Frontline Panel Clamps Review

[Edward Weber]

Edward, thank you for the response. I respect your opinion.

I would like to however respond to the highlighted comment. I made it very clear in my first sentence that a good milling process is key. No clamp, however clever, will correct that. I do however disagree that a good milling process is the only variable to a good glue up, particularly when the width and number of panels increases. I did not purchase these to overcome a deficiency in my milling process.

I also agree that excessive clamping pressure is not needed and while these clamps are capable of very high clamping pressures without flexing, it is quite easy to achieve adequate/necessary pressure and no more, just like any other clamp, except all the benefits therein, as already indicated in my original post. Apologies if my review insinuated that killing the lumber with excessive force was necessary.

Cheers

Thanks, for the reply.
And of course, milling isn't the only thing necessary, I didn't mean to imply that but it'll get you most of the way. IMO.
If I were making panels all day long, they would be something to consider, for the time saved over traditional methods. I do think the price is getting towards a pneumatic or hydraulic system though.

[Michael Burnside]

All good Edward, just making sure things were clear. Sounds like we agree on the highlighted points.

When searching, pneumatic certainly pops up, but a single clamp, depending on the manufacturer, is more than a set of 3 of these. This doesn't include the air compressor, de-humidifier, hoses and miscellaneous infrastructure and the enormous racks they mount to. The sheer size and mechanical complexity is a no-go, price notwithstanding. Frontline do the job and are mechanically simple and will last numerous lifetimes...one being enough for me

[richard poitras]

I looked at /reviewed these clamps years ago and always want some, glad to hear they are all that and then some...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj7zvcdcYLo

[Derek Kessler]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Michael. While the price tag might make some pause (let's be honest, $800 is no small investment), it does seem like it's worth what you pay for it. It's always great when a tool lives up to its cost, especially when the price is steep. How was your experience with Shaper 3D? I'm not familiar with it. Fusion is a bit expensive, so I might consider switching

[Alex Zeller]

I almost bought a set. I reached out to the company to ask if they put a coating on the face, like teflon, to prevent glue from sticking but never heard back. I ended up just making something similar with the PeachTree panel clamp kits and Ready Tube from 80/20 inc. With the ready tube I can buy it in any length so if I have a really wide glue up I can buy new aluminum extrusions, not the whole clamps assembly for a major savings. I have even thought about putting a slight arc in a couple of the tubes to put pressure in the center as the clamps are tightened.

I use tape right now to prevent glue from sticking but if a company made panel clamps that were non stick I think I would take the leap.

It's like a power feeder. If you have a shop and earn a living woodworking then it makes sense to own a power feeder for each tool vs taking the time to move one from tool to tool.

[Michael Burnside]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Michael. While the price tag might make some pause (let's be honest, $800 is no small investment), it does seem like it's worth what you pay for it. It's always great when a tool lives up to its cost, especially when the price is steep. How was your experience with Shaper 3D? I'm not familiar with it. Fusion is a bit expensive, so I might consider switching

Yep, no argument that the investment is just that, an investment. And not a cheap one at that, but I have zero regrets. I've now used them probably close to 20 times now. They really are super fast and accurate to deploy. I would say a "typical' panel glue-up uses 3 clamps and that's it.

I'm just a serious hobbyist and certified tech nerd, but I couldn't justify Fusion's cost. Shaper 3D is great, simple to use and the yearly fee, especially when you can find a 10-20% discount more than worth it. Plus, I like to do most of my design on the couch and I really like that the iPad and PC interfaces are nearly identical.

[Dan Barber]

You guys are aware that Fusion 360 is free for hobbyists - correct?

https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal

[Michael Burnside]

You guys are aware that Fusion 360 is free for hobbyists - correct?

https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal

Yep, but it's limited in functionality IMHO and the iPad version is meh at best. No idea why they have to make it so different compared to the PC version.

[Michael Burnside]

I almost bought a set. I reached out to the company to ask if they put a coating on the face, like teflon, to prevent glue from sticking but never heard back. I ended up just making something similar with the PeachTree panel clamp kits and Ready Tube from 80/20 inc. With the ready tube I can buy it in any length so if I have a really wide glue up I can buy new aluminum extrusions, not the whole clamps assembly for a major savings. I have even thought about putting a slight arc in a couple of the tubes to put pressure in the center as the clamps are tightened.

I use tape right now to prevent glue from sticking but if a company made panel clamps that were non stick I think I would take the leap.

It's like a power feeder. If you have a shop and earn a living woodworking then it makes sense to own a power feeder for each tool vs taking the time to move one from tool to tool.

As far as sticking, the first few glue-ups I just cleaned up the extrusion with acetone and squeeze out comes right off. One trick I use though is I have the top-bottom covered with wax paper. If any of it sticks to the workpiece, it's so thin it sands/scrapes right off and any glue that leaks through the paper (very little), as mentioned, is easily cleaned off with acetone. This is what I typically use --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1. After a few glue ups I realized these are so good that I did order a bunch of their poly rail covers and the glue falls right off. Yea, 200 bucks in cover. I actually think I could make some myself with stuff from the hardware store, but at least these are very well made and durable. I still use the wax paper trick but now don't even need acetone. You could use tape too, but I prefer the wax paper trick as it's quick and easy to deploy.

For these there is no need to arch the tube. The extrusion is more than 8mm thick, shaped like an I-beam and dead flat. They don't flex at all, so whatever pressure is at the ends is also at the middle. That's what makes these so good IMHO.

[Jim Becker]

You guys are aware that Fusion 360 is free for hobbyists - correct?

https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal

Yup...but they removed a bunch of functionality awhile back for "free" users, likely in an effort to "encourage" folks to opt for a subscription. This isn't a barrier for folks with small machines that don't have a lot of bells and whistles, but for folks who have larger, more capable machines, or folks who are makers and do sell work, it's a barrier. (And no, I don't recall the specifics of what was disallowed, but there were meaningful discussions in many forums about it at the time) As an aside, I never could "get" F360 while Vectric software felt natural to me. If I had to have a different choice, it might have been Rhino.

[jack duren]

It’s too expensive for what it does…

Seems more for the ones that have money to burn..


when “Bow Clamp” came out the first thing said. I can make my own..

[Dan Barber]

Yup...but they removed a bunch of functionality awhile back for "free" users, likely in an effort to "encourage" folks to opt for a subscription. This isn't a barrier for folks with small machines that don't have a lot of bells and whistles, but for folks who have larger, more capable machines, or folks who are makers and do sell work, it's a barrier. (And no, I don't recall the specifics of what was disallowed, but there were meaningful discussions in many forums about it at the time) As an aside, I never could "get" F360 while Vectric software felt natural to me. If I had to have a different choice, it might have been Rhino.

I'm thankful that I'm grandfathered in as long as I maintain my subscription at $300 per year. I have the full functionality and really like the post processor for the CNC mill. The whole package has gotten much better with time.

[Michael Burnside]

I'm thankful that I'm grandfathered in as long as I maintain my subscription at $300 per year. I have the full functionality and really like the post processor for the CNC mill. The whole package has gotten much better with time.

Yea bro, fully-featured at $300 would be a no brainer. I think Shaper 3D is very good for the price and I find it pretty easy to get going.