Anyone compared jorgensen to bessey I-beams

[jack duren]

Just curious on these clamps....

[Steve Kohn]

I have been using exclusively Bessey clamps, and have about 60 of them in various sizes. I do not own, nor have used any Jorgensen's so take the following information as me repeating what others have told me.

I know two different woodworkers that had mixed clamps. The first guy wanted to get rid of his Jorgensen's. He said that the bar got small burrs on it every time he clamped with it. Then that burr would mark up his work the next time he used the clamp. The second guy hated his Bessey's. He said that he got tired of having to clean the glue off the bars so they would work.

The answer was simple. I brokered a deal where they simply traded clamps. Both got what they wanted and I was able to purchase a couple of Bessey clamps at a bargain.

[peter gagliardi]

Funny you ask. One of my contractors stopped in the shop to pick up some finished product. We got talking, and we got on the subject of clamps, and Jorgensen going out. He has a colleague who has a part time shop who has the Bessey's. They both give them high marks.

[jack duren]

I have been using exclusively Bessey clamps, and have about 60 of them in various sizes. I do not own, nor have used any Jorgensen's so take the following information as me repeating what others have told me.

I know two different woodworkers that had mixed clamps. The first guy wanted to get rid of his Jorgensen's. He said that the bar got small burrs on it every time he clamped with it. Then that burr would mark up his work the next time he used the clamp. The second guy hated his Bessey's. He said that he got tired of having to clean the glue off the bars so they would work.

The answer was simple. I brokered a deal where they simply traded clamps. Both got what they wanted and I was able to purchase a couple of Bessey clamps at a bargain.

Does this apply to the "I-Beam"?

[jack duren]

I know the value of the Jorgensen. But have never used the Bessey......
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[Larry Edgerton]

I have never seen them in person. I have a lot of Jorgys, and the only thing I see that may be different is the bar. As you know you have to block up the wood so you don't get black marks at the glue line, if the Besseys cure that it would be nice. Not the end of the world nice,, just nice.

I use mostly K bodies as I can run them with one hand and they are just better, until you are gluing up a 3" thick door with long tenons, and then the I-beams best be close at hand. Of course if I was a better woodworker I would not need stronger clamps.;)

[jack duren]

We make a lot of things up to 5 1/2 thick and is killing pipes....

[Jon Nuckles]

Can't compare the two, as I only have the Jorgy I-beams. I rarely use them because they are very heavy and do stain if they touch the glue line, and generally reach instead for my Jorgy cabinet master k-body clamps. If you need something powerful and durable, however, they fit the bill. They will outlast you.

[mreza Salav]

I don't have experience with Bessey I-beams but I've broken a few pipe clamps (they usually break at the head where the thread starts). The I-beams *should* be stronger on that point but I have also had a Bessey pipe clamp break the threads in the cast Iron (these always happened when the glue-up/piece was big/complicated and the glue started setting before I could tighten all clamps).

[jack duren]

That's the problem... I never hear anything on the Bessey I-beam's. With Jorgensen out of the picture it's getting confusing on actual Bessey I-beam reviews..

Does one pay the high price to get now used Vintage jorgy I-beam's or are the Bessey's as good?

[Larry Edgerton]

I have thought about getting some good pipe clamps and tig welding DOM CrMo tubing to them, but I wonder if the clutches would hold? Would be light, less prone to stain, and stronger than crap steel pipe. If you eliminated the threads by welding that stress riser at the end of the threads is gone, but the stuff is hard so not sure if it would work.

[peter gagliardi]

Reviews can be problematic- everyone's opinion of good is different. Find a reputable seller, order 1 or a pair, and assess yourself. If not up to snuff, a reputable seller will definitely take them back and credit you.
Time and again, I have found it best to skip most reviews and examine the goods with no tainted opinions that are probably based on a different use or need than your shop.

[Jim Andrew]

I have 18 jorgenson I beam clamps. A thought, why not just take a can of aluminum paint and run a stripe down the top of the I beam. It is the reaction of the glue with the steel that causes the stain, and maybe a little paint would prevent it? Oxalic acid will remove the stain.

