Pipe Clamps

[William A Johnston]

I have been using 3/4" pipe clamps from Jorgenson. They do the job but the clamps do not clamp 90 degrees from the pipe to the clamp.

Is this normal with all brands of pipe clamps or are there brands that do clamp at 90 degrees.

Thanks for any tips or advice.

Bill

[johnny means]

Pipe clamps are horrible, all of them. Square cost extra.

[William A Johnston]

What about parallel clamps?

They are super expensive and heavy.

Bill

[Mike Cutler]

No, the pipe clamps I've used never clamped up parallel.
A trick I saw many years ago was to place a dowel between the pipe clamp and the edge of the material. This way the pressure was applied directly to the side of the material, via the circumference of the dowel.
Regardless, they do work, and I have used them many times through years for some pretty big panel glueups.
Parallel clamps are a huge step up though, and worth the investment. ;)

[johnny means]

I have created auxiliary jaws for pipe clamps by drilling a hole in blocks of wood then sliding the blocks onto the pipe between the clamping ends. By making the blocks a little wider you can get a square clamping surface.

[Ron Selzer]

I started out a lot of years ago with pipe clamps and made good furniture with them. Since progressed to parallel clamps and then to Universal Aluminum Bar Clamps.
have 24",36", 48", 60" and 72" all will open at least what they say. I highly recommend these, Pipe clamps only come out now when I run out of the Universal Clamps.
They are made in the US of A by Dubuque Clamp Works, available different places. I bought my last ones from
https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/aluminumclamp.aspx

[Mike Cutler]

I have created auxiliary jaws for pipe clamps by drilling a hole in blocks of wood then sliding the blocks onto the pipe between the clamping ends. By making the blocks a little wider you can get a square clamping surface.

Nice idea!!!

[Jim Becker]

Pipe clamps can provide a lot of force, but they are not "parallel" with any consistency. You can partially mitigate with leather pads, and should always alternate top/bottom and when gluing up panels, use cauls to keep things flat. Parallel clamps are indeed higher priced, even for "off brands" it seems...almost 100% of mine were acquired over the years when they were on sale to at least save a little money. But I have zero regrets for buying them. I do keep a few pipe clamps for when I need extra long ones and extra-long ones, if you catch my meaning. (I have two that are longer than 8' that a friend gifted me)

[Frederick Skelly]

What about parallel clamps?

They are super expensive and heavy.

Bill

Here is an alternative. I love these things. LINK (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/clamps/bar/70618-dubuque-aluminum-bar-clamps).

[Mark Hockenberg]

Bill - I'm in the same camp as everyone else. I started with pipe clamps and now I rarely use them. I bought several K-body Bessey clamps and reach for these first. Yes they are heavy and expensive, but the parallel jaws improve the quality of your work. I also have a few aluminum clamps as others mentioned. These are great clamps - easy to adjust and the light weight is very nice.

[William A Johnston]

Well it seams to me that parralel clamps are what I need to invest in. I've decided to get a few parralel clamps and a few universal clamps to try them out. I have around 40 pipe clamps so I'm sure they won't go to waist. It's just like everything in this hobby is you can't afford to get what you really want at first then you end up buying it later wishing you would have spent the money in the front end.

Thanks for all the tips.

Bill

[Jim Becker]

Bill, the pipe clamps are perfectly useable...you just have to be certain to verify that things are lined up as you move down the line tightening them more than you do with parallel clamps, etc. But once you do have some parallel clamps, you'll also reach for them first. The clamps that Fred linked to above are also very worthy, particularly for panels.

[Mike Kees]

Bill I have to say that I have 10 Jorgeson parallel clamps that very rarely actually get used. I have 40 or so pipe clamps that are used all the time if you were closer I would trade,Personally I hate parallel clamps. Heavy ,clumsy and expensive, with half the clamping force of my pipe clamps. I would buy only one or two to figure out if you like them better before jumping off the cliff . YMMV.

[John Gornall]

I agree with Mike.

Recently started usung 1/2 inch pipe clamps for small glue ups and they are good. I buy a 3 ft pipe threaded both ends, cut it in half, and have 2 - 18 inch clamps.

[John Sincerbeaux]

I bought my first pipe clamps when I was a teenager because that’s what the high school wood shop had. Later in life when I heard about KBody parallel clamps, I bought about 15 of them in various lengths. They were the first gen of the K Body clamps. I don’t understand the problems guys are having with pipe clamps? Super easy, reliable, and strong. Craftsman and cabinet makers having been using them for well over a hundred years.
My experience with the parallel clamps I own are they are fundamentally and mechanically flawed.
They’re kinda fussy to position and engage in the desired position. Glue drips into the threaded bar making it not so fun to clean, and mechanically, you have zero leverage to transfer your energy to clamping pressure because of a longitudinal handle. Almost all clamps that are used for “clamping” have either wing style or rod style levers for clamping? I know the newer parallel clamps have better handles than mine but they still are longitudinal style which again, are extremely limiting. Of course you could debate how much pressure do you really need?
If I were buying clamps today for large glue-ups, I would look hard at the aluminum clamps linked above.

