Getting ready to revamp my clamp selection and plan on buying Bessey parallels. I’ve had Jet 6×24″, 4×31″ and 2×50″. I’ve never liked the lever handles & I just can’t turn them tight enough anymore without pliers. But I’m fine with Besseys.
What’s your selection of parallel clamps (size and number)?
Replies
All bessey: 8 50" K-body 6 31" Revo 6 24" Revo
8 end-to-end extender fittings
I suspect clamps can be as controversial as a discussion on sharpening.
I have an eclectic mix of hand-me-down and purchased clamps: a couple of long Bessey's a large number of pony's (36", 24", 6") many C-clamps and spring clamps, 8 wood clamps and 8 lo-ong pipe clamps (6'+). There is always a project where I am wishing I had more of one type, but generally most of my clamp species decorate the wall with a few favorites seeing daily duty. And sometimes...I pull small glue-lines together using painters tape!
As far as tightening goes, keep in mind that many (most?) people OVER clamp. Unless you are working with bowed or warped wood (or not using enough glue) there is usually no reason to clamp past a decent glue squeeze out. The typical flat surface glue up should not need a lot of pressure, in fact, over pressure can lead to excessive squeeze out leading to starved joints. Case in point: the rubbed glue joint where the primary tack comes from rubbing two wet faces together until they lock than adding a light clamp or two just for insurance.
My hands are starting to get arthritic too. But, I hate the idea of throwing out clamps, so I am thinking of coating my smooth clamp handles with something to improve the grip. Anyone got any ideas?
I feel your pain with the arthritis, I too am starting to develop issues. As for coating the smooth handles Plastidip that rubberized coating for tool handles could be worth a try. A couple of coats should provide a grippier surface, just dip the handles in and let them dry. The good thing is if you don't like it I should be removable. I've bought it at Home Depot before.
They have aerosol versions of Plastidip too, if you don't want to dip and/or only want to coat one side. I used it on the underside of my diy push stick (the section that meets the wood). I think it would work well on handles too.
I saw Cosman using hockey tape, and I gave it a try. Gotta say, I love it!
It's durable and grippy, even when there's fine sawdust everywhere. You can add a little volume to the handle with a few layers, which makes it easier for my slightly arthritic hands to tighten things nicely on those skinny smaller sized Bessey F-style clamps!
The nice oversize wooden handles on my Jorgensen cabinet clamps are now no longer too slick to grab in a panic when glue is dripping everywhere.
I've got it on a bunch of other tools now, too - hammers, coping saws, etc. I learned about it last year and I'm already into my seventh or eight roll. Haven't worn through it, I just keep finding more tool to use it on.
Out of interest, have you had to make any other adaptations to your woodworking because of arthritis?
I've had to adapt for years... between car accidents and years and years of hard use, my body has been rebelling. LOL
I have always preferred larger handles on all my tools. As I get older, I find myself making larger handles for a lot of things.
My grip is not as strong as it used to be either. My finger, hand and arm strength is just as powerful, but my joints hurt a lot when gripping sheet goods, or trying to pinch-hold something.
But, one of the best things I did was for my back (where I have a lot of arthritis), I put down rubber flooring in my shop. I try everything I can to work on padded surfaces and stay off concrete or other very hard, stiff floors.
I still wrangle full sheets on and off the top of my Cherokee, and twist and turn on the jobsite, up and down ladders (which I really pay for later) and in and out of tight spaces installing things I've built or repairing stuff. But, I am not as fast or as quiet getting up or down, and I pay for the hard days a lot longer than I used to.
I use the tape made to add friction the the blades of hockey sticks. It holds up pretty well.
LOL
I just replied this same thing, hours after you, because I didn't see it.
Love the hockey tape!
Yeah, and you can't find it except 3 rolls at a clip. Stuff works great, especially with the twisted first layer.
I've been buying from Howie's Hockey Tape. Do they not have what you use?
https://howieshockeytape.com/collections/howies-cloth-hockey-tape
Rob Cosman uses tape for hockey sticks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeIBlQV4V0o&t=117s
https://robcosman.com/collections/miscellaneous/products/hockey-tape
I have not tried it. Must be a Canadian thing.
i too use rob's method of hockey stick tape on every handle in the shop. including clamps, mallets and even screwdrivers. works wonders for my carpel tunnel.
