Thomas Watsons clamp collection

I just popped over to visit Mr. Watsons website having seen the link to it in his sig. For the love of pete man did you see the clamps this guy has? Im jeolous, Im green with envy and yes a little pissed they arent all mine!! I have my fair share but holy gadzooks thats alot of clamps! LOL

Jim

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Reply to
James D Kountz
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's another pretty good collection.
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?profile=scrapbook&UID=10010 -- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

This brings up a religious issue. Both Toms have a lot of Bessy Tradesmen clamps. They're nice clamps -- I have a couple -- but I prefer the Jorgensen bar clamps (and HF "Pittsburg" knock offs) because they don't take three hands to put in place.

Clamp of choice opinions? ;-)

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

1/2" Ponies.

UA100

Reply to
Unisaw A100

The Bessey type is better for most stuff, IMO. They are easier for me to operate than the Jorgensen types, and have a much beefier bar and a thicker handle, so you can apply more pressure when it is needed. The Jorgensen bars tend to bend if the clamp is over 12" long.

I do like and often use the 6" Jorgensen-type bar clamps, both the real- deal and the HF knock-offs. They are very handy, and often go on sale at HF for $2 apiece or so. If I'm running short of 12" Besseys (all too often), I fill in with Jorgies.

It was tongue-in-cheek of course, but I'm not sure what you meant by "three hands." If you pull on the handle as you make the first turn they don't slip.

For longer stuff up to 36", I use the Jorgensen I-beam clamps. I got eight of them from a yard sale for practically nothing. I don't think they are as good as the Bessey K-bodies, though. They are strong and well made, but the heads have a slant to them that can sometimes force the work out of square. With care the problem can be avoided, but it would be better not to have to worry about it.

Any longer than 36", I use pipe clamps. I like the Jorgensen Ponies best, but I do have some of the cheap HF ones. The screws are not nearly as good as the ones in the real McCoy. All mine are 3/4". Just never bought any in the 1/2" size.

Cheers!

Jim

Reply to
Jim Wilson

Doh! That does work better. Time to shred the mensa card...

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

I've been wanting to stop by Mr. Watson's shop. I get to Philadelphia several times a month on business, and I've thought about calling him and asking him if I could drop by and look at his shop and his work. You never learn if you don't ask. It was definitely a religious experience looking at the photo of his clamps -

Like everyone else, I like the Bessey K's but I also found the "one handed" spreader type made by Penn State are really good. They're well made, and a whole bunch cheaper than the Irving's at HD and the other stores.

Thanks for the great links!

Nick

Reply to
Nick Bozovich

Good Lord this one is even worse! I have to go buy more clamps..........must have more clamps!!!!

Jim

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> -- Mark

Reply to
James D Kountz

3/4" Rocklers, the next step up.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Schmall

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> -- Mark

Does Watson have a park named after him? Huh? Huh? Plamann does.

Reply to
Bob Schmall

30 Bessy Tradesman clamps for $300.
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(Not a Griz employee, shareholder, etc etc)

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

Hey - you start a company like IBM and you can afford that many too!

Reply to
mttt

mttt responds:

And all this time, I thought it was Tom's golf game that got him his shop.

Charlie Self

"In the final choice a soldier's pack is not so heavy as a prisoner's chains." Dwight D. Eisenhower

Reply to
Charlie Self

Reminds me of a quote by Thomas Watson that I read some time ago...

"Better to aim for perfection and miss than to aim for mediocrity and hit it."

Come to think of it, sounds like something Tom Watson might have said.

-Chris

Reply to
Chris

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