My version of Jim Becker's clamp rack

[Frank Pellow]

A while ago Jim Becker created a thread showing the rack for his Bessey K-body (etc) clamps. That thread is at: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=14152

I bookmarked the thread, awaiting the day when I would have need of such a rack. Well, thanks to Lee Valley's great sale, yesterday I tripled the number of Bessey K-body clamps in my shop. So, today I built a rack.

The rack is similar to Jim's. Some differences are:

• I angled the top at a 2 degree angle up from the wall as per the following comment from Steve Clardy: "I rip the top edge at about a 5 degree angle. This lets the top board with the cutouts sit an a slight angle upwards away from the wall."

• I made the indents longer

• I hung the clamps the opposite direction
The following photo's are attached:

(1) The top under construction. The photo shows one of the many uses that I have found for the Veritas Hold-Downs that Margaret (my wife) gave me for Christmas.

(2) The clamp rack in use. This is a great use of the wall over the space heater (which can't be used for much).

(3) My expanded Bessey K-body clamp collection (I guess that this is a mini-gloat :) )

My thanks to both Jim Becker and Steve Clardy.

[Lou Morrissette]

Very nice, very practical, Frank. Must be the season. I made one yesterday. I attached mine to the floor joists above in my basement shop. Works ok, I just get interrupted every 16" on center.:D

Lou

[Roy Wall]

Frank,

Thanks for the look......I'll probably get 2 more pairs of the 24" & 40" sets from LV too......along with a bunch of other stuff:D

I really do have an honest question....
If the clamps were not mounted up high & were within hands reach of tightening.....; could you just "clamp" the Besseys to a horizontal board without the slots - or its bad on the clamps for constant storage?

[John Miliunas]

I really do have an honest question....
If the clamps were not mounted up high & were within hands reach of tightening.....; could you just "clamp" the Besseys to a horizontal board without the slots - or its bad on the clamps for constant storage?
Roy, I strongly believe that would be fine for the clamps, but a PITA for you! If you think about it, in order to clamp them on the board without fear of them letting go, you're going to need to put a little torque on them. That's fine if you have the room to get your mitt around the handle, but if you want the clamps close to each other, they'll get in each others way. Just MHO. Frank's rack is the way to go! I think most guys putting them on a wall, pretty much go with that general design.:)

BTW Frank, nice job on the rack!:) :cool:

[mike lucas]

Frank,

I really do have an honest question....
If the clamps were not mounted up high & were within hands reach of tightening.....; could you just "clamp" the Besseys to a horizontal board without the slots - or its bad on the clamps for constant storage? That is the way I have been storing my clamps forever! I just give them a little turn while holding the adjustable jaw up tight, and they are suscure until I release them.:)

As nice as some (Frank`s included!) of the clamp racks are. I think the One Frank just built is just about one bump away from a clamp droping to the floor, or worse yet, on his foot! Those narrow holding arms will snap off real easily being short grained likethat.

This is just my observation! Nothing more. After all, I should get credit for saying it looks good.

[Roy Wall]

Roy, I strongly believe that would be fine for the clamps, but a PITA for you! If you think about it, in order to clamp them on the board without fear of them letting go, you're going to need to put a little torque on them. That's fine if you have the room to get your mitt around the handle, but if you want the clamps close to each other, they'll get in each others way. Just MHO. Frank's rack is the way to go! I think most guys putting them on a wall, pretty much go with that general design.:)

BTW Frank, nice job on the rack!:) :cool:
John.......

As a right hander........ I just put the clamps in "group" on a horizontal board--leaving room (a foot) on the "right side" of each group of clamps so that I can obtain them from R to Left as needed.....

It does "waste space" along the board.......so I can see the reasoning.

I'm learning:) ---there's always several ways to do everything;)

Roy

[Frank Pellow]

Frank,
..
I really do have an honest question....
If the clamps were not mounted up high & were within hands reach of tightening.....; could you just "clamp" the Besseys to a horizontal board without the slots - or its bad on the clamps for constant storage?
Yes you could (and I did) - but that takes extra time both to retrieve the clamp and to store it again.

[Frank Pellow]

...
As nice as some (Frank`s included!) of the clamp racks are. I think the One Frank just built is just about one bump away from a clamp droping to the floor, or worse yet, on his foot! Those narrow holding arms will snap off real easily being short grained like that.
...

Mike you could be right about the arms snapping off and I might remake the rack out of plywood in the future to reduce that possibility.

I did think about the possibility of an arm breaking and that is the reason that I tilted the top and hung the clamps in reverese to the way that Jim's clamps are hung. I believe that there is enough of the clamp on the back portion of the top that it will stay in place even if an arm or two breaks.

