Bar clamp assembly and workpiece support members

A bar clamp assembly, comprising:

• a bar clamp configured for engagement with a workpiece, the bar clamp including:
• a guide rail extending along an axis between a first end and a second end;
• a slide jaw disposed along the guide rail and a fixed jaw attached to the guide rail proximate the first or second end, the slide jaw being moveable with respect to the fixed jaw to compress a workpiece;
• and
• a first work piece support member disposed proximate the slide jaw and a second work piece support member disposed proximate the fixed jaw, each work piece support member including:
• a base,
• a first finger extending from the base including a traverse portion, the first finger including a first workpiece abutment surface and a first workpiece support surface,
• a second finger extending from the base including a traverse portion, the second finger including a second workpiece abutment surface and a second workpiece support surface, and
• an engagement feature with opening suitable for forming sliding engagement between the workpiece support member and the guide rail,
• wherein the first finger and second finger are disposed with respect to each other to form a slot extending from an exterior region of the work piece support member to the engagement feature.

A clamp system for joining multiple layers of a workpiece, the clamp system comprising:

• a plurality of bar clamp assemblies, each of the plurality of bar clamp assemblies including:
• a guide rail extending along an axis between a first end and a second end,
• a slide jaw disposed along the guide rail and a fixed jaw attached to the guide rail proximate the first or second end, the slide jaw being moveable with respect to the fixed jaw to compress a workpiece,
• a first workpiece support member disposed proximate the slide jaw and a second workpiece support member disposed proximate the fixed jaw, each of the first and second workpiece support members including a base having an engagement feature configured engagement with the guide rail and a pair of fingers extending from the base, the pair of fingers including a workpiece abutment surface and a workpiece support surface,
• one or more spindle clamps threadably engaged with a cross member that is engaged with the guide rails of the plurality of bar clamp assemblies, the one or more spindle clamps being moveable towards a workpiece that is supported by the support surfaces of the first and second workpiece support members.