New Bessey K Body Revo JR. clamps?

[ian maybury]

Pardon if this has been noted before, but there's advertising e-mails coming through now for a new lighter version of the Bessey K Body Revo - the K Body Revo Jnr clamp: americanwoodworker.com/blogs/reviews/archive/2011/06/07/bessey-174-new-k-body-174-revo-jr-junior.aspx

Trouble is the lack of hard/comparative information in the material is making it tough to understand where they fit in relative to the current K Body Revo - the advertising talks of less weight and lower cost with high clamping forces but doesn't overtly compare them.

Hopefully it's that they genuinely are filling a gap in their product line - and that they haven't been forced into a cost reduction at the price of quality type exercise. I'm a big fan of the solidity of their current product. It's a bit ominous that they seem to be more or less pitching it as a mainstream clamp in its own right without reference to the current Revo - they certainly don't seem to be creating any hostages to fortune. The switch back to a wooden handle may not be a bad thing - plastics (in general - hopefully not the existing Bessey handles) are often quite short lived in that sunlight can make them brittle.

A quick look on their North American site looks reasonably promising: the existing Revo is listed at 1,500lbs clamping force, the Revo 'KR' (is it supposed to be KR or Jr i wonder? - most material seems to have it as Jr) at 900lbs, and the UniKlamp at 330lbs. The question presumably is whether or not there are definite/well enough separated markets at each weight/price point for each of the three models to continue in its own right.

It begs the interesting (and related) question for those already with K Revos and UniKlamps as to whether (or not) it might be worth adding a third range of clamps to the collection - it's a lot easier to buy the odd extra example to top up a current set than it would be to start a new one. Equally (for those starting from scratch) which line of clamps is the best starting point.

Does anybody have any hands on or better information, or any view on how its likely to play out? It'd be a pity if the lighter clamp cannibalised the sales of the current K Body Revo to the point where the volume was reduced so that they were no longer commercially viable - or the price increased significantly...

ian

[Jim Foster]

I have some of the older ones and current ones, not the new ones you show. When I saw your post my first reaction was "lighter" and cheaper would be good. I was clamping up something last night and was thinking these things are heavy and bulky. I like them a lot though.

[glenn bradley]

I prefer the older K-bodies as they were of a reasonable weight and the Revo models are as heavy and bulky as the Cabinet Masters, Jets and so forth *** sigh ***. Rant-off, hears the poop:

Revo's = 1500 lbs of clamping pressure
Revo JR = 900 lbs of clamping pressure
UniKlamp = 330 lbs of clamping pressure

I have a number of older K-body and UniKlamps. These two ends of the spectrum meet 90% of my needs, YMMV. You have to find the UniKlamps on sale as Bessey is wayyy too proud of those puppies in the price department :D.

[Joe Mioux]

I wish they would bring back the original K body clamps.

[Dave Verstraete]

+1 on that
My old K Body Clamps are just fine with me.

[Mike Cogswell]

I wish they would bring back the original K body clamps.

Absolutely agree. I wish I had purchased more when I had the chance.

[ian maybury]

Hi guys. I bought Revos mail order from the US (a whole pallet load) after the original K bodies had faded from the market and just as the Jets were coming on strong. Where did they sit in the weight/size/cost continuum versus the current Bessey line? I'd presumed they were more or less the same as the Revos but with wooden handles, but it sounds not?

Ditto the Jet parallels, we don't get them locally over here (it's usually a case of sizing up this sort of better quality stuff from the mags and the web and buying mail order), but I'd presumed they were very similar to the Revos too. They came on very strong for a while in advertising terms, but seem to have faded???

ian

[Chris Fournier]

I have a couple dozen K bodies and have had them for many years. I have sometimes wanted a smaller bodied clamp but never a lighter duty clamp as I can always back off the pressure. Some glue ups can get heavy with all those K bodies but it is a small price to pay for their other favourable attributes! Used K's come up for sale pretty regularly and they don't go cheap but I'd go this route.

[Jim O'Dell]

I got the 12 K bodies I have about 3 years ago when Woodcraft was closing them out. They are the ones that were the older style clamp with the newer style handles. I haven't seen a sale on parallel clamps since, in Bessey or Jet, that rivals what I got these for. I'd love to have some of the Jets, but have you priced them lately? WOWSER! Used to have big sales once per year. Jim.

[Dick Mahany]

Man, how things change! I bought about 20 of the original Bessey K-clamps around 12 years ago in a number of lengths. Thought I'd gone to heaven as these were the best clamps I had ever used. Then I got a chance to get a promotional set of 4 Jet clamps about 6 years ago. Liked them even better ! but thought they were overpriced if bought separately.

