Clamp choices

[YorkshireMartin]

Hi all,

I have a table top to glue up eventually, so I'm going to need some clamps. The top is 45mm walnut so will require considerable clamping pressure. It's my first major item of furniture. The top will be between 80 and 90cm wide by 150cm long when finished. I also have a bench to make of around 150cm which will have tenoned stretchers.

Aside from a few odd clamps I have laying around, I haven't invested in any serious clamps yet.

I've been looking at the Irwin Quick Grip XP range and the Wolfcraft one handers. I've also looked at the Bessey web site....eek.

For the job in hand, am I better off forgetting about the one handed clamps or will they do the job? I'm concerned that the pull from them wouldn't be totally parallel and whilst I will be using cauls, I'm still a bit unsure.

My thoughts at the moment are to use the one handed clamps, probably the Irwins, to clamp the cauls, then use 4 Bessey k-body clamps for the actual table top. Does this sound reasonable?

I'm just wondering if I can do it a bit cheaper than the above. Are there any other clamps I should consider? Pipe clamps perhaps, if so would Bessey be a good choice here also?

Many thanks.

 

[RobinBHM]

Sash cramps would be my choice.

Ideally you will need 8 cramps. They are best applied in pairs, one above, one below.

 

[Zeddedhed]

K Body Revos are without doubt the Cats Pajamas of the clamping world, or in the words of the apprentice 'they is proper boss clamps innit".

However they are seriously expensive. We use Axminster trade t bar sash clamps mainly and find that used with care they are fine for more or less everything. A set of the lighter weight aluminium ones (I think Rutlands do some for quite a good price - green and orange heads) for smaller jobs is also part of the armoury. Most clamps have a tendency to bow under pressure. In my opinion if you need this much pressure then there is often something else going on that needs rectifying first.

 

[marcros]

i have 4 6ft sash clamps that you can borrow if you want to- they are rutland ones but have been ok when I have used them (for a bench and table top, ironically).

I also have some pipe clamp heads (4 I think) and was going to buy some length of pipe for them- I found somewhere on eBay that was near cleckheaton selling it cut and threaded. you are welcome to borrow these too when I get the pipe sorted. i was going for 2, 3 and 4 feet lengths, so these may be better suited to a 80-90cm wide top. i have found that the sash clamps can be a nuisance because they are too long for some jobs.

 

[Bm101]

Don't know if its any value to you. After some great advice on here I have recently been buying up clampheads off ebay. Paramo/old record seem to be the best made by a stretch. Rutlands are doing one of their 'deals' on 4 sets for £25. http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworkin ... k6705pack4. These arrived the other day and are rough cast to say the least in comparison. I'm sure they'll be servicable might just need a bit of work.
Bought several lengths of mild steel box section 50mm x 25mm x 3mm off ebay. Delivery is not too bad if it's combined. My seller wanted £12 to ship one but you could also ship 4 for that price.
Cheaper to buy locally if you can of course.
I have several doors to make (at some point) so I wanted the versatility of these clamps and the different lengths of tube you can use.


For comparison:
Paramo is on the left and is in a different class of construction.

Cheers
Chris

 

[Peter Sefton]

It's good quality sash cramps all the way for me, I have seen a few students buy cheap ones and regretted it.

Cheers Peter

 

[YorkshireMartin]

i have 4 6ft sash clamps that you can borrow if you want to- they are rutland ones but have been ok when I have used them (for a bench and table top, ironically).

I also have some pipe clamp heads (4 I think) and was going to buy some length of pipe for them- I found somewhere on eBay that was near cleckheaton selling it cut and threaded. you are welcome to borrow these too when I get the pipe sorted. i was going for 2, 3 and 4 feet lengths, so these may be better suited to a 80-90cm wide top. i have found that the sash clamps can be a nuisance because they are too long for some jobs.

marcros, thank you very much, that is a very kind offer and goes above and beyond. I want to buy some because this isn't a one off project (I hope), so I want to be well equipped going forward. I notice you're in Leeds. With 6,000 odd posts I'm sure you probably have all you need, but if not, give me a shout if anytime you're stuck for something and I'll see if I can help.

 

[marcros]

cheers, I will do so. same goes for you

 

[YorkshireMartin]

Gents, great advice, thank you very much.

8 100cm k body's will come in at 400 quid or thereabouts. Considering my shopping basket for 12 Irwin Quick Grips was £360, it seems reasonable, considering the step up in quality.

