Bessey problem...solution??

[Warren White]

Good day to all!
For the second time in as many weeks, I have tried to use my 40" Bessey K Body clamps for a small but complicated glue-up. Both times, I have had to revert to 'plan 2' because the Bessey clamps would not tighten up on the part. Rather, it seems to back away as more pressure is put on the grip.

I suspect that the problem is the remnant of glue spill on the bar of the clamp, but try as I might, I can't get it clean enough to work on three of the four clamps. Surely I am not the only one to experience this frustration!

Any thoughts or suggestions? How do you clean them? I of course try to keep the glue off in the first place, and clean them quickly, but they are after all, clamps used for glue-ups.

These things are bloody expensive and they are useless as clamps the way they are working right now (although they do add a sense of quality while they are hanging in my shop).

Thanks,
Warren

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Warren. If I had that problem with yellow glue I think I would try to soak the glue with a wet rag. Then yellow glue or not, I would place the clamp in a vise and use a wire wheel in my drill to brush the glue away.

I had a similar problem in one of the Bessey tradesman clamps and I just picked the glue away with my box opener knife until the clamp would work.

[Scott Coffelt]

Do they work in a non-complicated glue up or test glue up? If so then there is probably no glue on them. What might be happening is that pressure is initially being exherted in away as to relase the head instead of engaging it. I've had this happen a time or two when I was putting pressure on it wrong and things wouldn't engage. No other ideas here, could always call the company help line, whatever that is.

[Jim Becker]

If the are not tightening down, put your finger on the silver part that engages the bar while you start to tighten it. It may be caught in "slide-down-the-bar" mode...

[Steve Jenkins]

I've had problems with them tightening sometimes. just at the point they start to apply pressure the handscrew won't tighten anymore the whole clamp rotates. Some lube. on the threads of the screw solve that problem. If it is glue residue I second the wire wheel suggestion.

[Chris Padilla]

There is some product called "De Glue" (or something like that) that I dribble all over dried glue on my clamps and it comes off just fine.

Bessey's *can* be tricky to tighten if you cock the head the wrong way and tighten out all your 'slack' in the threads. You might think you are tightening but really you are just moving the head and "losing" threads to work with.

[Steve Clardy]

Hmmm. Well at least my Cabinet Masters don't have that problem. lol

[Bart Leetch]

Hmmm. Well at least my Cabinet Masters don't have that problem. lol
Right neither do my pipe clamps, but I would sure like to be able to afford some of those fancy smancy clamps but I wouldn't have anyplace to hang them.

[Warren White]

Well, thanks to your suggestions, I have the problem understood and solved. It wasn't glue on the bar, but as suggested was that the 'unlock the head and slide it down to the place where you want it' wasn't locking after I moved it. As suggested, a little finger pressure on the chrome piece engaged the locking mechanism.

I called the company, and they suggested that I might try some compressed air in the general vicinity of the head lock. Another suggestion (made here) was a bit of lubricant.

As always, you are very, very helpful. Now do my clamps not only look good, they work good! Life just doesn't get any better than that.

Thanks again.
Warren

[Jim Becker]

Right neither do my pipe clamps, but I would sure like to be able to afford some of those fancy smancy clamps but I wouldn't have anyplace to hang them.
Bart....a perfect excuse to build a nice rolling clamp rack to match your most-excellent shop furniture!!! :D

[Bart Leetch]

Bart....a perfect excuse to build a nice rolling clamp rack to match your most-excellent shop furniture!!! :D


I have this problem Jim called not to much room. :D I still need to move around & be able to make projects.

[Norman Hitt]

I have this problem Jim called not to much room. :D I still need to move around & be able to make projects.


Yeah, Bart, that roll around cla,p rack will fit. Just put it against the wall where the word clamps is, or roll it in front of the Bathroom door (til you need to go there). Always room for One more tool, Right??

[Frank Pellow]

Bart, I am impressed by the way you have fitted all this stuff in. Is most of it mobile?

I thought that I was having problems fitting things in, but my problems doing pale by comparison with yours.

[Bart Leetch]

Norman

What you don't see is the other door way out of the bathroom into the office that we use to go between all the time & the fact that the other clamps are behind the exterior door so if I put the mobile clamp rack there I wouldn't be able to get out of the shop. Also I have to open the exterior door & move the 12" band-saw to pull full sheets of plywood from behind the Panel-saw & put them through the panel-saw or Table-saw. :)

Frank

Yes everything accept the air compressor & tool cabinet is mobile. However I don't move the table-saw, jointer & bench hardly ever. I will move the table-saw & jointer on a cleaning day to vacuum. :)

[Byron Trantham]

Warren,
I love my Bessy's but they did get some getting used to. I don't have a problem now but that was not the case when I got my first few.

If you place a clamp on the bench with the handle up and put something in the jaws to clamp we can see how the clamping/sliding action works. If you lift up on the handle (notice the vertical silver bar moves away from the head)and try to tighten the item it won't This is the sliding or positioning position. When the handle is pressed down while trying to tighten, it moves the silver bar towards the head and works or tightens.

I had a problem with this action at first but now I don't think about it.

I have yellow glue all over mine and it has not been a problem. Once the silver bar is tipped towards the head and tightened, believe me a little hardened glue won't be a problem.

[Chris DeHut]

Hi Warren,

There is a set screw on the K-Body clamps that can come out of adjustment. This set screw is located where the beam comes up into the moveable jaw (look from the handle side). You may want to adjust that to see if the clamp performs better for you.

Also, this type of clamp requires the metal portion of the moveable jaw to "tilt" the right way for the teeth to engage on the beam. Take a few moments to play around with it while clamping up an object. During this, watch to see which way the metal portion tilts to engage, it can save you a lot of trouble in a tough spot.

Chris DeHut