Clamp advice (everybody loves to talk about clamps...) :)

[Carl Beckett]

My friends and family are advanced planners, so now is the time to plant the seed for simple holiday gifts I might enjoy. One item I always add on is clamps. Some of what I have already include:

I have some of these and like them (lightweight but most times things fit well enough they dont need over clamping): https://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-3536-36-Inch-Aluminum-Clamp/dp/B0000224CM#customerReviews

I have two smaller ones of these and like them due to the clamping force, may add a couple more of these to the list: https://www.irwin.com/tools/clamps/quick-grip-heavy-duty-one-handed-bar-clamps

I have a bunch of these in various lengths. They are powerful, but heavy and steel rails I do have to take care with rust marring the wood. https://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-7248-48-Inch-Heavy-Duty-Steel/dp/B0000224CI

I have 4 of these I bought on sale, and thought I would like 'parallel jaws'. However, these particular clamps are not smooth. Sometimes they tighten down without actually compressing the jaws (?). Always a pain to operate so although they seem like nice clamps I dont use them. https://www.amazon.com/Tools-Record-Parallel-48-inch-2026501/dp/B001DSZW1A

And a bunch of smaller clamps and spring clamps, etc.

So the question is, any thoughts on additional clamps as a 'must have'? What are your favorites and most used? (furniture building)

I might try the parallel clamps again, but in a different brand. Jet or Bessey? They seemed like something I wanted but they didnt work well enough to make it a good purchase. Should I try again with a different brand?

[Matt Day]

Personally I like to use Jet parallel clamps, f clamps like old Jorgies or the ones Lee Valley sells, and basically the same 3536 aluminum bar clamps Lee Valley sold at one point. Believe it or not I really like 6” f clamps from Harbor Freight and prefer them over other makers. For $2.99 they can’t be beat, get a dozen! The longer they get the more bent the beam is and likely don’t clamp straight.

[Van Huskey]

The majority of my clamp money is tied up in parallel clamps. They aren't the best option for everything and they are heavy and thus awkward to use one-handed but I tend to use them whenever I can. I have Jet, Bessey and Jorgensen and prefer the Jet version but in reality, I buy whatever I find the best sale on. I usually pick up 4 or 8 every Christmas season and last year the Besseys were the best deal I found. For several years the best deal was always Jet but they haven't had the great shopping season sale since I think 2015.

Usually, I use quick clamps (I like the value in the Highland Woodworking version) for the initial alignment for a glue up then go back and replace them with heavier clamps, usually parallel clamps.

[Van Huskey]

Believe it or not I really like 6” f clamps from Harbor Freight and prefer them over other makers.

I keep a lot of 6" and 12" F clamps as I tend to use a lot for bent laminations. I think it was 2 cyber Mondays ago I got 48 6" ones from Peachtree for ~$100 shipped. While they absolutely do the job I actually prefer the HF handle, the Peachtree ones have the red wooden handle like the old light duty Besseys. I would buy more of the Peachtree ones at $2 each shipped but the HF 6" F clamps are an excellent buy.

[Al Launier]

Personally I like to use Jet parallel clamps, f clamps like old Jorgies or the ones Lee Valley sells, and basically the same 3536 aluminum bar clamps Lee Valley sold at one point. Believe it or not I really like 6” f clamps from Harbor Freight and prefer them over other makers. For $2.99 they can’t be beat, get a dozen! The longer they get the more bent the beam is and likely don’t clamp straight.

I agree with Matt's comments. However, bending of the longer bar clamps can be eliminated, or significantly reduced, by rip sawing a suitably sized strip of wood & inserting it inside the channel.

[Frederick Skelly]

I like the JET parallels.

Last year I bought a set of these Dubuques (LINK (http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/uniclamps.htm)). Lotsa people make bar clamps, but these were really a good add to my shop.

[Bill Carey]

The HF clamps both 6" and 12" are a steal IMHO. The handles are great. And I have about 20 3/4" Bessy H pipe clamps. The thing I like about them is they stay mounted most of the time on 4' pipes, but with my collection of couplings and 2' pipe sections I could make a clamp any length I need. Jorgenson's are nice for odd shapes. I have several parallel clamps but find them clumsy to use, so they stay on the wall most of the time.

[Jim Morgan]

I like the JET parallels.

