the point, with a nut on both sides of the mending plate.

Drill a small hole on either side of the nuts. Again size or distance is not very important. As long as you can easily pass 20 gauge wire through the holes.

Countersink the holes using a much larger drill so the sharp edges won't cut the wire.

On final assembly, put some Loctite under the nuts to stop them from moving and position them so the eye bolt can easily be turned.

Step 4: Practice Using Your New Tool!

There are many good instructions available on how to use this tool.

Check out this very good Instructables.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Wire-Clamp-Tool/#

https://www.instructables.com/id/Hose-Clamp-Magic/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Wire-clamping-tool...

But instead of winding the wire around the pegs, thread them through the holes and wind the eye bolt by hand. To make the clamp even tighter - put a screw driver through the eye bolt to give you more leverage. Practice to see how much tension you can put on before the wire breaks.

Use 20 ga stainless steel or galvanized wire.