Onebyone

I use a compact 2 pound weight on top.

I didn't think about adding weight to my wood clapper. I can sit the cast iron press on top of it. That thing is heavy. Thanks for the tip!

b.zang

When I'm sewing and pressing away from home I always miss my clapper. I'm a chain piecer and will have one piece on the machine, one piece under the needle and one under the clapper. My seams are nice and flat without fussing with starch. I don't use the clapper for longer seams because I don't have the patience to wait for each bit to flatten. With a wool pressing mat on the bottom and clapper on top, no pressing problems.

quiltingcotton

My husband is also a woodworker, and he made me a set of 6 clappers, 12" long, enough that I can put them across an entire row seam, or when attaching multiple blocks together. They really make a difference in producing a flat seam. He made them out of maple, a heavy hardwood that gives them the weight they need and put indents in the sides for easy grasping. Since maple is a tight cell wood, he just sanded them smooth, and didn't varnish them, so no worry about the heat from the hot seams transferring any discoloration from varnish.

NoraB

I use my clappers all the time. I have accumulated a total of 10, but use them all. Especially if I'm chain-piecing.....One for each piece that I've sewn.

tranum

DH makes beautiful cutting boards so I got two of those to use as clappers. I can press a 2nd block as the first one cools off. It’s heavy and about 12” square so it does a wonderful job on whole blocks. I also had him cut a slice off my Mom’s rolling pin so it sits flat and doesn’t roll. I use it for a clapper and think of her pies when I use it. Better than stored away in a cupboard.