Last year I bought a set of these Dubuques (LINK (http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/uniclamps.htm)). Lotsa people make bar clamps, but these were really a good add to my shop.

Scroll down to the bottom of the linked page. The Dubuque wedge-action face frame and right angle clamps can be useful in situations where other clamps won't quite work.

[glenn bradley]

You were right; everyone likes to talk clamps. Everyone will have a different favorite based on what they do and how they do it. Your needs may or may not align with others. The beauty of that is that the info is valuable either way. If others use models don't match your own they may make you think of different ways to do things. If they match, they will add credence to your own methods.

Parallel clamps are my go to as well.

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For lighter work I have a batch of Bessey UniKlamps.

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These along with small Bessey bar clamps are probably my most used clamps.

[Jim Becker]

Parallel clamps for me, too, augmented with a few other types and I have some traditional pipe clamps available for overflow or special long lengths. (I actually have two 11' pipe clamps that were gifted to me by a friend when he shut his shop and moved to Florida)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/174881402634923/permalink/1601652566624459/?sale_post_id=1601652566624459https://www.facebook.com/groups/174881402634923/permalink/1601652566624459/?sale_post_id=1601652566624459https://mejo5q.bn.files.1drv.com/y4mUHXhHxUfaAJIRyg8sJKwm54T-jSsHxcCgr-YijkEf5VcPEmaN-MMkpqDzktD0CaFycknSg3r8WmcUBjv9EDH-V15V3taPovdI76npzWeEEtc-xhBHGMETq4NUgsuHj8jfSWbQPPj6kkqKUScbdv0mGL5HwQX7aV YOfvtTOEy2LH_sVgm0v7oqNTcYI_DQ1f9ZzWEvQP7f6VBQv3yw KFXkQ?width=660&height=660&cropmode=none

[ChrisA Edwards]

Wow, I've got a box of those rags...:)

[Cary Falk]

I agree those Irwin clamps are the worst. I bought them on closeout from Homedepot and sold them a couple of years ago. Love my Jet parallel clamps. I also have both old and new Bessey parallel, Irwin quick clamps, Bessey Uniklamps, Bessey Duo clamps, Spring clamps, and old pipe clamps(I never use anymore).

[Jim Becker]

Wow, I've got a box of those rags...:)
They are harder to come by these days...HD stopped selling them around here...and I like them for certain finishing things.

[Mike Kees]

My favorite clamps are hand screw clamps,yeah the old shop class wooden jaw things. I have about 20 pipe clamps and want 20 more. I also have about 10 jorgensen parallel clamps,20 or so c-clamps,20-30 f-clamps and about 30 small 4'' f clamps. I like the parallels sometimes and hate them others,personally I am not convinced that they really work much better than pipe clamps. I will probably buy quick grips and more small clamps.Mike.

[Van Huskey]

I like the parallels sometimes and hate them others,personally I am not convinced that they really work much better than pipe clamps.

While I think there are several performances differences between pipe clamps and parallel clamps the two biggest for me are the fact parallel clamp jaws stay parallel and they have a much larger contact surface. I got rid of most of my pipe clamps many years ago and only kept a few for really long spans. Now I have some 72" parallel clamps and with the clamp extenders I can clamp up to just shy of 12' so I gave away the last of my pipe clamps. I have at least a couple of most every normally used wood clamp type and find a use for them at least occasionally but the pipe clamp is just one I never bonded with in any way. Pipe clamps are one of those things in life I just don't like and I am flummoxed by other people's affection to them, it is just like Brussels sprouts.

[Phil Mueller]

Parallel clamps for most glue ups. In addition to what’s been mentioned above, I do have a number of Dewalt 12” X large trigger clamps that are my go to clamps for smaller needs and clampling fixtures to the bench (moxon vise, bird mouth, planning stops, etc).

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[Tom Bain]

If you don’t already have them, a few deep throated F-style clamps come in very handy. I have several 8” and 12” throated Bessey F-style clamps and I wouldn’t be without them.

[johnny means]

My favorite and most versatile are my Bessey Tradesmans. Grizzly sells a 30 clamp set of which I bought 2. It's by no means a complete collection but handles 90 percent of my clamping needs. They're plenty strong without being unwieldy. https://www.amazon.com/Bessey-BTB30-Tradesman-30-Piece-Assortment/dp/B0002HC67G
Please note, these are not the red handled junk they sell at the borgs.

