Need clamps for my new shop..

[Dan Kraakenes]

So, my small 320sqf L-shaped home shop is soon finished, and I need clamps. I have previously just done green woodworking, so this is my first actually place to do 100% dedicated woodworking.. albeit with just hand tools. I own a miter saw, a jigsaw, dust extractor, and dont intend to bring other power tools into the shop.


What types should I get, now that I can start fresh and get 80-90% of the clamps I need.. so I intend to buy in bulk or wait for a sale to get them all.


I would prefer clamps made in the US or Europe. So Dubuqe or Bessey?

Are there certain sizes I should get more of?

[David Buchhauser]

Dan,
I have some of the Dubuque bar clamps as well as some of the Bessey. I suppose it depends on your intended purpose for the clamps. These are both good quality clamps. Some of the Bessey are made in Germany, and some I believe are of Asian manufacture. Of course - the Dubuque clamps are made in USA. I'm sure others will chime in later in the day. The length of the clamps will be determined by the work you intend to use them for.
David

[Ralph Boumenot]

Clamp size is hard to give an answer to not knowing what type of work you do. I would recommend a range from 12" up to 36" to start with. I think 8 of each size as good, 12 is better, and 16 is the best. Of course this number will vary with your needs and work. You can't do any better than Dubuque and Bessey. Maybe F style clamps for the 12" and bar clamps for everything above that.

[Dan Kraakenes]

Any depth of throat you would suggest for the F-Style ones?

[Bradley Gray]

Woodworking is so varied, I think you would do well to buy what you need for projects as needed. You will soon have a pile.

[Justin Rapp]

HomeDepot has a sale right now on a 4 pack (2 12" and 2 6") for $17. For smaller work they are great. I've got a few sets of them and planning on grabbing another set or two today.

[Carl Beckett]

Agree that you wont really know what clamps you like until you build a bunch of stuff. But I will recommend some specifics anyway, knowing this is WRONG because I dont know what you will build, but also knowing specific answers can give a starting point for consideration:

Min 4 of the F-style. Bessey and Jorgensen have sets of 4 that are often on sale. Pick a lenght that will cover what you think you might build. 12" and 24".
Two (or 4) of the 36" jorgensen aluminum channel clamps. Only because I started out with these and use them a lot, to this day.
4 'quick grips' clamps. 6" and 12". These are the plastic 'Vice Grip' clamps that when you squeeze the handle it clamps. Irwin makes a version that can produce quite high clamping forces, which I also like.
6 to 8 Harbor Freight hand spring clamps. Cheap and versatile for just holding things in place.

This is a decent starting selection.

[Dan Kraakenes]

What I am going to build, before I even start building stuff for friends or decorating inside the house..

Saw horses
Workbench
Shop cabinets
Doors and fronts for cabinets
Mitre station
Shaving horse
Pole lathe
Interior shop door

So even there I would need a vide array of clamps...

[Mike Walsh]

Pony 3/4" pipe clamps are very handy, and with an assortment of pipe lengths can cover a range of uses. Fairly inexpensive too, including the pipe which you can get at the big box stores

[Phil Mueller]

I have a half dozen 7” deep throat Bessey F-style that I find to be useful...I use them mostly for clamping cauls when doing cold press veneer on smallish projects to be able to reach into the center of the caul. Otherwise, the standard throat seem to work for most needs.

I’ll second the quick grip clamps in several lengths. And if you plan to make projects with mitered corners (boxes, frames, for example), I would recommend the Veritas 4 way speed clamp, and/or the Bessey variable angle strap clamp. Rockler also has a 4 way speed clamp that looks to be similar to the Veritas.

I have a shop similar in size to yours, and I would agree to buy as you need them. Storage of dozens of clamps in various sizes gets to be a challenge, especially if they are rarely used.

