summary for hf clamps

Having not used any of the 3 aforementioned clamps, this question comes from a deep, deep state of ignorance...

How hard would it be to fashion a "false front" for the Jet clamps to eliminate the marring?

I'm thinking about some clamps pads that I have that fall off if they are not held on when clamping (almost the same as using scraps) vs. some clamps that have fitted pads semi-permanently attached. (Look Ma, no hands!)

Couldn't something be done with the Jet clamps to turn them into the superior clamps that you want them to be?

Reply to
DerbyDad03
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Probably not too hard but certainly harder than simply buying the same priced Jorgensen Cabinet Master clamps. The only advantage that the Jet has IHMO in this comparison is that it has a release trigger that holds the moveable end in place. And that is not that is not that big of a deal. If the Jet's came with the non mar surface they would get the nod.

Double stick carpet tape.

Reply to
Leon

On Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 4:45:48 PM UTC-6, Leon wrote: .

Before we had all the nice clamp options that we enjoy now, first by necess ity and second by need, we used to drill tiny holes in the metal faces of o ur Pony clamps, bar clamps, etc, and screw pieces of white pine on them (fr om the back)to make softer, wider jaws. Worked like a champ, and got the a dditional clamping power of making a jaw as wide as you wanted. Since we us ed a lot of 1x2 cedar when I was framing houses (think shingle molding and vent trims) we simply cut off six inch pieces as needed and screwed them on the faces when we were doing cabinet work. They did great as they spread the compressed load across a surface more evenly, and even added to the uti lity of the clamp by its increased jaw size.

With today's plastic jaws with larger faces, I am sure double stick tape wo uld do the trick.

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

Maybe even a wooden pad with rare earth magnets embedded in the back side. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I'll have to see of a magnet will stick to the Jet clamp surface.

Reply to
Leon

I just got accustomed to using a full-length caul resting on the clamp bodies so never worried about the individual pads...it's still so ingrown a practice I don't even think of pads...guess everybody grows up different. :)

Reply to
dpb

OK! The rare earth magnets do stick to the faces of the Jet K-body style clamps rather well. I'll put that in line to be done.

Thanks for the suggestion Derby!

I still think that would be a deal killer for future Jet clamps but a solution for the pair that I do have.

Reply to
Leon

If you can find some of that magnetic rubber tape or the magnetic business card stock (think refrigerator magnets, sort of)

Back in the day I made up some 2" squares of ¼" ply, glued a 3/4" piece of that stock to the back and it worked fine. All you really need is "that extra hand" to hold the wood pad in place until you can tighten down the clamp. Wasn't ideal but it worked when I needed it.

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

It's nice to be able to give back. ;-)

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Yeah! I don't want to have anything other than the clamp and the project. BUT I do use a couple of pieces of plywood for helping to insure that rails fit properly at the ends of stiles on cabinet doors. And that uses 8 clamps initially and then just 2 once everything is squared up.

Reply to
Leon

Old dogs can learn new tricks. ;~) I have know about doing what you suggested but never put 2+2 2gether. ;~)

Reply to
Leon

I wonder if that would be strong enough to go through the plastic on the clamp and hold the wood pad.

Reply to
Leon

I seriously doubt it. Not enough drawing power. As I said it wasn't ideal but it worked for me. Think: just enough to hold the square of plywood in place while tightening the clamp. It was very easy to knock loose but for my purposes it was entirely adequate.

If I understand where you're going with my tip, I would think that a rare earth magnet, properly inlet/recessed to the pad and held by a touch of silicone would probably do the trick, "penetrating" the plastic and attracting to the metal behind it.

Those rare earth magnets are kinda neat. They have a helluva lot of pulling power for their small size. Seen some innovative gun mounts made of them after being coated with rubber. A couple strategically placed have no problem holding a 21oz to 35oz pistol horizontally or vertically to a metal surface.