Now these new guys show up............Call me old fashioned, but I'll stick with the "antique" Besseys as most of the newer stuff seems to be more marketing hype than actual improvement on an original design :rolleyes:

Yes, the old stuff seems heavy...............but it get's worse.........mine seem to get heavier every time I use them ( I refuse to get older so this may be purely a coincdence ;))


Bottom line, I think Bessey has great products and these are probably up to their reputation, but fortunately, I don't need to find out.

[Tom Blank]

I have a couple of sets of longer K-Body Revo clamps I use on cabinets. They were quite a handfull on small projects. I recently picked up a some of the 18" and 12" K-Body Revo Jrs and really like them. Just as the name implies, they are a down-sized version of the K-Body Revos and are very handy on small projects.

[Marc Burt]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but I'm not sure on the etiquette around here whether it's preferable to revive vs starting a new thread. In any event...

Can anybody tell me whether these are the same size as the original K bodies? I have a fair size collection of those but would like to pick up a few more. My problem is I loathe the gargantuan size of the new (I guess they're not very new anymore!) Revo's and the cabinetmasters and Jet. I troll Craigslist regularly for used original ones but they're getting harder to find.

So has anyone used these Jr style and can compare the size for me?

[Bill McNiel]

346671
Here is a photo of all 3 Bessey clamps. Far left is the Revo Jr, middle is the original (to me) with an after market handle softener and the Revo on the right. The Revo JR and the original are pretty close to the same size, the original is about 3/4" deeper and is wider as well.

Hope this helps - Bill

[George Bokros]

Bill, what did you put on the original handle to improve the grip?

Thanks

[Bill McNiel]

Bill, what did you put on the original handle to improve the grip?

Thanks

George,
They are from Rockler, fit the Bessey handles perfectly. not as nice as the new handles but better than the bare wood.

regards - Bill

[Marc Burt]

346671
Here is a photo of all 3 Bessey clamps. Far left is the Revo Jr, middle is the original (to me) with an after market handle softener and the Revo on the right. The Revo JR and the original are pretty close to the same size, the original is about 3/4" deeper and is wider as well.

Hope this helps - Bill

Bill,

Thank-you this is exactly what I was looking for! From that picture it looks like these clamps would fit my interests as well. I don't know how I'm just now hearing of them. I guess cancelling my magazine subscriptions does cause one to miss out.

[Peter Kelly]

346671
Here is a photo of all 3 Bessey clamps. Far left is the Revo Jr, middle is the original (to me) with an after market handle softener and the Revo on the right. The Revo JR and the original are pretty close to the same size, the original is about 3/4" deeper and is wider as well.

Hope this helps - BillBill, thanks for posting this. Any huge differences operationally or quality-wise between the original K-Bodies and the Revo Jr”s? I’m putting together a second shop at my house upstate and will be building a dozen or so interior and exterior doors, kitchen cabinets, furniture, etc and will need several clamps. Just wondering if the Jr’s are substantial enough as I’ve never seen any in-person.

[Jim Becker]

Based on the specs at the Bessy site, these Revo Jr clamps seem to be taking the middle ground between the heavier K-bodies and the UniClamp lightweight clamps with 1500, 900 and 300 lbs of clamping force respectively. They also appear to be of the "parallel" design which the light UniClamps are only marginally due to their simplicity. I suspect that many woodworkers would be quite well served by the Jr version for general clamping and if there is a cost differential (presumed), that makes acquisition easier. I know I'm often pulling out the few UniClamps I have for utility clamping and sometimes wish I had more of the lighter clamps.

So from my point of view...if I found I needed more clamps that are a) parallel clamping design and b) not expected to exert the highest level of clamping pressure for general purpose clamping, I'd absolutely consider the Jrs for that role.

[Bill McNiel]

346716

Additional photo and info;
-Jr head width is 1 1/2", Original is 1 3/8", Revo is 2".
-Jr bar is 1" wide, Orig & Revo are 1 1/8" and significantly more robust.
-Jr has the replaceable jaw covers like the Revo but thinner.
-Jr is lighter and easier to use/control.

Jim B's analysis is spot on in my estimation/experience. I have the Jrs in 12", 18" and 24" and use them for incidental bench clamping, drawers, cabinet doors, face frames, etc. I would NOT use them for house doors, table tops or anything requiring significant reefing.

Regards - Bill

[Peter Kelly]

Great, thanks again.

[Bill McNiel]

FWIW - I just received the Rockler "Holiday Sale" (11/25-12/10) flier in the mail. They are offering a Revo JR set of 2-18" & 2-24" for $99.96 which equates to approx 25% off. I believe this is an in store only deal.

[Bob Jones 5443]

I stumbled upon this 7-year-old thread with a four-year gap because Rockler is about to put a six-clamp Revo Jr. set on sale for an average of $30 per clamp, and I'm wondering if I should jump. Like Bill McNiel I have ten of the original K body and four of the Revo KRE clamps, but unlike him I don't have the Jr style on hand.