[glenn bradley]

As you notice from all the responses, we all think the clamps we like are "best". If I had to make a short list:


A pair of 4", 7" and 12" handscrews
4 to 6 parallel clamps (these come in many flavors and the arguments continue as to what's best for what).
A dozen 4" Bessey Mighty-Mini's or similar non-clutch-plate f-style clamps
A pair of deep throat f-style clamps
Pipe clamps for the longer stuff

I could do just about anything with that list but, there are more elegant ways to do frequent tasks. This means I have bunches of clamps; you may or may not end up the same ;-)

I think every clamp in the shop was bought on sale :). My rule of thumb for Besseys used to be a dollar an inch. If I found 24" k-bodys for $24, I bought 'em. Christmas time is good for sales on "sets" (clamps that go together in someone's opinion).

The rule for clamps is similar to planes, chisels and router bits; buy what you need as you need it. If you buy a giant set there will undoubtedly be units that gather dust. When you stop "needing" one more <insert clamp type here> you have what you need. I think I overshot that a bit as I had developed a habit of taking advantage of a good sale. Your needs will vary from mine based on what you do. If you're not sure what you'll do and just buy a "bunch-o-clamps", you can end up with a lot of clamps (and money) tied up but, not super useful. Take your time.

[Gary Ragatz]

Nobody's mentioned handscrew clamps yet, so I'll throw that into the mix. I have a half dozen of various sizes. That's probably more than I need, and they're not something I use every day, but there are certain jobs they just seem to be best for. And if you're doing mainly hand tool work, it seems like there ought to be a couple of wooden clamps in the shop. I use the larger ones 10" and 12" most frequently. Dubuque makes nice ones; I'm sure Besseys are fine, too.

[Justin Rapp]

I think every clamp in the shop was bought on sale :). My rule of thumb for Besseys used to be a dollar an inch. If I found 24" k-bodys for $24, I bought 'em. Christmas time is good for sales on "sets" (clamps that go together in someone's opinion).

The rule for clamps is similar to planes, chisels and router bits; buy what you need as you need it. When you stop "needing" one more <insert clamp type here> you have what you need. I think I overshot that a bit as I had developed a habit of taking advantage of a good sale. Your needs will vary from mine based on what you do. If you're not sure what you'll do, you can end up with a lot of clamps (and money) tied up but, not super useful. Take your time.

This is really good advice. I have bought clamps over time also. For larger clamps, I tend to use pipe clamps because I can easily modify the length of my clamps based on a pile of pipes I have. I can also make really long clamps by connecting two pipes together with unions. When I needed more clamps, I just bought the clamp portions ($15 each) and was able to use existing pipes I already had. This really helps keep the cost down instead of investing in a few dozen clamps of varied sizes.

[James Brown]

3/4" Pipe clamps are economical, beefy and versatile. I like the Besseys; the HF knockoffs are a step down in finish but are generally acceptable in my experience. I bought the black pipe in 10' lengths at Home Depot and had them cut and thread it on both ends of all pieces; it's a LOT cheaper than buying it in shorter threaded lengths, and you can buy fittings to join pipes together when necessary for larger scale applications.

[Brian Behrens]

For what you are looking to build, I would start out strong with (4) 24" bessey and (4) 50" bessey parallel clamps. It's nice to have a few f clamps in 12 and 24" sizes. I get 99.9% of my work done with this selection. Much of what I do is larger scale like the things on your list. The only other clamps I occasionally reach for is some 8' pipe clamps, which are actually my 4' pipe clamps joined together with a pipe coupling.

[Mike Kees]

I really like and agree with Glenn's list. I use pipe clamps a lot,I will probably be banned from SMC for life after that statement... Anyhow I also use handscrew clamps a ton. They are one of my favourites. Also have the 20 or so small clutch less F style clamps handy for all kinds of stuff. Way back when I started collecting tools I stumbled on Record c clamps and still have and use 8-10 of those. I do have 8 or 10 Jorgeson parallel clamps that I do use,I have never developed the affection that so many have for these clamps. YMMV. Mike.