[jack duren]

Reviews can be problematic- everyone's opinion of good is different. Find a reputable seller, order 1 or a pair, and assess yourself. If not up to snuff, a reputable seller will definitely take them back and credit you.
Time and again, I have found it best to skip most reviews and examine the goods with no tainted opinions that are probably based on a different use or need than your shop.

When I say "review" it generally means on a professional level. That's why i don't buy parallel clamps....

[peter gagliardi]

Well, not being snobby or insulting, but this forum is made up of a vast majority of home shop/hobby people. There are a very small handful of us that have to make a living off this as an occupation. Of course, some of the hobbiests have the time and energy to dig deeper into the nuances of this or that tool, rather than sticking to the "get er done" that most of us want in the trade.
I deal with a company called Select Machinery most of the time when I need Bessey stuff, and they have told me if it doesn't work, or I don't like the way it works, that they will take it back.

[Larry Edgerton]

When I say "review" it generally means on a professional level. That's why i don't buy parallel clamps....

Not sure I see how being a pro relates to parallel clamps? I use them because they are faster and I can stand them up when a panel is glued up. I Like that when a panel has two on it you can slide a third under sideways, something bar clamps will not allow. They are just not so damn clumsy. Less prone to damage without cauls, and I can make them work with one hand when needed. I like them, So in summary, I am a pro, and I lie Bessey K bodies. Oh, the shame!:p

But I am curious about the Bessy I beams I have been doing more doors lately and I like beam clamps on doors, could use some more.

[Jim Andrew]

I used to do work for a living, and now that I am retired, can afford all the toys I used to have to do without. Funny how that works out. Did building projects because I enjoyed working with wood, and still enjoy doing it. Just can't hardly handle a whole kitchen project, because it wears me out till I need 2 weeks to rest up afterwards.

[jack duren]

I bought a lot of parallel's at first, tried them and took them back. I kept 4 just for dovetails. I took them to work to try on radius tops to see if they were worth purchasing again. They worked but I could get the same results with a $13 Menards f-style clamp...This parallam is 48x96 and requires a lot of force to draw a good joint. I-beams would be perfect. The parallel clamp? Not so much.

[Joe Calhoon]

Does anyone have a link on where to buy the Bessey I Beams? I could not find any. I bought 4 of their Parallel clamps when they first came out but did not like them. We never use them, but recently had a chance to try the new model and they work a lot better. The best bar clamp I have used is Hargrave (sp) with the big wood cranks. They come up used occasionally.

[Larry Edgerton]

Like wine, they get better with age Joe. Did not like mine at first either but as they broke in and got less catchy, and I got used to how they work, now I would have a hard time getting along without. http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/bessey-ibeam-bar-clamp.aspx

[Frank Drew]

Learn something new every day -- I didn't know that Bessey made i-beam clamps, but I have owned and used Jorgensen's and they're good, fairly heavy duty workhorses. After many years of owning just about every different brand and style of clamp, I finally got some Bessey K-bodies and loved them for their accuracy and ease of use. But then, I was just making custom furniture for a living so my glue joints didn't need a million pounds of clamping pressure!

[jack duren]

I didn't know they existed either.. But fewer options these days and I need to find a replacement....

Looking around for good deals on Bosch 4x24 belt sanders too..

[peter gagliardi]

Joe, selectmachineryinc.com is who I get Bessey from when I need them.

[Mike Henderson]

I have some of the I-beam clamps - the steel ones. The major problem I have with them is that the glue up gets pretty heavy. The I-beam clamps are a lot heavier than the Bessey K body clamps.

Mike

[jack duren]

I have some of the I-beam clamps - the steel ones. The major problem I have with them is that the glue up gets pretty heavy. The I-beam clamps are a lot heavier than the Bessey K body clamps.

Mike

You have Bessey I-Beams?

The weight with clamps are not a problem. We have forklifts...
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[Joe Calhoon]

Joe, selectmachineryinc.com is who I get Bessey from when I need them.


Thanks, I bought my Lamello from them.
I might try a couple of the 60" I beams. We have 48" Jorgy I beams and pipe clamps for longer. Seems like we always need a bit more than 48" and not a fan of pipe clamps either.