One difference between original and Revo KRE that I like is that the Revo clamps stay where they are lifted up to, while the originals slip down with a sometimes painful bang. I've learned to anticipate this and I can avoid accidents, but I do like to convenience of no slipping with the Revo KREs.

Bessey's catalog says this about the Revo KRE: "Operating jaw stays where you put it for easy set up," but it doesn't say anything about this for the Jr.

So, do the Jr. clamps hold their place or slide back down if you let go? From Bill's October 30 photo I can't tell if the Jrs have guide rods around the bar.

[Christopher Giles]

I have several sets of the old style K-body clamps, and the new revo jr's, and when clamping up I always reach for the jr's first. Amazingly light weight and strong. I'll be buying more when they come on sale.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have a dozen of the jr's in 18" length. They work well for me. No regrets.

[Matthew Hills]

I like the dubuque aluminum bar clamps for pulling furniture joints together.
They are much lighter than the besseys, which get awkward to use later in a project (and I've managed to ding my work before when one slipped)
I still tend to use the besseys when doing panels/tabletops.

Believe the dubuques are up to 1000lbs of force. The clamp faces are smaller than on the bessey kbodies.

Matt

[Frederick Skelly]

I like the dubuque aluminum bar clamps for pulling furniture joints together.
They are much lighter than the besseys, which get awkward to use later in a project (and I've managed to ding my work before when one slipped)
I still tend to use the besseys when doing panels/tabletops.

Believe the dubuques are up to 1000lbs of force. The clamp faces are smaller than on the bessey kbodies.

Matt

Yup. Love my Dubuques too - my absolute favorites. I use different clamps for different purposes, including pipe clamps.

[Bob Jones 5443]

I have a dozen of the jr's in 18" length. They work well for me. No regrets.

Well, still no one has enlightened me on the slide-down question, but on the strength of your recommendation, Frederick, I sprang for the Rockler sale set: 2 each of 18”, 24”, and 36” Revo Jrs. for $180 plus tax. I’ll pop back in when I see for myself. I’m expecting the Jrs. to slide down like the originals.

[Jerry Olexa]

ROCKLER has a Sale on now...Think it 6 Bessey clamps for under $200...FYI

[Bryan Sevier]

I like to make boxes, so I ordered 6 of the Jr's two years ago from Rockler (some 12", some 18"). Every one of them failed to be parallel. They all were about 2 degrees toed in on the stationary end. I contacted Bessy directly and they stated that 2 degrees falls within their specs. I have found it very difficult to get around this flaw when making the boxes.

436294

[Bob Jones 5443]

I like to make boxes, so I ordered 6 of the Jr's two years ago from Rockler (some 12", some 18"). Every one of them failed to be parallel. They all were about 2 degrees toed in on the stationary end. I contacted Bessy directly and they stated that 2 degrees falls within their specs. I have found it very difficult to get around this flaw when making the boxes.

436294

Bryan, thanks for this observation. My new Jrs are also out of square at the receiving end like yours, but I notice they close up upon tightening. I'd rather have them "out leaning in" than "out leaning out," if that makes sense.

This made me curious about my other Besseys. The originals (without the removable pads) are dead square, but the Revo KREs are actually off as well. One of them is off in the other direction! But it also seems to close up upon tightening.

I'll need to do some additional testing with glue-ups to see if they close up square.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Well, still no one has enlightened me on the slide-down question, but on the strength of your recommendation, Frederick, I sprang for the Rockler sale set: 2 each of 18”, 24”, and 36” Revo Jrs. for $180 plus tax. I’ll pop back in when I see for myself. I’m expecting the Jrs. to slide down like the originals.

I have received my six REVO Jr. clamps, so I'll answer the question I raised: the moving jaw does indeed slide down if you let go of the raised handle, and this can lead to a painful finger jam if you're not anticipating it. This is similar to the originals but different from the REVO KRE clamps, which stay where you place them until you're ready to move them.

Also, some comparison specs if anyone is interested. The original and REVO KRE have a 3.75" throat; the REVO Jr. has a 3.25" throat. Not much practical difference. But the real difference is the bar, which accounts for the weight difference and the clamping force. Here are the bar sizes:




original K body
REVO KRE
REVO Jr.
Jr./KRE









bar thickness, in
0.355
0.355
0.235
66%


bar width, in
1.143
1.143
0.982
86%


bar "area", sq in
0.406
0.406
0.231
57%




The bar dimension that matters most for strength is the width, and the Jrs are only 14% smaller. The mechanical engineers in the group can tell us what that means for stiffness.

One other thing I noticed is that the 24" Jr. is more like 23", and the other sizes are similarly shorter than nominal. Oh well.

So far I like the Jrs. The classic wood handle is fine, and I don't know why I'd need 1700 pounds of clamping force for a carefully made joint. I still think the REVO KRE is a pinnacle of tool design, but for a lower price point the Jr. line makes a lot of sense.