Can you recommend a good F clamp?

[Pete Lamberty]

I need to buy some more F clamps. I have also seen these called bar clamps, or quick clamps. These look like the capital letter F. I only need them to be about twelve inches by 3 inches. They have to be really strong as I will be using them for bent laminations. Do you have any favorites that you can recommend? Right now I have ten Wetzler clamps and they are great. Problem is, is that I ordered five more from them on July 6 and I still haven't received them. And Wetzler hasn't responded to my email or phone call. I sent them a letter last week with a sase. Hopefully they will send it back and let me now the status of my order. Anyway, please let me know if you have a great F clamp.
Thanks, Pete

[Mike Heidrick]

I was going to say Wetzler - as I want some too.

The problem is my F clamps are Bessie Tradesman clamps and when I need F clamps they work great. I see no need to buy Wetzlers to replace them.

So, I guess I recommend you try some Bessie Tradesman clamps in absence of buying Wetzlers.

[John Harden]

Sure hope I don't start an argument here, but I recently bought about 30 Harbor Freight, 6" F clamps for a bent lamination project.

Took a chair making class recently and as far as small F clamps, that's all the instructor owns. He must have had 300 of them. He said the quality on the old ones with the shiny bar was hit and miss. I'd agree with that as I bought some mabe 5-10 years ago and wound up tossing them out.

The new ones are much better. Bar has nicely machined serrations for the head to grab on to and the handle is a nice ergo rubberized plastic.

You might check them out. On sale, you can find them for as little as $3-$4. I think I paid that for some and full price of $7 for the rest.

Regards,

John

[Dave Sweeney]

For 18" and under there is nothing wrong with Harbor Freight clamps. Over 18" and they tend to bow rather easily.

[Matt Meiser]

I have a bunch of the short HF's and find they work well too. I have some heavy duty Jorgensen and they work well, but the plastic pads bleed some kind of oil even after cleaning with alcohol and several years. I would not recommend them.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have the Harbor Freight. They are dark blue with black bars. They are very well made clamps.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/96200-96299/96210.gif
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96210

Jet also has a good clamp.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31GhWqmYzVL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Jet-Heavy-Duty-Clutch-Clamp-52824/dp/B000X4Q35O/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1252886542&sr=1-37

[Jim Bowers]

I have found these to be good price and function well.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/barClamps.htm

[Myk Rian]

I like the Jorgensens from HoPo. Have several of them. The bar doesn't bend like my Jet F clamps do.

[Mark Smith, too]

Bessey Tradesmen. You won't be sorry.

[Jason Hallowell]

For shorter F clamps, I like the pittsburg clamps from harbor freight more than my jorgensens, sumo's or besseys. They operate smoother, seem to slip less, and are half the cost. My only complaint is that some of the handles aren't always glued on securely, but if they come loose a little epoxy is an easy fix. I've had the same problem with the name brand clamps. The longer ones are more prone to bending than some of the name brands, but I still find plenty of uses for the long ones too.

[Vic Damone]

Wetzler. Some old some new.

[Tom Veatch]

I have a bunch of the short HF's and find they work well too. I have some heavy duty Jorgensen and they work well, but the plastic pads bleed some kind of oil even after cleaning with alcohol and several years. I would not recommend them.

Likewise the Bessey's. First thing to do is dump those plastic pads. You're going to have to use protector blocks (or cauls) anyway, so the pads are useless and just get in the way.

[Jerome Hanby]

I've got a couple of long HF F clamps, and they do tend to bow. All the rest of mine are Colombian from Woodcraft. Other that the fact that one or two tend to bind up a little when I slide them, they work fine. I suspect I can fix the binding problem, probably label adhesive gummed up someplace I can't see.

[Prashun Patel]

I've had good luck on ebay on clamps up to about 36".


http://cgi.ebay.com/8-NEW-12-BAR-CLAMPS-WOODWORKING-F-Wood-Lot-WHOLESALE_W0QQitemZ330359176923QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ Clamps_Vises?hash=item4ceaf0fedb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[Matt Benton]

Get the Jorgy's from HD or another Borg. They are the heaviest-duty that I have seen.

I agree with Tom to get rid of any rubber or plastic pads. I found that when clamping boards for dovetailing (w/ router), the pads allowed the boards to shift (very slightly, of course)...

[John Harden]

I have a bunch of the short HF's and find they work well too. I have some heavy duty Jorgensen and they work well, but the plastic pads bleed some kind of oil even after cleaning with alcohol and several years. I would not recommend them.

I get exactly the same thing with mine. Very annoying.

[Pete Lamberty]

Thanks guys for all of the recommendations. I will need to look online a bit and go to HD before I make a decision. I sure hope Wetzler comes through. Oh, what's the throat depth on the Bessey Tradesmen? Thanks again. Pete

[Kevin Groenke]

I'm also on the Bessey Tradesman bandwagon. The bars are much more rigid than the Jorgies, Jets or Rocklers. I might have to try the HF's though as the price is right.

Grizzly has pretty decent prices on the Tradesmen, which are available in 2.5" and 4" depth