Quote Originally Posted by Bob Jones 5443 View Post
Well, still no one has enlightened me on the slide-down question, but on the strength of your recommendation, Frederick, I sprang for the Rockler sale set: 2 each of 18”, 24”, and 36” Revo Jrs. for $180 plus tax. I’ll pop back in when I see for myself. I’m expecting the Jrs. to slide down like the originals.
I have received my six REVO Jr. clamps, so I'll answer the question I raised: the moving jaw does indeed slide down if you let go of the raised handle, and this can lead to a painful finger jam if you're not anticipating it. This is similar to the originals but different from the REVO KRE clamps, which stay where you place them until you're ready to move them.

Also, some comparison specs if anyone is interested. The original and REVO KRE have a 3.75" throat; the REVO Jr. has a 3.25" throat. Not much practical difference. But the real difference is the bar, which accounts for the weight difference and the clamping force. Here are the bar sizes:

original K body REVO KRE REVO Jr. Jr./KRE
bar thickness, in 0.355 0.355 0.235 66%
bar width, in 1.143 1.143 0.982 86%
bar "area", sq in 0.406 0.406 0.231 57%


The bar dimension that matters most for strength is the width, and the Jrs are only 14% smaller. The mechanical engineers in the group can tell us what that means for stiffness.

One other thing I noticed is that the 24" Jr. is more like 23", and the other sizes are similarly shorter than nominal. Oh well.

So far I like the Jrs. The classic wood handle is fine, and I don't know why I'd need 1700 pounds of clamping force for a carefully made joint. I still think the REVO KRE is a pinnacle of tool design, but for a lower price point the Jr. line makes a lot of sense.