Does anyone have some feedback about the Plano press? I’ve been thinking about getting one since I saw an add for it in the last FWW. Comments in previous posts, which are a few years old, seem to be pretty mixed.
Aside from the price, which is pretty steep, my primary concern is ease of use. It looks like it may be more trouble than its worth to set and load…any opinions? Reviewers were also pretty mixed on whether it actually puts enough force on the boards to bring them into alignment. Any comments pro/con?
Replies
Well I have one hanging on the wall and as far as I am concerned it is much better than waving clamps around or taking up the restricted space I have. It is not expensive taking account of the way it applies pressure equally from each side as well as from top to bottom, and the pressure is enough to rob joints of glue if you apply too much. Loading and gluing is easier cos drips stay on the wood.
If I had a bigger shed I would extend it, but have room for the basic kit only (sob).
How do you adjust for the thickness. I couldn't find a clear, descriptive photo.thanks
Ron
That is one of the plus points Ron. Because of the lazy tongs effect of the clamping system, you do not do anything, it's automatic, as you start to put pressure on the ends the sides close equally to snug up the boards.
The maximum thickness seems to be about 2 1/2 inches but I have not tried this. The beauty is that the pressure is applied over the full surface of the work so clean-up is confined to squeeze-out and if the boards were fresh from the thicknesser, then the panel comes out flat. Common sense of course to use flat stock in the first place, the clamp may straighten a dogs hind leg, but not for long.
Hope this helps, David
Because of the lazy tongs effect of the clamping system, you do not do anything, it's automatic, as you start to put pressure on the ends the sides close equally to snug up the boards.
Hows chances of seeing a close up of the "lazy tongs"?
Who is the manufacture?
thanks
Ron
That needs a photo and it's getting dark here, I will see if I can find the leaflet and scan it. May be tomorrow though.
Mufti and Ron,There's a PDF of perhaps the same leaflet, with an illustration of how the "lazy tongs" work, athttp://www.advmachinery.com/amipdf/Plano-abd-zVise.pdf It also answers the maximum thickness question: "the linking arms automatically adjust to any thickness up to 5.” And it has a blurb from a product review in Fine Woodworking (#90), if you . That was October '91 if you want to track it down.Dan
Thank you very much for that Dan. I could not find my leaflet but thats no surprise here, I have to run on auto.
I also have two Zyliss vices, had three at one time but gave one away. Not a spendthrift, the first was a christmas present in 1969 and the others turned up as a lot in a general auction. Two are better than one, mounted in line on each side of the bench they are excellent for holding boards on edge, flat or every which way.
The first cost £12! All the best, David
Bad Dawg,
I have used a 5 arm plano press for some 8 years now, having become very frustrated with the more conventional panel-clamping method of T-bar clamps to squish the edges together and G-clamps to try and keep the assembly flat.
The plano is a great time and effort saver, as all you have to do is set the height of the bottom clamp to match the width of the panel to be clamped then load in the boards.
Things to consider are:
* Use some form of batten between the clamps and the panel edge, as the plano can apply a LOT of pressure so will mark the edges of unprotected narrow or softer timbers.
* Scrape any old glue squeeze-out off the clamp arm edges. As these are protected with poly sleeves, dried glue is easily knocked off- but don't allow it to accumulate.
* Keep the track that the clamp arms slide in lubricated with a dry-spray type lubricant.
* Keep the large knobs used to tighten the clamps properly screwed on, as they can strip a thread during tightening, if left to go loose.
* Although the plano will force boards to stay in line, consider using biscuits too if the boards are not all straight, as even the plano will not keep the very ends of bent boards in line.
* You can supplement the plano with ordinary pipe or other bar clamps if you want, mounted vertically, parallel with and between the plano arms.
* You can clamp multiple panels in one go if you stack them in the plano. Use cling film to avoid inter-panel glue contamination.
* Don't create a giant panel in the plano - you may lift each individual plank in but can you lift the glued up panel out again? Of course, you can always detach the front arms of the plano, avoiding the giant vertical panel then falling on your foot. :-)
All in all, I would give it 95 out of 100 as a clamp for all panels, large and small.
Lataxe
Thanks, that's great feedback. I'm going to go ahead and order one.
How long of panel can you do with just the three arms in the basic package? I'd like to be able to do up to about 72 inch long panels, but usually about 48 inches or less most of the time. How many arms should I get to do a good job without having to add regular pipe clamps to supplement?
Bad Dog,
If your boards are straight and true, you can use less plano arms and have them spaced apart up to 2ft. However, it is then a good "belt and braces" strategy to use a bar clamp or two between the plano arms, just to apply more squish, the plano already having lined up and flattened the boards into a panel for you.
If the boards are less well-behaved, the plano arms should be closer together to give improved alignment/flatness to the panel.
As with other edge-joining techniques, you can use a slightly curved baton on the panel edges (top and bottom of the panel loaded into the plano) to spread the squish from one or two central clamps to the ends of the panel (or vice versa, if the batons curve up at the ends rather than up in the middle).
Similarly, I like to plane, sand or otherwise put a very shallow "dip" into the edge of each board, so that squishing them together in the middle spreads squish-force to the ends. The latter technique also helps to prevent later splitting of panel-boards at their ends, if the ends dry out a bit (faster than the middle).
Incidentally, Mr Brown is right about the glue-grab timings. I tend to use a biscuit or three to ensure that the panels are lined up as they get stacked into the plano, one by one. Otherwise you do need a long-set-time glue, to ensure the plano can flatten and otherwise align all the boards, once they're all glued, loaded in and the plano clamps are tightened.
The only thing I can add to the replies you've received so far is that the aligning force of the clamps is not great enough in my experience to overcome the rapid tack of PVA glues such as Titebond. By the time I load the fourth board in, the first two have already grabbed hold of each other. I now use Titebond III, which sets more slowly, and I can usually push the separate boards into alignment with hand pressure. But a dead-blow hammer is sometimes needed. Beat on the clamp bar, not the lumber.
I've used the plano system in a friends shop and don't find it nearly as good as the curved caul method which I've been using for 35 years. The curved cauls ensure perfect alignment with no biscuits or dowels and I typically plane to finished thickness and only have to scrape the glue off and sand. I could also mount the cauls on the wall in a system similar to the plano. The other nice thing about curved cauls is I can use my regular quick clamps and bar or pipe clamps and the cauls are great for doing casework glue ups. Funny that I haven't seen more on using cauls in most of the magazines except for a few articles lately.
Edited 10/24/2006 8:47 am ET by RickL
Speaking of cauls, here's an interesting commercial version.http://www.bowclamp.com/
Old news. Kind of like buying push sticks or zero clearance inserts. Couldn't imagine buying them when they are so simple to make.
Rick,
Perhaps you need 35 years practice with the Plano? :-)
Lataxe, a fan of Swiss engineering.
In the same vein, sort of, Has anyone used the 4way clamp where you notch a pair of 2x2 or such and the pair of clamps lock onto the notches and as you tighten the screws on each one it not only puts pressure from the sides, but also pulls the bars down, giving you pressure on the edges as well as the top and bottom?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10711
Is it any good?
" There'll be no living with her now" - Captain Jack Sparrow
They are very cumbersome in my experience. The curved cauls are so much simpler and cheaper in the long run. The curve puts pressure on the middle of the panel to keep it flat. Why spend money on gimmics that just take up space. The curved cauls use your regular clamps. I think keeping things simple is better in the long run.
I would not trade my Plano glue presses for anything. They do a great job, are quick and easy to use. I am looking to buy my third set.
Bill
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