[Justin Rapp]

I really like and agree with Glenn's list. I use pipe clamps a lot,I will probably be banned from SMC for life after that statement...

So - is there a SMC hatred for pipe clamps?

[Osvaldo Cristo]

So, my small 320sqf L-shaped home shop is soon finished, and I need clamps. I have previously just done green woodworking, so this is my first actually place to do 100% dedicated woodworking.. albeit with just hand tools. I own a miter saw, a jigsaw, dust extractor, and dont intend to bring other power tools into the shop.


What types should I get, now that I can start fresh and get 80-90% of the clamps I need.. so I intend to buy in bulk or wait for a sale to get them all.


I would prefer clamps made in the US or Europe. So Dubuqe or Bessey?

Are there certain sizes I should get more of?

"Small"? For a hand tools shop, 320 sqf is not small, it is pretty decent size, except if you plan to work with carpentry where trousers and beans can require huge work space - not the case for furniture.

I think you have some previous experience in the task, so your history is the best guide liner to estimate your best size and amount for clamps. In case of doubt I simply would buy a clamp kit (Bessey has it available) with something around four clamps from each size and after a while I would use your actual experience to expand your collection with the sizes and amount you really need (and use).

I am leaned towards Bessey as I have no experience with Dubuque. For general application I prefer F-clamp instead parallel ones - although for some applications parallel clamps are great despite their abusive price. Besides their price, remember parallel clamps are big and heavy. Some people will find difficult to cope with them.

I desire you good luck in your decision.

[Jim Becker]

So - is there a SMC hatred for pipe clamps?
Nope. While many of us "prefer" parallel clamps, many of the same folks also have pipe clamps for when pipe clamps are the right solution or to increase the stable at lower cost. I even have two 11 foot pipe clamps and actually used them recently for a project. Pipe clamps are also a good entry point for someone who needs a lot of clamps "now" and doesn't have a winning lottery ticket to buy what's needed. As to what I use...100% were bought on sale over the years...but I started with the pipe clamps and still have them on the wall ready to use when I run out of my preference in quantity or size.

One other format that's worthy for large glue-ups are aluminum bar clamps. They tend to be mid-priced and are lighter to handle while still providing adequate clamping power for most needs.

[Lisa Starr]

Though there are times the F style clamps with deeper throats are absolutely what I need, I can often get through a project with just my 16 matching H type Bessey pipe clamps. I have a large variety of pipes which allows shorter and longer lengths as needed. I also have a couple of pipe couplings and I occasionally screw pipes together to make really long clamps.

[Jim Dwight]

I've made a bunch of furniture with nothing fancier than pipe clamps (3/4 pipe is best if they are 4 feet or longer) and c clamps. I guess I have 6 or 8 18 inch F clamps from harbor freight. Lately I've purchased some harbor freight inexpensive aluminum bar clamps 4 feet long. They are kind of light duty but if my joint fits, they have enough pressure and if it doesn't fit, a stronger clamp is not likely to fix it.

I will also say that I've frequently noted that my nicer tools are easier and nicer to use. I don't think you need expensive clamps but I bet you will like them if you get them.

[johnny means]

Grizzly sells a 30 piece set of Bessey Tradesmans. They were my first clamp purchase 15 or 16 years ago. I ended up buying and second set soon after. I now own well over a hundred different clamps of all types and these still my first choice for over 90% of my clamping needs. Be aware, these are not the very similar looking junk they sell at the Borg.

[Gary Ragatz]

The 30-piece set of Bessey Tradesman clamps on Grizzly's web site seems to be the same as the 30-piece set of medium-duty Tradesman clamps (TG series) described on Bessey's web site. It's hard to be sure, because Grizzly doesn't provide any specs regarding clamping force that I could find, and they seem to use Grizzly part numbers for the clamps rather than Bessey numbers. If the Grizzly set is just TG series clamps, those are readily available from Home Depot - though I don't think they sell a 30-piece set.

