Clamp choice????

[ian maybury]

Some assistance on clamp choice would be great. I'm setting up to do hardwood furniture and some cabinet work, and looking to buy a selection of clamps for the shop. The work i've done so far has used very heavy and cumbersome old type sash clamps i inherited.

There's some hard choices in there. I bought a couple of cheap eastern sourced 3/4 pipe clamps (Jorgensen/Pony no. 50 rip-offs) to try, and the quality is terrible - misaligned threading (the socket that screws on to the pipe) in the head section means they jam because the line of the screw is not parallel with the line of the pipe.

So i'm thinking i need to go a bit more money, and buy the genuine Jorgensen article. But i'm wondering if i buy in quantity (maybe 25) if i can rely on their quality being good and consistent.

Small price differences mount up whent the quantity gets larger. I see Rockler doing a copy pipe clamp too...

I'm also thinking that if i get piping lengths locally screwed to the lengths i need that there may be potential problems if it's not done exactly right. Why do some imply galvanised pipe is not a good idea? Are there dimensional issues to watch out for when threading the pipe?

I'm hearing noises too that some are changing to parallel type clamps. (from pipe clamps) I can see that the likes of a Bessey K type parallel type clamp would be useful in some situations, but they are bloody expensive over here, and if i buy in the US i have to pay for shipping and very likely +30% taxes on import. The Jorgensen Cabinet Master doesn't seem to be available over here either.

So i'm wondering have i got the whole picture. What sorts of situations do you guys feel come up where the K type is genuinely an important improvement over a pipe clamp???

Where might the traditional format sash clamp on a rectangular or T section bar fit in the mix?

Is there a more economic option than the K type if parallel jaw clamps are truly a big advantage for all round use?

All input appreciated - it's so hard to figure what's what with so much junk around, and all claiming they are the best....

[Frank Drew]

Ian,

The big advantage of the Jorgensen Pony pipe clamps is that you can attach them to pipe of any length, making them very flexible in a shop; the downside is that they're only a middling performer when compared to better clamps. (I think the clamps tend to slip when used with galvanized pipe, so common black pipe is recommended.)

I've also used Jorgensen's heavy duty I-beam clamps, and Record's normal and heavy-duty T-beam clamps, and I liked all of those reasonably well, but when I finally got some Bessey K-body clamps I thought I'd died and gone to clamp heaven, and there are many here who think even more highly of Jet's similar parallel clamp. I don't think you'd go wrong with either of those. Look for sales.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Look for the 13 buck clamp thread. It's recent. You can buy quite a few. Sounds like they are okay, but remember they be 13 buck clamps. And buy some "good" parallels for the heavy duty accurate stuff. All clamps have strong and weak points. I think Mike MAY have enough clamps:D

[Glen Dickey]

Also check out Wetzler brand clamps. They are still made in the USA and they seem to be a good quality clamp. They make bar clamps, and other types, and are reasonably priced. Been around for a long time and you can order them online. Just google Wetzler Clamp.

[glenn bradley]

I can see that the likes of a Bessey K type parallel type clamp would be useful in some situations, but they are bloody expensive over here, and if i buy in the US i have to pay for shipping and very likely +30% taxes on import.

Ian, I noticed several of us went to your profile to try to figure out where "over here" is. I'll take a guess at the UK(?). If so, Rutlands (http://www.rutlands.co.uk/hand-tools/work-holding/clamps---f-&-parallel) has some familiar formats, Toolbank (http://www.toolbank.com/p/C10498/STA083039) as well. I thought Amazon sold pretty much everywhere but that could just be because I only buy . . . well . . . here. At any rate, knowing your location will help us help you ;-)

Then again, I may misunderstand and you know where to find them, you're just asking what others like and use. If so, I grab parallel clamps (K-body or Uni-Klamps) more than almost anything. I've got a dozen Jorgie 50's in a wall rack behind a rollaway tool chest that I haven't touched in a couple of years but, when you need a pipe clamp, they're great.

No matter what format the clamp comes in, the thing that makes a "great deal" on a clamp turn sour is misaligned heads or jaw faces. I have a small collection of bargain clamps that come into play once everything else is in use but, mostly I find I automatically reach for the ones that cost me the most as they work the best . . . . darn it!

[jim hedgpeth]

The $13 clamps are ok, but being that you are "over there" shipping would most likely eat the savings.

I have a couple off brand pipe clamps, 2 Bessey H's, and a few hand me down Pony clamps. I prefer the Bessey H style pipe clamps, as far as pipe clamps, they work reliably and smooth(er). Don't know what the deal is with galv. pipe, I use it on all but a couple of mine without problems. If anyone is making them slip on galvanized pipe they must be useing a lot more pressure than me.

