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Thread: Parallel Clamps

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Believe it or not, Home Depot occasionally has sale prices on Bessey parallel clamps...
    I agree. Their prices on the 50" and 24" K-Body REVOlution (KRE) are usually very good, and my local stores keep some in stock.

  2. #17
    I bought the parallel clamps sold by Peachtree. You can buy 24" and 40" combo packs and save a few bucks.

  3. #18
    I have a bunch of the Bessy that I bought at the woodworking shows when PeachTree was there. They work great. I also have several Stanley parallel clamps that I think are great. Too bad you can't find them anymore.

  4. #19
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    Jan 2007
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    I have the old styles of both Jorgensen's cabinet master clamps and Bessey's k body; usually grab the Jorgensen first. Did pick up a couple of the new Chinese version of the cabinet master; they have a much smaller acme screw.

  5. #20
    I prefer the Jorgies. Meynards used to put these on sale every once in a while. I would always snatch up a dozen if I was in the area (we don't have Meynards near Delaware). My absolute faves were Gros Stabil, but they stopped being made long ago. I do wish Jorgensons came with a soft clamping pad like some of the others. I'm not fond of the rubberized grips, rubber seems to have a finite life, unlike wood.

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Atwell View Post
    Several of you have mentioned buying what’s on sale. Where do you all shop most of the time?

    Clamp sales that have been good for me come up at the places you may not expect. First you want to decide on what clamps you are going to go with. Despite my best efforts I have a smattering of Bailey, Jet and others polluting my Bessey parallel clamp herd. You've noticed that you get a lot of recommendations on these but, unless the person is recommending Bessey, they're wrong. Now that we have that settled . . . .

    Seriously, the Bailey, Irwin. Jet and Yost all have too much flex once you get longer than about 24". If your parallel clamps aren't going to stay parallel then, get something else. People get pretty emotional about clamp brands; I just want them to work and work every time, not have the handles break if they get dropped and not have to fight fancy clutch doo-hickeys to slide the head. Here's where the problems begin . . .

    Man was made in two versions, those who find Bessey K-Body clamps hard to adjust and those that don't. Seriously, I think it is genetic like sharpening or dovetailing. Some folks can free hand sharpen to beat the band, some of us can't. Some folks struggle with K-Bodys, the rest of us can't figure out what they are talking about.

    Back to where to shop (understanding that what you want to buy will make the source different) I have found clamps at great prices at Lowe's, Home Depot, Rockler, Woodcraft, Acme Tool, all over the place; even Big Lots. The trick is to know what you are after and be prepared to strike when the bargain appears. Once upon a time I would buy Bessey K-Bodys whenever I could find them for a dollar an inch or better. You'll have to adjust that for today's prices on your format of preference.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 06-14-2020 at 7:48 PM.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    Man was made in two versions, those who find Bessey K-Body clamps hard to adjust and those that don't. Seriously, I think it is genetic like sharpening or dovetailing. Some folks can free hand sharpen to beat the band, some of us can't. Some folks struggle with K-Bodys, the rest of us can't figure out what they are talking about.
    Cleaning off dried glue with acetone makes a big difference in this respect, no matter what the brand...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. I have some Irwin, Bessey Revo, and Jet. The Jets are my favorite, the Bessey a close second and I don't like the Irwin. The Irwins seem a little different when you go to tighten them and just seem to annoy me. All were bought on sale and all get used.

  9. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    Clamp sales that have been good for me come up at the places you may not expect. First you want to decide on what clamps you are going to go with. Despite my best efforts I have a smattering of Bailey, Jet and others polluting my Bessey parallel clamp herd. You've noticed that you get a lot of recommendations on these but, unless the person is recommending Bessey, they're wrong. Now that we have that settled . . . .

    Seriously, the Bailey, Irwin. Jet and Yost all have too much flex once you get longer than about 24". If your parallel clamps aren't going to stay parallel then, get something else.
    Differences in deflection with length are a function primarily of beam depth here. The Yost HD parallels have a greater beam depth than comparable Bessey K-bodies, so in fact are _less_ “flexy” than the Bessey’s. (The metal itself is otherwise similar.) So sayeth the moving finger of physics. :^)

  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Cleaning off dried glue with acetone makes a big difference in this respect, no matter what the brand...
    Ooohhh!!!! Have to try that. Dried glue is an issue.

    I have a plethora of Jets. I've had 3 clamp heads stop working on me (clutches slip). Supposedly they have a lifetime warranty, but I never seem to get around to pursuing it.
    - After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
    - It's above my pay grade. Mongo only pawn in game of life.

  11. #26
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    Got a note from Grizzly today. Clamps on sale. YMMV.

  12. #27
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    Alan, every once in a while I actually remember to do this kind of cleaning maintenance on clamps, steel rules, etc. It's sometimes amazing where glue gets to during projects! And once it's hardened it really can interfere with things. I find that a combination of acetone and a little scraping deals with it...even TB-III
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eugene Dixon View Post
    Got a note from Grizzly today. Clamps on sale. YMMV.
    Yep, it's an omen. Bessey, Jorgie and others on sale. Browse thoroughly and choose wisely and you could solve a lot of clamp needs in a single blow. Here's a link.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  14. #29
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    @Jacob Atwel

    I tried to send you a private message but, you have that feature blocked in your profile. I guess I will brave the public ;-)

    Hi Jacob,

    Eugene and I posted in your Parallel Clamp thread about the Grizzly clamp sale that just started. Although it does only seem to include Bessey as far as parallel clamps go they have some good prices on other clamps as well. I made a half-joking remark about Besseys being the superior parallel clamp and didn't want you to get the wrong idea. The old Jorgensen Cabinet Master P-clamps were also very nice. They use a different mechanism (also used by Gross Stabil IIRC) but,w ere very reliable.

    The new Bessey Revos are pretty tricked out and the price jumped pretty good when these replace the old K-Body design. I actually only have the old K-Body design and these are what I am comparing to other P-clamps. The problems I have with the other K-Body knock-offs is the bar. The Jet's biggest downfall is their mechanism. It's funny since that is their big selling point and it is their worst feature BUT, this falls back to the K-Body gene theory and some folks love them. A parallel clamp that does not remain parallel is a waste of money. Like a jointer that won't mill true, it is a non-tool. That is; it either does what it is supposed to or it isn't really worth much.

    That being said, I have dozens of Bessey Uni-Klamps. These are a medium duty cabinet clamp and by far my most used parallel format clamp. They have head shells over what is rally a basic f-style clamp mechanism but, remain parallel within their operating range. I only mention this since they work well up to 18" and get reached for so often in my shop. Full size parallel clamps are something else and are priced accordingly. My point is that if you need parallel clamps, a half a dozen good ones is better than 2 dozen poor ones. They also don't have to be your only clamps and they don't have to be huge. 24" is my most often used P-clamp with the 31" coming in a close second. For longer stuff I reach for a pipe clamp ;-)

    Hope this helps,

    Glenn

    P.s. Sometimes the shipping costs can kill a Grizzly deal so you will have to put stuff in your cart and go through a few steps of the purchase process to find that out for sure.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 06-15-2020 at 10:27 AM.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  15. #30
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    My most-used clamps are Universal bar clamps and Mirro-Moose hand screw clamps, both manufactured by Dubuque Clamp Works in Iowa.

    I also use several older Jorgensen hand screws, that were made in USA, and a few Pony pipe clamps from that era, if needed.

    Sad to hear the new Chinese-made Jorgensen parallel clamps have been dis-improved, but not surprised.

    -- Andy - Arlington TX

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