[Mark Bolton]

I'm with Mike as well. "Parallel" clamps are not all they are cracked up to be in my opinion but have maintained traction since the new yankee workshop craze.
"Parallel" is in quotes because they are nearly never truely parallel. As said, they are heavy, cumbersome and awkward to use, they are fussy with regards to glue on the beams, and are woefully underpowered. Then factor in they are 3x to 4x the cost and it gets worse.

Thankfully we only have 4 in the shop, two were free on a tool buy. I too would trade them off in a heartbeat. If I were insisting on having any I'd be looking for trigger actuated slide like the jets. The two besseys we have are a pain to use.

For us other components or practices in your work define square and parallel so the clamping isnt what keeps your end product square with the world.

[John Gornall]

When using parallel clamps and the glue up is difficult and I need one more clamp but I can't get a grip as my hand doesn't fit between clamps, I'm tempted to cut all the handles off, weld on a hex nut, and use a ratchet wrench and socket.

[Jack Frederick]

I have the combination of the Bessey parallel 48" and 18" clamps, various length pipe clamps with spare pipe sections and last Xmas treated myself to some 24 & 36" Dubuque clamps. I find the Bessey's to be a pitn to handle, especially in any kind of awkward positions. I also agree that they are underpowered. I have had to use a pipe clamp to close things up and then set the Bessey to hold it closed. The Dubuque's are great, handle really well and my go to's but they are shallow jaws.

[Mark Bolton]

When using parallel clamps and the glue up is difficult and I need one more clamp but I can't get a grip as my hand doesn't fit between clamps, I'm tempted to cut all the handles off, weld on a hex nut, and use a ratchet wrench and socket.

Would be handy for sure in tight spacing but my guess is if people were able to apply much more torque than the supplied handles can provide the clamps and innards wouldnt last very long. Im sure they put those style handles on there for a reason. To limit the amount of torque an average person can apply because the clamps just wont handle more. Thats the other bonus of the Pony(now yost) clamps, super tight spacing, and you can still reef them down.

Then the whole drama starts about over-clamping/starving a joint, which is simply not possible with PVA regardless of clamp type. You could reef any clamp down as hard a possible spaced as close as possible and still not be applying specified clamping force.

[Mel Fulks]

Some of the problem can be slightly inaccurate jointing. I always joint one face to fence, next face out. Has to be some real good reason for me to spend any time to get that moment of square fence perfection. And I always
make hollow joints for gluing, but obviously they must be slight when there are a number of pieces. Sometimes the pipe
clamps are needed just because none of the bar clamps are long enough.

[Mark Bolton]

but obviously they must be slight when there are a number of pieces.

For sure,... Im a fan of spring joints myself but when the glue up is a half a dozen or more boards wide in a single glue up that become quite a production and 6-10 cumulative spring joints will make for a bunch of stress problems in the part on its own so if theres more than one or two we just go with dead straight as long as there are zero gaps on the ends.

Poor fitment is just plain poor fitment and will never be corrected by forcing poorly jointed stock into submission.

[Mel Fulks]

YO Mark ! Sometimes perfectly straight today ...is slightly open ends tomorrow morning. You know that ....but some may not have
"had the pleasure" yet.

[jack duren]

Well it seams to me that parralel clamps are what I need to invest in. I've decided to get a few parralel clamps and a few universal clamps to try them out. I have around 40 pipe clamps so I'm sure they won't go to waist. It's just like everything in this hobby is you can't afford to get what you really want at first then you end up buying it later wishing you would have spent the money in the front end.

Thanks for all the tips.

Bill

Nothing wrong with investing in a few parallel but don't get caught up in them... When the big clearance sale went on I bought all Sears had at 50% off. I had a truck full. after one week I kept 4 and took the rest back... I use them for dovetail drawers, etc small stuff..

[Mark Bolton]

YO Mark ! Sometimes perfectly straight today ...is slightly open ends tomorrow morning. You know that ....but some may not have
"had the pleasure" yet.

Yep. Thats when its time to cut it apart and start over ;-)

[Bill Carey]

Bill I have to say that I have 10 Jorgeson parallel clamps that very rarely actually get used. I have 40 or so pipe clamps that are used all the time if you were closer I would trade,Personally I hate parallel clamps. Heavy ,clumsy and expensive, with half the clamping force of my pipe clamps. I would buy only one or two to figure out if you like them better before jumping off the cliff . YMMV.


2nd that. I bought one parallel clamp 3 years ago and used it twice. I have 20 or so pipe clamps and unions that let me make up 16' clamps if I need em.