Check for a good deal "there" for GOOD clamps, buying in larger #s sometimes gets you a better price.

Jim

[Chris Kennedy]

If you can pay the shipping, I recommend the Rockler pipe clamps. I have never had an issue with them slipping, they line up well, and they are very stable on a bench with their feet. A few years back they received the best results in a FWW testing of clamps (in the pipe vise category).

I got by with my pipe vises for a while before I could get some K-bodies and some Jet parallel clamps. Every now and then a deal comes out on a package of these, so if you can, I would hold off if you can, and then buy some when they are on special.

Cheers,

Chris

[ian maybury]

Thank you very much for all your input guys. Since my post i've done more digging - there's definitely a strong view about the the parallel's are the real deal if you can afford them.

Sounds like it may be wisest to up the ante and get some, it's no different to coming to the point where you find you need to buy decent quality hand tools and machines really i suppose. It's becoming the story of my life - everythng i look at slowly but surely leads me to the high end. Festo routers and the like. sigh!!!

Thank you too for the steer on alternative makes and the suggestion to watch out for deals, it's probably a good time for that. Depending on how well i do i'll probably buy some pipe clamps as well. Some of the deal prices are very good - so good in fact that it'd make sense to buy in the US and risk the duty. Amazon.com won't sell to Europe though, and their European prices and ranges are very different.

I'm actually in Ireland, and have easy access to the UK for purchasing purposes but language tends to be a bit of a barrier to accessing European supplier websites. More info on my profile now...

PS your tag rings very true Chris :-)

[ian maybury]

PS An update. A closer look at pricing suggests that if i buy in the UK and drop value added tax using my VAT no. the price is about 20% higher than the best listed by the big US guys - but with discount for quantity (i'd expect 10% plus free shipping) the difference gets smaller.

So it looks like unless there is a really good one off deal going in the US it may not be not worth risking getting nailed for import duties, not to mention the cost of shipping....

[Joe Jensen]

It sounds like this is a business venture. I've been doing this as a serious hobby for 30 years. I used Jorgenson pipe clamps for the first 15 years and then can put plenty of pressure on a joint, but they do not apply pressure in a way the holds glue ups flat. If you clamp tight, the pipes flex. If your edges are night perfectly straight and square, the pipe clamps will let the joint close, but the glue up won't be flat. With the Bessy or other parallel clamps, my results are much better, and I find them faster to use. I still have a couple of pipe clamps for when I need to clamp something longer than 5 ft, but after using the Bessey clamps, I HATE the pipe clamps.

[Peter Quinn]

Hi Ian. Ditto what Joe said. For cabinet doors, cope and mold or M&T, its real easy to get the stiles to curl up a bit or drive the doors out of square if the pipes wont behave. You really have to have some pretty straight pipes, or at least some for delicate work, and you have to set your self up so that the center of the turn screw is centered on the work. It takes a bit of "english".

K-bodies and other parallel jaw clamps make glue ups a lot easier because you can all but forget about the clamps. They work great. They are not the strongest clamps available, I think good pipe clamps will exert a bit more force for large panels glue ups like table tops and such, and Jorgie I-beams will give more force than just about anything else for real hard work. I like them for passage doors with dowels to overcome any pesky hydraulic pressure that may occur.

For pipe clamps I like jorgenson, but the Rockler sure foot clamps are my favorites. Real stable, smooth, and they have holes in the jaws for attaching wooden cauls or clamping blocks as necessary, very well designed. For parallel clamps I have Besseys, but frankly every major band makes very good clamps and any one of them would suit me fine. I can't say any one clamp does it all. I like to have a mix of options. It may be worth buying a few different types (pipe, C, F style, parallel, etc) just to get going and see what works for you then buy more of what you like as you need it, unless you are setting up a business and need a gross of clamps to get things going.

Good luck and have fun.

[Jack Ellis]

I'm a hobbyist and I like the parallel clamps for lots of different tasks - casework, drawers, frames. I have about half Jorgensens and half Besseys - they both have strengths and annoying minor faults.

I have some of the Wetzler clamps, bought used. Didn't know the manufacturer was still in business. They are well built, very beefy, and worth about 10 times what I paid for them!

[Chris Tsutsui]

I used to use black pipe clamps, but ever since i got a nice set of Jorgensen Parallel Cabinet clamps, it just seems like they are better in every aspect.

If you can find a source for parallel cabinet clamps, they are worth the investment IMO.

I would also rather use the aluminum rectangular bar clamps vs the pipe clamps. They are light weight and can clamp fairly well.

[Greg Hawthorne]

If you plan to clamp a lot of panels, this style of clamp could be worth looking at:
http://www.frontlineengineering.com.au/
http://www.advmachinery.com/default.asp?pg=planoa