[Mike Kees]

To each his own Van.. I must say I do like pipe clamps more than brussel sprouts. I find pipe clamps lighter and easier to use,but I use more of them as compared to the parallel clamps. Para's are heavy ,awkward and expensive. I have a bunch of pipe clamps at 2' long and find these get used alot. The parallels are nice for the bigger contact area on the clamp face,but slower. I am still getting used to them after about 6 years. I am sure that I will never have a shop completely free of pipe clamps though. Mike.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5IKY9I/?coliid=I2BNJOP6T0GBQG
My friends and family are advanced planners, so now is the time to plant the seed for simple holiday gifts I might enjoy. One item I always add on is clamps. Some of what I have already include:

I have some of these and like them (lightweight but most times things fit well enough they dont need over clamping): https://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-3536-36-Inch-Aluminum-Clamp/dp/B0000224CM#customerReviews

I have two smaller ones of these and like them due to the clamping force, may add a couple more of these to the list: https://www.irwin.com/tools/clamps/quick-grip-heavy-duty-one-handed-bar-clamps

I have a bunch of these in various lengths. They are powerful, but heavy and steel rails I do have to take care with rust marring the wood. https://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-7248-48-Inch-Heavy-Duty-Steel/dp/B0000224CI

I have 4 of these I bought on sale, and thought I would like 'parallel jaws'. However, these particular clamps are not smooth. Sometimes they tighten down without actually compressing the jaws (?). Always a pain to operate so although they seem like nice clamps I dont use them.

And a bunch of smaller clamps and spring clamps, etc.

So the question is, any thoughts on additional clamps as a 'must have'? What are your favorites and most used? (furniture building)

I might try the parallel clamps again, but in a different brand. Jet or Bessey? They seemed like something I wanted but they didnt work well enough to make it a good purchase. Should I try again with a different brand?

What do you think about spring clamps (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5IY35O/?coliid=I3LXBVTBYDSQ1X)? I found them very interesting and really I am considering to get a few sometime in the future... looks different and very useful for light jobs like picture frames. It is not mandatory but it looks their special application pliers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5IKY9I/?coliid=I2BNJOP6T0GBQG can help to use them.

All the best.

[Al Launier]

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I currently have over a hundred clamps of all types. I didn't realize they procreate, or have a way of finding one's home. It's an incurable virus & I've run out of storage capacity. Guess I'll have to move to get a larger shop. Yeh, right.

[Peter Christensen]

I have most of what has been discussed so far but unless I missed it, nobody has mentioned wooden handscrews. I like them for some clamping work because they can hold non parallel work and are good for securing small parts when you want to put them in a drill press.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=69825&cat=1,43838,47843

[Patrick Kane]

Have two dozen Bessey k body revos for general purpose work and then 2-3 dozen jorgensen 7200 series clamps for larger glue ups. I do a lot of table tops, islands, counters, etc and that is where the joregenson's really shine. Glue squeeze out is no problem on the bars where as it does muck up the fine teeth of the besseys. I dont have any F style clamps, but i do want to buy a dozen of the deep jaw variety previous posters mentioned. The clamp extenders for the bessey parallel clamps can be a real money saver too. A 100-120" long clamp is a little unwieldy, but very handy to have at times.

The quick clamps kinda suck for glueups, but i have a few small to medium sized ones for workholding where you are holding something in position and only have one free hand to clamp.

[Albert Lee]

My most used clamp: Urko F clamp. check out the Bessey (300mm) in comparison.

395301395302


some of my Lamello band clamp
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and my favorite of all: Front line panel clamps, I have 8 of these.
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[phil harold]

If you don’t already have them, a few deep throated F-style clamps come in very handy. I have several 8” and 12” throated Bessey F-style clamps and I wouldn’t be without them.
I agree with Tom
But I disagree with jet parallel clamps

Jets do not move as nicely as my bessy and gross

[Tim M Tuttle]

When I first got into wwing I went to Harbor Freight and bought an assortment of clamps...f style, bar, quick, etc. just to get started. I quickly learned I loathe all Harbor Freight clamps. Even the short F style. I'd much rather spend $1 more and get Besseys. Their quick clamps are pure junk. I could get more pressure using rubber bands.

As I've grown in the hobby I've accumulated quite a few 24 and 50" Bessey parallel clamps and f style clamps. For longer stuff I've started to build a pipe clamp collection.

