A couple Kreg equipment questions to experience users

[Don Morris]

I like the Kreg PH system. I have some of their items, but certainly not all. A couple questions: 1) Anyone have the new 90 degree corner clamp? I just saw it at the Baltimore wwing show. It looked like it worked well, but was rather bulky and a lot more hardware than the older, more simpler design Right Angle Clamp. 2) I like the idea of a bench clamp. I don't have room for a separate "klamp table" in my small shop so the 3" X 4" plate or the larger one that is "designed to be routed into your workbench" would be the type I would have to use. Where on my 26" X 56" workbench would I put it? In the middle, at one end, towards the side, 3" from the edge, 5" from the edge"? Once I've routed out the top of my workbench I'm stuck with a hole in my nice workbench. I want to make sure it's in the most efficient, effective spot it should be. Should have asked the guy making the pitch at the show, but didn't think about it then. D__n. But that's why we have the creek! You guys who use these things all the time should have an opinion and I would greatly appreciate yours. Thanks.

[Mike Heidrick]

My friend uses the large plate setup. He likes it and just moves it to wherever is needed. It is not installed in his bench permanently at all.

[Paul Demetropoulos]

Don,

I have two of the 3x4 plates on my bench top which is about a foot larger larger in width and 2 in length than yours, it's 3' x 6'. You want the plate far enough in from the any edge so you can clamp 360 degrees around the plate.

I mounted one plate 24" from the one end and 12" from the edge. This one is convenient for assembling face frames, I can always orient the frame to balance on the table.

The second is diagonally across the table but closer to the corner, about 6 inches in from both edges. I use this for joining corners, often I'll clamp a framing square in the very corner and butt the stock up to it for square.

These clamps are great for lots of applications, not just pocket screw.

[frank shic]

the corner clamp is more useful for clamping carcase parts together like the tops/bottoms/dividers to the sides whereas the right angle clamp is more useful for clamping a face frame to a cabinet. the holding power on the corner clamp is a lot stronger than i initially expected and it's a lot easier to use than ANYTHING else i've tried on the market thus far. they've also designed the clamp so that the clamping jaws don't interfere with drilling. good luck!

[Brett Nelson]

Does the Kreg corner clamp work better than the other right angle clamps on the market. Like this one...

http://www.amazon.com/Wolfcraft-3415405-Right-Angle-Clamp/dp/B000JCGYD6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1232122898&sr=1-1

[frank shic]

lol, yah... it just takes one squeeze of the handles to lock everything down vs. fiddling with two screws!

[Scott Loven]

Just buy a couple of Klamp tracks and some Klamps and stop blocks and mount them on your bench, then buy some of the small bench plates to mount in other places. I am thinking of doing this on my table saw extension table.
Scott

[Don Morris]

Scott,

Do you really mean to destroy/rout-into the surface of your outfeed table? That's my worry about destroying the surface of my workbench. Yes, I looked at the overall surface area of my outfeed table and it's greater than my smaller workbench. But again, I'm hesitant to destroy that slick surface, the surface you worked so hard to create so projects will slide on it. But then, again, it is a nice large work surface.... If you do, I sure would like to see how it comes out and a photo of the result! Good luck!!

[Mike Heidrick]

My thought is if your benchtop is super nice you are not using it much. You could always mount the blocks to an aux table top and just clamp it on when needed. That or build a bench to do work on.

[Don Morris]

That's my intention. I'm going to work on that type of idea.

[Michael T Baker]

I purchased some Craig t-track and remade my outfeed table. I picked up several Jorgy/Pony hold downs off of eBay that I use.