Clamps - 40"+ sized clamps

[Coltrane]

I am looking for clamps that are at least are between 40" and 48". I am just starting to get into wood working and I am starting with some cabinets and tables. I want to get quality clamps that will last but I don't want to get the "rolls royce" of clamps.

I have only seen Jorgensen Cabinet Master which can be found in 48". Bessey has 3 different options the Tradesmen medium Duty goes to 40", the Tradesmem Heavy Duty goes all the way to 90 with a 4.5 throat. The last Bessey option is K Body clamp which has widths all the way to

98".

Can someone give me some input regarding these clamps or recomend others.

thanks for your help

john

[Never Enough Money]

I think Bessey & Cabinet Master fall into the "Rolls Royce" category. Are there any better? I haven't used Tradesman Heavy Duty's.

[Max]

I had built many cabinets, bookcases, etc using pipe clamps before I felt sufficiently affluent to invest in Bessey K Body clamps. I really like the Bessey clamps but I see no reason why pipe clamps would not suffice.

Max

[George]

Don't buy 48" capacity. It won't clamp the edges on your plywood. Bessey comes 51, and that's a good option.

If I had it to do again I would have bought Bessey in the beginning. Clamps last a lifetime, you might as well get the best.

[Coltrane]

Thanks,

I'll look into pipe clamps. I somehow forgot about them.

john

Max wrote:

[Eugene]

Same here, I have various lengths of pipe for different clamping jobs.

[Arvid Sorsdahl]

[Greg O]

Agreed! I have a few Bessy K body's but keep grabbing my pipe clamps. The K body's rarely leave the wall. Nothing wrong with pipe clamps at all. You can buy several lengths of pipe and just change the clamp body if money is tight. Greg

[J T]

Mon, Jan 1, 2007, 2:39pm (EST-3) [e-mail] (Coltrane) doth sayeth: I am looking for clamps that are at least are between 40" and 48".

Cam clamps. Easy to make. I made a whole batch, 12" to 48". Very inexpensive to make, work fine. Plans on-line.

Or pipe clamps.

JOAT To listen is an effort, and just to hear is no merit. A duck hears also.

- Igor Stravinsky

[B A R R Y]

3/4" pipe clamps + iron pipe of your chosen length work OK. I've set them up in 8' lengths. If you buy 2, 3 & 4 foot pipes, and some couplers, you can quickly create long lengths. A helper is very useful once the clamp gets over 5 or 6 feet long, as they are heavy and you may need to adjust both ends. The long Rolls Royce clamps are fully controlled at one end.

As for bar clamps, I prefer the K's and Cabinet Masters for anything over 18", but regular Bessey and Jorgensen bar clamps work well up to

18" or so. The lighter bar clamps get flexy when they get long, the Rolls Royce clamps are stiffer.

[B A R R Y]

You have both and choose the pipes? Why?

I also have both available in many sizes and can't ever imagine a single reason why I would choose pipes over K's. The K's are much easier to size up, clamp square, spread the load better, are non-stick, are stackable, can stand on their head, and don't react with glues to discolor wood.

[CW]

Pipe clamps. Relativly cheap, work well and adjustable (add pipe) to any size.

[Max]

I had become so accustomed to using my pipe clamps that it is a habit to reach for them whenever I need a clamp. Years of accumulating different sized lengths make it easy to grab the proper ones.

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I haven't experienced problems with discoloration.

Max (those Bessey clamps *are* nice though)

[Lew Hodgett]

Without question, Bessey K-body clamps are superior; however; 3/4 pipe clamps will also do a good job with a little practice.

Contact a pipe distributor and get a quote on pipe nipples.

Just recently bought some 3/4 x 60" long, black iron nipples. Price was about $15.00.

Add some couplings and you have a lot of flexibility.

Lew

[lwasserm]

I'd add to that that I have at least 2 dozen pipe clamps ranging from a foot to more than 6 feet, and have never paid for the pipe used in any of them. If you have any industry in your area you can probably find all the pipe you'd ever need in dumpsters. [I do buy new pipe for any plumbing projects, however. :) ]

[Greg O]

The pipe clamps are lighter and easier to operate in my opinion. I use the Bessy's when I am clamping up something where I might have to reach over other clamps, but otherwise I stick to the Jorgensen Pony's.

It probably comes down to what a person gets used to. I have used Pony's for

30 years, not gonna stop now! Greg

[LRod]

There's something here that I think everyone missed. I noticed because I fell into the trap myself once. If you're just starting (even if you are doing some tables), you're going to generally run into far more occasions when you need 24" clamping capacity than 40+". Trust me when I tell you that even though in concept it sounds good, you will be VERY unhappy trying to wrestle 40+"ers around a 20" glueup. DAMHIKT.

I have an article on my website on choosing one's first K-Bodies, and it tells the whole sordid tale of my experience. It applies equally to most other clamps except pipe, which you can easily change the capacity of by simply changing the pipe--the sole advantage of them over K-Bodies, so far as I'm concerned.

Also, for bar type clamps (F style, such as Jorgie 37xxes and Tradesmans) the Rolls Royce is Wexler.

[Lew Hodgett]

If you want an argument, change the subject.

I've probably got over 100, 3", 4, 6", & 8" C-Clamps.

At least 15-20, 18",& 24" bar clamps.

After that, comes the pipe clamps.

Keep an eye out for Harbor Freight bar clamp sales.

Last time I got some 18" bar clamps for less than $2 each.

Yes they are cheap, but bar clamps aren't heavily loaded gadgets.

Lew

[Coltrane]

Everybody,

thanks for the all the feedback. I am going to take a look into pipe clamps. It seems that I shouldn't need any more. I was a little mixed on which to get because currently my small clamps, 24", are all quick-grip clamps and I like the large throat. My current long clamps,

36", are my grandfather's 70+ year old bar clamps that have the same throat as the bessey pipe clamps. An additional benefit to the pipe clamps is that if I don't like them the investment was minimal and I can pick up some bar clamps.

thanks again for all the feedback

cheers

Coltrane wrote:

[root]

Not yet... but noting this little puppy:

's only a matter of time before Hitachi weighs-in with with their 36 volt, lithium ion version with a bubble level and a laser sight.

Call it "progress"