Whenever I am in the market for some new clamps I always start with Bessey. They are good quality but dont break the bank (well, they do, just not as bad as some).

[Nick Decker]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5IKY9I/?coliid=I2BNJOP6T0GBQG

What do you think about spring clamps (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5IY35O/?coliid=I3LXBVTBYDSQ1X)? I found them very interesting and really I am considering to get a few sometime in the future... looks different and very useful for light jobs like picture frames. It is not mandatory but it looks their special application pliers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5IKY9I/?coliid=I2BNJOP6T0GBQG can help to use them.

All the best.

I have one of those and it works well for what it is. Light duty like a picture frame, it'll work well as long as your miters are cut accurately. The one project I used it on was oak, and I was surprised at how slight the mark on the wood was, almost non-existent. Soft wood, probably a different story.

[glenn bradley]

I agree with Tom
But I disagree with jet parallel clamps

Jets do not move as nicely as my bessy and gross

This has got to be one of those things that people are just divided on. My Jets were cheap on sale but, I find them bothersome to adjust. My K bodies are a breeze.

[Van Huskey]

This has got to be one of those things that people are just divided on. My Jets were cheap on sale but, I find them bothersome to adjust. My K bodies are a breeze.

It really is odd, isn't it? While I don't find it unusual at all there are two main camps in parallel clamps what is unusual is how both camps see the same trait in the complete opposite way. Almost every time it is discussed the movement of the clamping head seems to be the deciding factor. It is a shame that we all don't live in the same city since I imagine there are many of us with both brands and we could all swap around until we were content.

Jet also made a fairly heavy F clamp with the trigger release which I somehow missed until they were being closed out and I bought as many as I could find.

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[phil harold]

Jet also made a fairly heavy F clamp with the trigger release which I somehow missed until they were being closed out and I bought as many as I could find.


I found these at homedepot
Love them bought 4 of them but now discontinued

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Jorgensen-12-in-Ratcheting-Gear-Clamp-38012-4PK/205820573

[Mike King]

So, I've been frequenting Anderson Ranch in the summer/fall over the past 2 years, and the experience has been both stimulating and acquisitive. I'm in lust of the deep 10, 12, 14, and deeper f clamps that they have. It's almost impossible to find such deep clamps -- it seems that the industrial world has regelated these specimens to the dust heap of advancement. Also, the bar clamps -- Jorgeson 2 inch i-beam bar clamps. These beauties would turn the head of any serious woodworker.

All of this brings up the question of why some currently solvent clamp manufacturer isn't making this stuff? It isn't rocket science...

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Mike, I suspect that a big part of the answer to your question is "the market" for adding "new" products. There are a lot less folks doing "manual manufacturing" these days, so the actual demand for things like the deep clamps you describe is likely small. Even if a company can acquire the tooling from a defunct producer, there's still substantial start-up cost to get things on the market. And specialty items like that are not going to be featured in the home center tool section, so "where to sell" also comes into play, albeit online is a very valid place for that at this point.

That said, I absolutely agree with you about the usefulness of those really deep clamps and if I saw some come available somewhere, I'd try and grab them in a split second, even if heavily used and in need of some tender, loving care...

[phil harold]

Those deep reach clamps are available
The question is are they worth $100 plus

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000GK8PL0/ref=mw_dp_olp?ie=UTF8&condition=new

[Mike King]

Yea, there are those, but the size of the screw is small compared to the old clamps. A larger diameter screw generates far more force...

[Carl Beckett]

Thanks for all the ideas, great comments!

Maybe I should give parallel clamps another try with a different brand.

And several styles I hadnt seen before, worth trying out some of those.

And some realistic expectations on price (dang expensive, and limited sales) reinforces the idea they could make good gift material.

And a reinforcement to the idea that, yes, for sure, clearly I need more clamps...

:)

[Peter Christensen]

At one time there were accessory jaws to fit pipe clamps to extend the jaws to 7 1/2" deep. They were called Mastodon Jaws and were made of aluminium. I bought 4 sets and every once in a while they prove to be very useful. If you come across any grab them. Mastodon went out of business so the only ones you'll find are used.

