I bought it at a garage sale for .50c, just because I didn’t have one, problem is, I have no idea what it was for.
Anybody have any idea what this bench clamp was used for????

http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/114223061
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/114223063

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I suspect it may be a ground clamp for welding structural steel. The ground lead back to the welder would have attached to the loop, then you clamp it onto the I-beam or whatever. Just a guess..........

All the Best,

Chip

It is a ground clamp for grounding different parts of a structure like a wellhead to a drilling rig, any place that a good ground is needed. We used them when rigging explosive perforating guns to prevent stray currents from drilling rig generators that could cause an electric blasting cap to accidentally detonate. We had a long 2 Ga stranded insulated ground lead mounted in the back of the wireline perforating truck and used this type clamp to ground the truck to the well head. another ground cable (like a booster cable) was used to ground the drilling rig to our truck and the well head. I would say it could also be used on a welder.

Good guess Chip, it may just be a very early type. I been welding for a half century and never ran into one like it though. But, you and Mack makes it two, and it sounds like he’s seen something like them before.
Thanks for the opinions guys.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Big long address but my money is going with this idea.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.patented-antiques.com/images/WEB-Sale-Cats/ZZ-CSGN/z-c-wt/SEWBIRDS/SEWB-D/ma/P2190936.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.patented-antiques.com/Backpages/SEWBIRDS/machine.htm&usg=__0Ppd_Aw0G4H7yGQ7O4XGc0yz_MI=&h=562&w=756&sz=39&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=cFomxemdMfKP8M:&tbnh=106&tbnw=142&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsewing%2Bclamp%2Bcollection%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-US:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7DKUS_en%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1

And here are a few more. http://www.monmouthmuseum.org/sewingbird.html
Antique sewing clamp or sewing bird, probably some piece missing.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL