What clamp lengths to start?

[Doug Donnell]

Hope you can help me spend a little bit of money...

I have a couple of gift certificates to the blue borg and I think I will start buying some parallel clamps. I have a set of Bessey F bodies and some pipe clamps already, but want to start buying some parallels.

Which length do you find yourself reaching for the most? How many of those would you purchase before you started buying other lengths? Given I have some clamps already, is there one particular length you would concentrate on. Any other rules of thumb, ie, only buy in pairs, only 2 pairs, etc.

If it helps, my next project is cabinets for the wife's walk in pantry. So lengths and numbers that would be helpful for carcases, drawers, and doors are what I am looking for first.

Thanks all!

Doug

[Will Overton]

The cabinet sets usually come with (2) each, 24" and 40". That's how I started buying parallel clamps and they serve me well. After getting enough of them that a lack of clamps doesn't impede your work flow, add other sizes as need (or good sales) dictate. I now have at least (4) each from 12" to 98", and I'm probably not done.

[glenn bradley]

The value of a number and type of clamp will vary widely with your type of work. Most folks agree that parallel clamps and furniture making go well together. Like Will, I started with a Bessey cabinet set of 2-24", 2-40" and the elevation blocks. I bought other long clamps on sale and have been glad to have the now and again.

Mostly I reach for 24" when it comes to K-bodys. I just kept buying them anytime they were on sale for $1 an inch or less. Somewhere around 8 or 10 I seemed to stop running out of them during glue-ups and so, for now, have stopped buying that size. I get a lot of use out of 18" and 12" Uni-Klamps too but they are pricey so they only get picked up at good sales.

The bulk of my F-style clamps over 12" in length get almost as little use as my pipe clamps. I am glad to have them all but I would buy as you need them (instead of just buying) to avoid ending up like me with probably 2 dozen clamps that I bought because they were a good deal only to find I could really do without them if I had to ;-)

I haven't seen a sale at Lowe's on K-body clamps since the Revos came out so prepare to pay top dollar. I would spend the gift cards on something else and get your clamps as sales/deals allow. Peachtree, for example, just had a 25% off your whole order sale. I picked up a couple more 12" Uni-Klamps.

[Darnell Hagen]

I use my 1' K-bodys the least, 4' the most, and the 8' have saved my bacon a number of times.

Mmmmm, 8' bacon.......

[Bill Huber]

I have the most of the Cabinet Master, Jorgensen clamps. I use the 36" the most, I have some 48" that I do use now and then but the 36" are the ones I go for first.

I do think like Glenn said that the 24" would be find, it just that I do not have any of them and started out with the 36 so I stayed with them.

[Cliff Holmes]

I'm working on a comparison review of the Bessey Revo, Jorgenson Cabinet Master, Jet, and Woodcraft. The Jet is mostly leaving the others in the dust. Best price I found was Amazon, but they're backordered for weeks. Rockler has them in stock plus free shipping right now.

[Mike Heidrick]

I would definately start with two to four 24" and a couple 40". You can purchase an extender for the Kbodies for your super long clamp needs.

Sometimes I want the trigger of the Jet clamps or the sliding heads of my Jorgys or Revos/Kbodies. I would outfit the shop with a selection but I am a clamp-a-holic so what do I know.

[Eiji Fuller]

The 24/40" sets are great. I would start with at least 2 sets and then see what you need after that.

The K bodys are great for cabinet and furniture assembly but I never grab these for glue ups. Its just too much of a pain to keep the glue off them and they dont seem to exert enough pressure IMO. You just cant beat a bunch of pipe clamps for speed and strength, unless you have a panel press. I tighten the pipe clamps with a rubber mallet for invisible glue lines with alphatic resin glue and hand tightnen with epoxy glue ups.

I elevate all my glue ups from my flat glue up/ assembly bench with 2 1.5" x 3" straight boards with packing tape on the edges. I just take a look under to see how the panel is resting on those boards to make sure its flat.

I currenty only have about 20 pipe clamps but I think I would do fine to double that, but I do alot of glue ups. I have 2 24/40" sets of K bodys and a pair of 50" and have not been wanting more. I do love the Extra heavy duty F style besseys with the 5"? throat. I have 8 of those and think I would like another 8

[Dan Karachio]

Doug, this is fun isn't it? For some reason it is harder to decide what to buy when you have a gift certificate than cash! I am on a standard gift routine with my sister in law. Birthday and Christmas I get a Home Depot card. I use it every single time on clamps. I have the Jorgenson K type clamps (that is what HD carries) and let me tell you, for panel glue ups they really are superior in keeping things flat. I thought that was a bunch of hooey, but they really do a much better job than any other type of clamp (and I have proof in lousy panels from other clamps to prove it). The Bessey's you are looking at scored equally well in FWW's latest review. I have so far collected 4 each of the 48" and 4 each of the 36." 24" might be nice next, but I use the heck out of those 36" ers.

[Gene Thayer]

I use my 24" and 36" K-Bodies the most. Can't beat 'em.

[Jim O'Dell]

I started out with 8-40" and 4-24" pre Revo K-bodies when Woodcraft had 4 of the 40" for 100.00 and free shipping, and 4 of the 24" for 80.00 and free shipping. I also got 4 of the extenders. This way for cabinet work, I can do 24" deep cabinets up to 80" length. Only problem, I can only assemble one at a time!! I'll get 4 more 24's next so that I can do 2 up to 40" wide at the same time. That purchase with the extenders was about 350.00. That hurt at one time, but not as much if they hadn't been on sale. Think I'll try the Jets next. That's what I wanted originally, but couldn't pass on the Besseys at that price. Jim.

[Doug Donnell]

Thanks everyone, the advice has been great. Someone commented that the full price at the blue borg was dear, and they were right. I just didn't want anything else right now, and using gift certificates I am more likely to purchase something expensive than when using my own money (totally illogical of course, assuming you can buy something else with the gift certificate).
The choice wasn't terribly difficult, they only had two 24" and two 40", so that is what I got. I would have gotten four 24" had they had them, but...
I will not purchase more at full retail unless it is with more gift money, though I certainly will get more. Will have to look out for sales though.
They really do seem much more useful than other styles, although I have to admit that supplementing the Kbodies with decent pipe clamps (with the versatility of different pipe lengths) isn't something that I think will hold me back.
Appreciate the feedback, now I just have to get the courage up to start that butler's pantry project. How exactly does one do that?

Doug

[Jim O'Dell]

snip
Appreciate the feedback, now I just have to get the courage up to start that butler's pantry project. How exactly does one do that?

Doug

One cut at a time, Doug, one cut at a time. :D Jim.

[Doug Donnell]

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step...."

"How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time...."

not necessarily related, but a favorite of mine...

"Never fight a man till you have walked a mile in his boots. Then you will be a mile away, and have his boots!"

[Ben Hobbs]

I use 24 in. clamps more than anything else. In making cabinets, they are useful in clamping face frames to the cases as well as other applications. I would recommend buying what you need when you need them. Longer clamps will work when a shorter one will do, but they are harder to handle. Ben

[Rick Fisher]

31", 24" then 40" and longer.

24" are most commonly used by me, but 31" are great if you don't have a huge selection..

The 24-40 kit from Bessey is a good kit.. I would start with that kit, then add as you go..

[John Fabre]

50" Besseys are my top choice for the work I do. Yes, it's possible to have it too long, clamps that it.

[Steve Griffin]

How deep is your workbench?

My glue up table is 48", so I have a set of 48" clamps. I also have some shorter ones and longer ones which are used occasionally, but your primary clamps might as well be as long as you can easily handle at your workbench.

-Steve