Got this set for $109 at a local joint. Anyone use these? Are they as nice as they seem?
- posted
14 years ago
Got this set for $109 at a local joint. Anyone use these? Are they as nice as they seem?
Nice score! I have that same set; I got them at a woodworking show, I think for about the same price but I don't remember. They're great clamps, but they've mostly been sitting in the corner because I've been letting my Besseys do all the dirty work, getting stained with shellac and accumulating all the glue residue. If I had as many of the Jets as I do the Besseys I'd probably be using them instead, but the fact that they mismatch in size and shape is often the reason I don't use both simultaneously.
I have a current project for which I need some good parallels and these sizes will happen to work. I was going to get the Irwin kit from Rockler for $129, w/free shipping, but I have these in my hands and they seem to be a bit better in form and function. (plus, I love their integrated bench dogs)
I have a feeling, I'm going to be throwing out some others and investing in more of these. :-)
I think I'm going to like that feature (these came with). But I probably wouldn't buy those separate, since they appear to be something one could make from wood in about ten minutes. :-)
Although the anti-glue-stick feature is appealing. [pun!]
If you already have any Bessey clamps or something similar, you can use these for a lot less.
I have a pair of Jet clamps. I have had Jorgenson Cabinet Masters for several years and liked them better than any. I used Bessey Bodies but still preferred the Cabinet Masters. Then I got a pair of Jets. I still prefer the Cabinet Masters. Than I got (1) of the new 12" Bessey Revo clamps, don't laugh it was a present from a non wood worker. I prefer the (1) Bessey Revo clamp to all of my clamps, so I bought another, now I have a pair.
Of the Cabinet Master, Jet, and Bessey Revo clamps that I own I prefer the Bessey Revo. The Jet has a lot of very cool features but in real life use applications the cool features fall short.
Still, all of these style clamps are hard to beat and it sounds like you got a pretty good deal.
I've spoken with several different cabinet shops that have used the Bessey, Gross Stabil and Jorgy parallel clamps, and all of them prefer the Jorgys. The primay thing they mention is that the glue peels off the smooth bar so the action stays smooth. I've used only Bessey (old style) and like them, but I clean them diligently. The ones at work are trashed and broken, but that's more a function of misuse. I'll have to get a couple new sets to try them out.
JP
I've spoken with several different cabinet shops that have used the Bessey, Gross Stabil and Jorgy parallel clamps, and all of them prefer the Jorgys. The primay thing they mention is that the glue peels off the smooth bar so the action stays smooth. I've used only Bessey (old style) and like them, but I clean them diligently. The ones at work are trashed and broken, but that's more a function of misuse. I'll have to get a couple new sets to try them out.
JP
Yeah, the old style Basses were getting a little long in the tooth when the Jorgys came out so the Jorgys had some advantages. I too felt that they operated much more smoothly than the Basses and that may be because the glue come off easily but I have glue on mine and they still operate smoothly. Perhaps they don't fit quite so snugly to the bar then sliding the moving end back and forth. What ever reason, so far the new style Besseys seem to be much smoother than the Jorgys. But, there is no glue on the bar yet. There certainly is nothing really wrong with any of them.
Thumbs ^up.
I have over 300 Jorgys (yes nailshooter, over 300..not shitloads.. I guess that *is* shitloads..LOL) and none have failed in 25 years. Okay, so they're mostly 3202HT Pony clamps, but STILL!!
*smirk*
If money was no object, I'd have gone with Bessy's or Jorgy's, but couldn't pass up this deal. PLUS, these will be a HUGE improvement over the non-parallel aluminum bar clamps I've been using.
I have a related question:
I own 8 Bessy K-bodies. On most of them, when I tighten the screws, the threads seem to grab, rather than slide, preventing me from getting that last half-turn that I want. A while back FWW had an artical on clamping pressure that indicated that the parallel clamps provided surprisingly little forced... this makes me tend to beleive it.
Oddly, they are not all of my K-bodies this way; one or two of them turn smoothly (albeit, with appropriate resistance) under heavy clamping pressure.
I've tried greasing the threads, but that does not seam to help.
Has anyone else noticed this, and have you found a remedy?
-Steve
You might try thoroughly cleaning the threads with a wire brush. I oddly had a problem with another brand clamp loosening. Brushing the threads with a wire brush solved the problem.
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