[Dave Zellers]

Jack-what are all these parallam glue-ups for? I gotta know! Some of those babies are massive.

[Mike Henderson]

You have Bessey I-Beams?

No, all except one are Jorgensen I-beam, and the one other is Hargrave.

Mike

[Patrick Kane]

I wasnt even aware Bessey made an I beam, which caused me to panic when jorgy went under. I love the I beams from them. In the wake of their doors closing, i hounded used markets/auctions and grabbed another 20ish ibeams to go with my other 12-15 i beams. I cant say enough about the jorgy i beams. They arent a clamp for everyone, but they cannot be beat when it comes to table tops, countertops, doors, etc. Most of mine are 10-15 years old, and i expect them to last me the rest of my time as a woodworker(im 29). I have a wall of bessey revos that are great for light duty work, but the I beams are my first choice most of the time.

Honestly, with how many jorgenson i beams ive seen on the used market, just buy them used. I bought a dozen of mine new from acme 2ish years ago when they had a 50%+ sale, but the others are from professional shops. On average i paid $15 a clamp for 36"-84" i beams. That is cheaper than the besseys new. They are so durable/over engineered that I dont see how you break them or wear them out with normal daily use. Furthermore, they would be a great clamp to supplement a JLT or similar.

[Jim Becker]

There's a blurb about the new Bessey I-Beam type clamps in the latest issue of Woodshop News. They seem like nice clamps, patterned after the Pony I-Beam which is no longer available due to the company going under, with what Bessey says are a few improvements. I may try a few at some point for when I need something heavier.

[William Shelley]

Kind of a tangent, but does anyone use pneumatic or hydraulic clamping jigs for frequent edge-glue-up clamping? I like the idea of something that is wall-mounted and uses pneumatics. A 4" diameter pneumatic cylinder at 120PSI puts out 1500 pounds of force. One of these every 2 feet, with a rigid member to distribute force along the whole edge, could apply more force than putting a pipe clamp every 6 inches.

Go up to a 6" bore pneumatic cylinder and your force shoots up to 3300lbs. If you have cylinders that are rated for 250 PSI you could run the cylinders at that and get 7068lbs of force out of one 6" bore cylinder.

The reaction I expect to this post would be, "oh but that costs a lot of money to make", well, really, it doesn't. Pneumatic parts are dirt-cheap on ebay, and steel or lots of wood for a jig is not that expensive either. Pipe clamps end up at about $25/ea and many of the longer bar or i-beam clamps are $30-50/ea. So your huge rack of clamps that are used mostly for edge-gluing end up costing more.

[Joe Calhoon]

We have pneumatic and hydraulic frame and edge presses. They work very well but still find we need bar clamps for many things. I think the portability and versatile of bar clamps makes them a must have item in most shops.

[adam breuer]

I have a bunch of the Jorgensen/Pony I-beam clamps. I had a few for years, and when I heard about the company closing I quickly ordered a few more sizes while they were still in stock. I don't have the new I-beam Bessey's, but I have a lot of Bessey metalworking/welding clamps.

One thing that annoyed me about the Jorgensens is that the rail on my brand new sets got rusty with any water exposure. It just has a black oxide (?) coating that is not very rust resistant. The Bessey I-beams are nickel-plated like my Bessey welding clamps, which is a much more rust-resistant finish.

The clamp pressure ratings are the same between the two brands and greater than pretty much anything else on the market, including Bessey's welding clamps (this is also partly because of the very small throat needed on this type of clamp).

If the Besseys are made in Germany, then based on what I see I would expect them to be excellent.

[Eric Commarato]

About 20 years ago, I bit the bullet and bought about 20 Jorgensen I-Beam Clamps 36" Long. They were about $40 each back then, but I am glad I have them. I then bought the standard 5" Bessey clamps when they were made in Germany and I have about 40 of those. I'm not sure about the Bessey I-Beam whether they are still made on Germany or China. I love stuff made in the USA, England, Germany and Japan...

[Jerry Olexa]

Clamps end up a personal matter/choice...One man's meat is another man's poison....