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

Sounds like another business for you. ;-)

Reply to
krw

Maybe soooo. LOL Oddly most every one that I talk to, that also have Jets, have not noticed the problem. Then again I do test the load ratings of my clamps.

Reply to
Leon

That would be the plan.

My first introduction to those magnets were when I was still in the automotive business, 20 plus years ago. I was working for an AC/Delco wholesale distributor. There was a particular part that came in a small box about 1.5 x1.5 x1.5 inches. You could not pick the small box up off of the steel bin with out the box opening and coming apart. You had to slide the box to the edge of the shelf to overcome the pull of the magnet. The part was a small wiper motor part. IIRC it had 4, 3/8" long by 2mm diameter magnets evenly spaced around a round piece. The magnets looked like wooden pencil leads. There could have been a dozen of those parts in the tiny box.

Reply to
Leon

My first introduction to rare earth magnets was when I was building Soap Box Derby cars.

No, I didn't hide them in the front end for extra pull out of the starting ramp. ;-)

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We used them to hold down the hatch of the Masters cars. With a pair of round rare earth magnets epoxied to both sides of the hatch up near the driver's head, the hatch stayed down on the bumpiest of tracks or even if we turned the car upside down, yet allowed for easy opening by either the driver or the handler. The hatch is hinged right above the #35 and extends back almost to the label on the side of the helmet.

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Some builders used Velcro straps or metal latches that the driver had to engage/disengage from inside car. The rare earth magnets did their thing with no user intervention required. While accidents were rare, I'd seen enough that I wanted to allow for easy opening of the hatch either from the inside or the outside just in case.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

i had never seen cauls until recently might have been lee valley but not sure

they were not cheap but i like the idea it is clever and gives some more versatility to the clamps i have

did you buy them or make them what wood species are they made from i would guess oak or ash or hard maple maybe kiln dried too

any other tips tricks etc about them you can share would be good

Reply to
Electric Comet

On 11/6/2015 10:59 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote: Snip

Very cool car! some how I was picturing an orange crate with wheels. LOL Great work!

I used them on the model car display for my son many years ago. The door on the front of the cabinet sets on the bottom ledge. Other than that there are no hinges are latches. It is held in place by rare earth magnets. You slide the door to one side or the other to over come the pull of the magnets on the small screws below the surface on the back side of the door stiles.

Reply to
Leon

Buying a caul seems pretty silly for a woodworker.

You do realize that woodworkers were quite successful without pipe clamps, fancy K-bodies or any manufactured clamp?

Consider what you can do with a couple of wedges and a caul, for example.

The caul should be slightly sprung.

Reply to
Scott Lurndal

Thanks. My son won the World Championship in Akron with that car when he was 13. That was back when you bought the kit from Akron but could still make your own internal parts, modify the shape of the body, etc.

As people like me got more and more sophisticated regarding the mods, it got to a point where only those teams doing extensive modifications were winning. That caused the Masters division to get smaller and smaller, until it was on the brink of extinction.

They eventually outlawed all but the most basic modifications and outlawed homemade parts. It is now only the driver and the tuning of the car that determines the outcome. Both of those factors are huge, but not near as much fun as building your own axle mounts, steering systems, etc.

As an example, compare the shape of today's Masters car vs. my son's.

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They were both built from the same kit, but the modern car is basically a fiberglass shell screwed to the floorboard. My son's car is the same fiberglass shell screwed to the same floorboard but then rounded to be more aerodynamic and wrapped in 3 layers of fiberglass cloth and epoxy to stiffen the body. We reduced the size of the car to so close to the minimum girth that the blue vinyl racing stripe was added just to make sure we passed the girth measurement in Akron.

The internal parts were almost completely home made. For example, the kit comes with a rear axle mount that isn't much more than a piece of angle iron and couple of bolts. Bolt the angle iron to the floorboard, then bolt the axle to angle iron.

In contrast, this is the rear axle mounting system that we made:

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Ah well, those were the days.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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