[Roger Floyd]

It’s amazing how one can learn from this community on even the simplest subject. I wish I had known about the Harbor Freight F clamps before I bought a whole bunch of the short light weight Bessey F clamps when they were on sale at Home Depot. I was expecting decent quality from Bessey but at least half of them can’t clamp anything at all as the clutches slip under the lightest of pressure. It looks like the serrated edge of the bar is too smooth even though I have old Jorgensen F clamps that have smooth bars and hold well.
I’ll add my two cents on the parallel clamp subject. I have both Jets and Bessey K bodies. While I prefer the trigger on the Jets they do have a lot of small machine screws that hold them together and over the years a few of them have fallen out and been lost. Does Jet sell a rebuild kit?

[Carl Beckett]

Flyer in the mail today informed me these Bora clamps are on sale at Woodcraft:

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/bora-4pc-parallel-clamp-set-24in-and-31in-bora

[Van Huskey]

While I prefer the trigger on the Jets they do have a lot of small machine screws that hold them together and over the years a few of them have fallen out and been lost. Does Jet sell a rebuild kit?

I have never tried to use it but they do have a lifetime warranty.

[Mark Wooden]

For the OP-
I don't have any real advice on the current clamps out there beyond Bessey F style; they're the last I've purchased from a current manufacturer and that was probably 10 years ago. I find them to be good tools. All the rest of my clamps are Hartford, Cincinnati Tool Hargraves, Jorgensen I beam, flatbar sash and F styles both light and heavy, Taylor and Wetzler. All good, heavy, American made iron and steel clamps, collected over a period of years. If you can find them at auction or yard sales- buy them.
But the main reason I'm replying here is you mentioned rust spots on your glue ups. Simple fix- get some paraffin wax (Gulf Wax is one brand, in the canning section) at the grocery store and rub the contact surface of the clamp. Rust will be greatly reduced if not eliminated and glue won't stick to them. Just don't put a glue up in front of a more than room temperature heat source;if the wax melts into the wood surface, it can be a PIA to remove- DAMHIKT

[Mike Heidrick]

Just get a jlt panel rack. :)

Bessey revos were $35 for 24" and $40 for 50" on homedepot.com .

If you want a cheaper deeper f clamp, check out Menard's masterforce 24" and 36" ones.

I really am a fan of clamps.

[Ron Selzer]

I have started collecting universal bar clamps, light weight, strong and don't rust or mark the wood
have 2 of each size up to 8 of 24", will buy more as money allows
pipe clamps and I beam clamps stay on the rack now, too heavy for most work
https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/TL/item/MS-ABAR.XX

[Carl Beckett]

Jet on sale here (looks like the last day?):

https://www.rockler.com/jetreg-parallel-clamps-jet-parallel-clamps

[Brent Malwicks]

Hah, you're right, we love to talk about clamps. Surely most woodworkers love a good parallel clamp as much as I do, but getting the right one may be a problem. Here are my favorites:

- Yost Tools Steel Parallel Clamp
- REVO Fixed Jaw Parallel Clamp 24"
- Yost K5024
- Bessey KR3.524 Fixed Jaw Parallel Clamp

I hope this helps. :)

[Dave Sabo]

They are harder to come by these days...HD stopped selling them around here...and I like them for certain finishing things.

Saw this a bit late Jim, but Ace carries them around me and Amazon will deliver a box to your door.

[Jacob Mac]

I bought a couple Yost parallel clamps last year, and I have really enjoyed using them.

[Carl Beckett]

Santa brought me these and I like them very much:
https://www.rockler.com/jorgensen-medium-duty-steel-bar-clamps-2-6-and-2-12

Also brought some of these which I like, but not as much:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/bessey-tradesman-professional-series-bar-clamp-24-capacity-2-1-2-throat-depth?via=573621f469702d06760016cd%2C576328a869702 d20ec000b2f%2C576419b969702d3baa0002ec

And brought me a couple of the Jet parallel clamps. Very heavy duty and I will like them, but in the one time I have used so far noted how HEAVY they were and decided my aluminum bar clamps are not going to always hang on the wall

And he brought these. MUCH better than the Irwins and will get used a fair bit. We will see how they hold up in the long run but first impression is positive:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/bora-4pc-parallel-clamp-set-24in-and-31in-bora?via=573621f469702d06760016cd%2C576328a869702d 20ec000b2f%2C5bf5b0d8776f6f63b9000fc9

I must have been verrrry good boy this year.