parallel clamps???

[Jack Clay]

I have never uses parallel clamps mine are all pipe clamps. Can somebody tell me the advantages of parallel clamps? They are a lot more money than pipe clamps. I was curios if someone had pipe clamps and have switched to parallel clamps and seen enough difference for the cost. Thanks for the help.

[alex grams]

when doing glue ups on items (face frames, cutting boards, etc) parallel clamps will help push the pieces together without giving any rotating of the pieces and prevent any uneven or misaligned shapes in an otherwise square design.

[keith ouellette]

Seeing the clamp face stays at 90 deg. to the bar it makes it easier to glue things up square.

Both end should be square to the bar. Check them before you buy them. I have two bessy parallel that are not square.

[harry strasil]

True parallel clamps are not hard to make. Just some scrap pieces of 1/2 thick oak with 2 holes in them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/parallelclamps002.jpg

Some ordinary pipe clamps, and walaa true parallel clamps that actualy give pressure in the center of the board and the pipes keep the bow out.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/parallelclamps001.jpg


This is one of two purpose built parellel clamps I made for my mid 1800's demo shop.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/clamp2.jpg

I did at one time see some jorgensen pipe clamps that were made like mine.

[Greg Pavlov]

True parallel clamps are not hard to make. Just some scrap pieces of 1/2 thick oak with 2 holes in them. .........
Some ordinary pipe clamps, and walaa true parallel clamps that actuall give pressure in the center of the board and the pipes keep the bow out.
I like that!

[Chuck Burns]

For decades all I used was 3/4" Jorgenson pipe clamps. A few months back I boought four 24" and four 48" Jet parallel clamps. After using them I bought four more 24's, four 31's. four 60's and four each of the two longer sizes. Haven't used a pipe clamp since. Life is to short to have to mess with lousy clamps. The Jets are great and I recommend them highly.

[Matt Droll]

Hi Jack,

I'm new to SMC, but I've been lurking and learning quite a bit over the past couple of months. I too use all pipe clamps, and I have another trick to overcome the "non parallel" forces of a pipe clamp in certain instances. If your gluing up a 3/4 inch face frame for example, put a 3/4 inch dowel between the clam and your frame. The dowel being round will transmit the force from the clamp to just the center of your workpiece. You can add another 3/4 inch strip to help distribute the load acorss the entire edge of the frame, but at least it will be evenly distributed from the center loading point this way. If you're working with 1/2 inch material. just use a 1/2 inch dowel.

Just a thought.

-Matt