Softneck garlic braiding clamp

Hold the starting stems of a small garlic braid on a bench while both hands arrange the remaining stems.

Editorial construction draft. Original digital diagrams; no physical build or load certification. Read dimensions, fit and use limits before making changes. US customary dimensions control; metric values are references.

Before marking and cutting

• Measure the stated stock sections before cutting. Use the cut-list geometry, not scale measurements from the drawing.
• US inch dimensions control; millimeter values are rounded conversions. Ordinary cut target ±1/16 in (1.6 mm); fit commercial accessories before boring attachment holes.

Use limits

• Original bounded garden component, not an occupied structure.
• No human standing, sitting, climbing, lifting or fall protection use. No stated safe working load.
• Geometry and fastener quantities are editorially checked; no prototype build, wind test or crop trial is claimed.

Materials and cuts

Hardware and consumables

• 2 #10 × 3-1/2 in machine bolts, 4 washers and 2 wing nuts
• 2 #8 × 1-1/4 in screws for fixed jaw
• 2 removable soft washable jaw pads, 6 × 1-1/2 in
• 2 bench clamps

Tools

• Tape measure and steel rule
• Pencil, square and clamps
• Saw suited to the stated stock; eye and hearing protection
• Drill/driver, countersink and bits matched to fasteners
• Sandpaper and edge file; gloves when handling cut mesh

Assembly

1. Plan the softneck garlic braiding clamp for this result: Hold the starting stems of a small garlic braid on a bench while both hands arrange the remaining stems. Confirm the design reference before cutting: Moving jaw slides without binding; pads cover wood edges. In the drawings x runs left to right, y runs front to rear and z runs upward.
2. Verify the required stock before laying out these parts: 1 × 2 in board: actual 0.75 × 1.5 in (19.05 × 38.1 mm); 1 × 4 in board: actual 0.75 × 3.5 in (19.05 × 88.9 mm). Reject split or twisted wood and unknown salvage; thinner stock requires recalculating the joints, not simply using the listed lengths.
3. Cut and label the finished parts: 1 Base 18 × 3.5 × 0.75 in (457.2 × 88.9 × 19.05 mm), mark P01; 1 Fixed jaw 6 × 1.5 × 0.75 in (152.4 × 38.1 × 19.05 mm), mark P02; 1 Moving jaw 6 × 1.5 × 0.75 in (152.4 × 38.1 × 19.05 mm), mark P03. Keep saw kerf outside each finished line. Rip only where the finished width is narrower than the actual stock; use a suitable guide and target ±1/16 in (1.6 mm) for ordinary cuts. Dowel triples mean length × diameter × diameter, not square dowel stock.
4. Center the fixed jaw on the base at x = 6–12 in and y = 1–2-1/2 in. Attach it from beneath with two 1-1/4 in screws at x = 7 and 11 in.
5. Clamp the moving jaw directly over the fixed jaw. Mark bolt centers at x = 6-3/4 and 11-1/4 in, centered at y = 1-3/4 in.
6. Drill 7/32 in clearance holes through both jaws and base. Keep all holes square so the moving jaw slides freely.

7. Insert bolts from below with washers under their heads. Add a washer and wing nut above the moving jaw at each end.
8. Line both jaw faces with removable soft washable pads. Keep pads clear of bolt threads and avoid adhesive contacting garlic stems.
9. Clamp both ends of the base to a stable workbench. Ensure bolt heads clear the bench or fit protective spacer strips beneath the base.
10. Place a few suitable cured softneck stems between the jaws and tighten only enough to locate them. Stop if a stem is crushed or the bulbs hang unsupported.
11. Braid while supporting the bulbs on the bench, then loosen both nuts and remove the braid. Crop type, curing and braid technique remain separate horticultural tasks.
12. Complete the acceptance checks below before putting the assembly into service. Record any changed stock thickness, fastener or equipment fit on the project sheet. The published geometry has not been physically built or load-tested.

Checks

• Moving jaw slides without binding; pads cover wood edges.
• Bench clamps secure base; clamp locates stems without suspending bulbs.

Operation

• A handling aid only; not a preservation or food safety process.

Cleaning and maintenance

• Clean pads and dry the jaws after use; inspect bolt holes for splitting.

Primary context

These sources inform the context and do not endorse the original construction design.

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