Clamps need to be tailored to an individuals type of work. A woodworker who builds larger pieces and built-ins will need different clamps than someone focusing on smaller projects like boxes and cutting boards. That said I do believe in buying clamps in groups of 4 since that is the minimum needed to glue up a modest size case or panel glue up.
That said my current clamp inventory consists of
2 x 72" Steel I-beam clamps
8 x 48" Steel I-beam clamps
8 x 36" Steel I-beam clamps
4 x 50" original K-body Besseys
4 x 31" original K-body Besseys
4 x 24" original K-body Besseys
8 x 40" K-body Revo Besseys
4 x 31" K-body Revo Besseys
8 x 24" K-body Revo Besseys
4 Bessey clamp expanders which let me combine any 2 Revos into larger clamps. Highly Recommended if you occasionally build large pieces let's 2 40" clamps become 1 80" clamp.
I'm not going to count 3-4 dozen F style clamps I have in sizes from 8" to 48"
And then the handscrews and quick clamps and...
I think I need more clamps!
Most people will agree you can't be too rich, too thin, too handsome (or pretty), too smart, and have too many friends or have too many clamps. Well, that's just not true! But it seems like its true.
call me a braggart, but i don't have that problem. between pipe, parallel and f-style clamps i own 340. i have yet to come accros a project where i said (or even thought), damn, i wish i had more clamps.
I have several sizes of the Bessey parallel K-body clamps and love them. My clamp handles have an Allen head insert on the end that will accept an Allen head wrench to assist with tightening.
After owning qty=2 50" and qty=2 40" original Bessey K-Body Revo I had a difficult time deciding upon what would be the correct sizes to add. No matter what size I had I would seem to need a clamp a few inches longer. So I decided to just get four Bessey K-Body Revo clamps of each size from 18" to 50". Anything longer than that I could use two clamps together, pipe clamps or various solutions in FWW to extend parallel clamps.
The various sizes allow me to use 4 clamps of the "correct" size clamp and gives me the option to use 4 additional clamps of one size larger. And if necessary use additional oversized clamps. The method seems to work for me. If necessary I just do the glue up in sections. I tend to run out of assembly surfaces just about the time I need more clamps.
Bessey K-Body Revo collection:
2 x 50" original K-body Bessey
2 x 40" original K-body Bessey
2 x 50" K-body Revo Bessey
2 x 40" K-body Revo Bessey
4 x 31" K-body Revo Bessey
4 x 24" K-body Revo Bessey
4 x 18" K-body Revo Bessey
I thought about purchasing qty=4 of the 12" K-Body Revo Bessey but purchased these instead.
4 x 7"x16" TG7.016+2K Bessey TG Professional Series Bar Clamps
The clamps are about the same price and I find much more utility in my shop for these than I would for the 12" parallel clamps. I may add the 12" K-Body Revos at some point in the future.
I have a bunch of the early Bessey parallel clamps, and they work fine. The handles are fairly small diameter wood, and aren't great for grasping. I drilled holes in a few handles to stick a screwdriver in to help turn.
I added several 50 and 80 inch models of the new Besseys for long work, and they are an improvement.
I have a bunch of Jet parallel clamps, and they are the best I have in every way.
I bought two Jorgensons a few months back, as they were the only parallel clamps available. They aren't very good. The action is finicky, and the jaws are substantially out of parallel.
I use 24 inchers the most, by far. They handle almost all panel glue ups. 24 and 50 inchers take care of most carcase assembly, but a couple of 80 inchers come in handy for pulling diagonals square.
I'm 70 & hand strength isn't what it was so I drilled holes through the clamp handles to put a screwdriver through and tighten my clamps that way, if that helps.
I've got 4ea 48": K-Body, 4ea 24" KBody and 4ea 12" KBody
Plus 4ea 12" & 4ea 6" old skool Jorgensen hand screw clamps. Plus a whole bunch of Irwin quick clamps. I also have several dozen old pipe clamps that I barely use now...
The Irwins are good for holding, however for clamping I find myself going for my Bessey 12" UniKlamps more than any other of my choices.
For anyone thinking about Jet clamps, my issues are
1) I don't like the screw threads - I usually have to use pliers. I get way more power with Bessey and hand pressure.
2) I don't like the handles, plus the end caps come off.
3) The lever lock is clunky and and clumsier to use.
4) The little riser blocks a) shouldn't be necessary and b) end up on the floor.
Other than that, they work fine :-)
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