Really need to have a long think.

Can anyone recommend any quality brands of sash clamp that might be a shade cheaper than Bessey?

 

[RobinBHM]

Id be tempted to look out for some fleabay record clamps

Record sash clamps are basic but they are made to last. I bought quite a few of them when axminster were doing a really good deal (a few years ago.... 20 or so!).

I wouldnt choose T bar clamps, they are too heavy for cabinetmaking.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

Id be tempted to look out for some fleabay record clamps

Record sash clamps are basic but they are made to last. I bought quite a few of them when axminster were doing a really good deal (a few years ago.... 20 or so!).

I wouldnt choose T bar clamps, they are too heavy for cabinetmaking.

Right o Robin, I'll take a look.

 

[PAC1]

D&M tools usually have a deal on record sash clamps get either 42 or 48 inch ones. Usually circa £20 to £25 each. Whilst they do not make them like they used to, they are still good and form the mainstay of my clamping army. You will need 6 to 8 for the job and in a years time you will be wondering why you did not get more.

 

[RobinBHM]

The maple looks great, I hope you find your clamps soon.

For timbers that are pale or high in tannin, I space clamps away from the timber with thin spacers because the steel can stain especially if using pva.

I always super glue on some birch ply blocks onto the clamp heads.

If gluing up on your own, you may want make some clamp supports (a bit s/w batten with a slot cut through it). Theres nothing more annoying than the clamps keep falling over.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

D&M tools usually have a deal on record sash clamps get either 42 or 48 inch ones. Usually circa £20 to £25 each. Whilst they do not make them like they used to, they are still good and form the mainstay of my clamping army. You will need 6 to 8 for the job and in a years time you will be wondering why you did not get more.

Do you need to use threaded pipes with those PAC?

I'm kind of thinking that the Besseys are about £45 quid each and perhaps by the time I've bought a record clamp at £25, a pipe at a fiver and then paid someone a fiver to thread it, I might as well just get the Besseys?

How's my reasoning?

 

[YorkshireMartin]

The maple looks great, I hope you find your clamps soon.

For timbers that are pale or high in tannin, I space clamps away from the timber with thin spacers because the steel can stain especially if using pva.

I always super glue on some birch ply blocks onto the clamp heads.

If gluing up on your own, you may want make some clamp supports (a bit s/w batten with a slot cut through it). Theres nothing more annoying than the clamps keep falling over.

Thanks Robin, good advice. I knew not to use certain metals around oak, but I hadn't thought about the maple in the same way. Makes perfect sense, of course.

Clamp supports make good sense too, as do clamp head protectors. Would you apply a protector even to a plastic head?

 

[RobinBHM]

Plastic heads are fine, I was thinking in terms of sash clamps that usually have metal heads.

Rust / stain marks do tend to come off maple easily, but its not worth taking a risk esp if you are gluing up with pva and wiping off with a wet rag.

I always make the boards a touch over size, so any clamp marks can be trimmed off.

If you are using biscuits, make sure they are positioned away from the finished length. Its not amusing to cut the glued up blank to length and expose a biscuit slot......been there, done that!

 

[YorkshireMartin]

If you are using biscuits, make sure they are positioned away from the finished length. Its not amusing to cut the glued up blank to length and expose a biscuit slot......been there, done that!

Ouch!

I'm not using biscuits for the table top. I haven't decided how to edge joint them yet but I was thinking loose tenons, which I guess is sort of biscuit like after all. lol

 

[PAC1]

Here is a link to D&M tools record sash clamps http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/browse.php/se ... 49/level/4
No pipe needed everything needed is included except a block of wood to prevent damaging the work

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've never quite worked out why sash cramps are so expensive - they're not exactly complicated. By the bye. I always glue little wooden pads on mine with hot melt. Once in a while I'll knock one off, but they're easily replaced and it doesn't make a mess of the pads as they break away cleanly.

 

[Jmac80]

I have 4 x 80cm bessey revo and a heap of irwin quick grip xp clamps.
the irwins easily bow under pressure on the longer ones as the bars are just not that thick, especially on the 60cm and up ones.
The smaller irwins are fine and quick to use.
The 80cm besseys are rock solid and when i get more clamps they will be bessey revo.
Amazon.de sell bessey revo delivered to the UK for cheaper than you can get them here or atleast they did when i looked a few weeks back.