[Pete Harbin]

I use the Roy method. I'm right handed so I leave a little space to the right to tighten and loosen. Although, I have to admit I'm considering either a rack like Frank has just build, or a rolling clamp cart.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Looks great Frank...I like the idea of storing them open...mine are closed while stored right now since I just drop them over a 2x2.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Frank,
I'm shortly following the same path as you: My garage/shop is under construction, and the outfitting of the shop is not far behind.

So, anyone else notice the abundance of Lee Valley product in Frank's photo? :D ....Not that there's ANYTHING wrong with that!

Maurice

[Jim Becker]

Nice job, Frank. BTW, it wasn't in the original thread, but mine are canted a couple of degrees from the wall, too. Now, turning them around means you can't use the open jaws as narrow shelves... :D


If the clamps were not mounted up high & were within hands reach of tightening.....; could you just "clamp" the Besseys to a horizontal board without the slots - or its bad on the clamps for constant storage?
It's no problem for the clamps, but IMHO, a pain in the butt when you need to reach for a clamp with one hand...or grab more than one at the same time. I have found that it's far easier and more functional to store them fully open so you grab it, bring it to the workpiece and adjust it to size by closing in one easy motion. But that's me...your needs may be different. I do store the few Quick Clamps that I have in the manner you suggest as they are a pain to store anyway else due to their dimensions front and back.

[Steve Clardy]

Nice job Frank. I gotta spend some time and make another rack for my jorgenson's that are sitting on the floor.
I've never had a problem with the tabs breaking off. Some of mine brackets are pine, some are plywood.
What's the hole in the bench for? Curious

[Steve Jenkins]

mine just hang fully open from a flat board. i've never had any problem with them falling off and I can grab 3-4 at a time with each hand and just lift them off. Steve

[Glenn Clabo]

mine just hang fully open from a flat board. i've never had any problem with them falling off and I can grab 3-4 at a time with each hand and just lift them off. SteveI think mine are something like yours Steve. Here's what my wall looks like. It started out as an attempt at organizing and making room for growth so I could make something better later. It's been like this for a couple of months. I did make a cross stick that pivots between a few of them (left group rotated over...right group rotated out of the way) so it would feel more secure...but I hardly ever use them. The wooden clamps even stay put. Couldn't be much simplier...and more user friendly...IMHO.

[Andy London]

Looks good Frank, this is what my wall looked like in December of 2003, I need to take an updated shot as the wall is full,,,Then Lee Valley puts a smokin deal on Bessey Clamps and I buy another 16...will be building holders this weekend and taking some shots.

http://www.picframer.ca/clamps.jpg

[Frank Pellow]

...
What's the hole in the bench for? Curious
The hole is for small jobs (such as cutting indents into the clamp rack top) where I want to cut something (usually with a jig saw but sometimes with a hand saw ) and want that something to be well supported on both sides of the cut. I built the bench (aboout 10 years ago) with the hole approximately in the middle.

[Frank Pellow]

Looks good Frank, this is what my wall looked like in December of 2003, I need to take an updated shot as the wall is full,,,Then Lee Valley puts a smokin deal on Bessey Clamps and I buy another 16...will be building holders this weekend and taking some shots.

I can return the "Looks good" Andy.

A 16 clamp purchase -WOW! I thought that I was being extravagent with my purchase of 8.

[Ellen Benkin]

Gosh, those hangers look terrific. I just hang mine over the 1.5 edge of a 2x4 using the handles. I always thought that was one of the great parts of the design of the Besseys -- that they could be hung easily. I do have to take them out and open them up to use them, but then again I always practice dry clamping before the real thing anyway.

Now, hanging pipe and bar clamps are another issue. I did make slotted hangers for those, but also used 2x4s to do it.

[Andy London]

I can return the "Looks good" Andy.

A 16 clamp purchase -WOW! I thought that I was being extravagent with my purchase of 8.

Stealth gloat, I can't believe the dollar value of Lee Valley gift certificates I received for Christmas from staff and clients. When I was in the store today they were saying they thought I already had one of everything :D But I have no problems spending it, I see they have the Soberg benches now also....there is one, not in their catalogue but I know they can get it, that I would love to have but I believe it's around two grand US.

[Arnie Grammon]

My eyes started blurring after I saw about the 840th Bessey on this thread.......wow, you guys go for the good stuff right off! One of these days... ;).

Oh......nice rack, Frank :D . (Hey, that's something I said quite a bit back in my hunting days!)

Arnie