[glenn bradley]

So - is there a SMC hatred for pipe clamps?

Say it isn't so. they lack elegance and finesse, are heavy and can be awkward but, when you need a pipe clamp a pipe clamp is the best tool for the job. Mine only come out about once a year but, they store easily behind a rolling tool box patiently waiting out of the way.

408758

I added cauls/feet to mine.

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[johnny means]

Put me in the pipe clamp hater camp. I can only think of one reason to ever use them, that's when nothing else could possibly be long enough. Even then, they're so flexy they often just create a new problem to solve.

[Tom M King]

I needed a 56' long clamp once in 1991. I still have the 3 lengths of 20' long 3/4" black pipe hanging on nails up high in one shop. I don't remember where the couplings are though, so if I ever need one that long again, I guess I'll have to go buy some more couplings. It worked like a charm for what I needed it for.

[Andrew Seemann]

I may be the odd one out here, but my philosophy on clamps is that more clamps are usually better than better clamps. What I mean is that given a certain amount to spend, I would rather have 10 average (or even slightly sup-par) clamps than 2 really good clamps, because you can do a lot more with 10 average clamps than 2 really good ones.

I think at last count, I had something like 130 or so clamps. Most are cheap imported F clamps, 1/2" Pony pipe clamps, or C clamps. I have a fair amount of heavy duty bar clamps and handscrews also. Of those, I use the cheap F clamps and pipe clamps the most. They just seem the most handy. After that it is the C clamps. Oddly enough, my least used clamps are what most people would consider the "best" clamps, the heavy bar clamps and Jorgerson hand screws; I think I don't tend to use them because their weight makes them clumsy to use.

The below picture is a good example of "more is better" rather than "better is better". A smaller number of better clamps would not have done me any good there. The only "good" clamp in the picture is the deep throat F clamp (which I inherited), and the only reason I used it is because I had run out of lighter (and easier to use) F clamps.

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[Tim Bueler]

You can put me in the "get what you need when you need it" camp. Kind of makes it hard to buy clamps on sale though. Even those of us who make similar things have different methods that require different clamps. Once you get into rhythm you'll know what to watch for.

I use 3/4" pipe clamps extensively. I have several dozen pipe clamps from 30" up to 9' in length, all galvanized so no staining.
Both Jorgy and Bessey F style in various lengths from 4" up to 24".
Kreg Automaxx, several with swivel pads and several for the t-track I have installed on my assembly bench.
Handscrew clamps are sometimes just the ticket. I got some kits, maybe 30 yrs ago, and made my own wood jaws from 4" deep up to 12" deep.
I did get 2 Bessey parallel jaw clamps just to give them a try. I don't really care for them but sometimes they're exactly what I need.
I bought a six pack of Bessey Kliklamps on sale a year or two ago that are handy for some things.
There are two 3" hand spring clamps always within reach on one leg of my bench and more elsewhere.
Almost forgot the 4 quick grip clamps. They don't get used often but they do get used.
Probably even more I'm forgetting.

You know it's time to raise a toast when almost every clamp you own is in use and you had enough to finish the job. :p

Looking around my shop I'd estimate I have upwards of 80 various clamps, not counting the dozen or more I have in my metal shop, I've been accumulating for over 40 yrs. As your woodworking evolves, so will your clamp collections.

[Tyler Bancroft]

If you get pipe clamps, I'd put something on the threads when assembling them. I find the heads have a tendency to unscrew occasionally.

Although they aren't made in NA/Europe, if you need some C-clamps, I'd try the Tekton ones. They're inexpensive and built like tanks.

[phil harold]

The More the Merrier

Limiting your self to US or Europe clamps limits how many clamps you can afford
C- Clamps
Bar Clamps
F- Clamps
are my most used ones
then comes
Cam Clamps
Wood Screws
Spring Clamps