Forum ingenuity needed

[doctor Bob]

Hi,
I have about 40 Record T bar clamps, half have the original pin and chains, half now have, 8mm bolts, long screws, old drill bits, etc

Give me your best solutions, must not fall out when clamping.

I can buy replacements but mental £15 each from record.

Regards Bob

 

[Blackswanwood]

I have a couple that were given to me missing the pins. I used a bit of old threaded bar, cut to length, locked two nuts against each other at one end and a wing nut at the other.

 

[Trevanion]

I was thinking lately this myself, in my head I came up with maybe making a few pins with R-clips or something on them to hold them in place. The only thing with that is it’s one extra thing to go missing #-o

 

[Sheffield Tony]

It would be quite nice if they were made stiff in the hole with a sprung wire in a groove, like some bench dogs or a 4mm banana plug as used in school physics class ?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

They used to be produced with a sprung U shaped bar - discontinued because of cost, I expect.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have a couple that were given to me missing the pins. I used a bit of old threaded bar, cut to length, locked two nuts against each other at one end and a wing nut at the other.

Are you talking of the end of the bar or for use in the adjusting holes? I've got bolts in the ends of mine, but it would be a faff to alter daily.

 

[Blackswanwood]

The adjusting holes Phil. I used the wing nut on one end so it's no real faff to move. Admittedly it was just done with what I had around and I'm sure there are better solutions but it works. Cheers

 

[Trevanion]

To be honest, there really isn't much wrong with how they're designed. If they just used a better quality chain that didn't split apart it wouldn't actually be a problem.

If I could come up with an improved version with a better chain would anyone be interested? I've got a few I could do with re-doing so it wouldn't hurt to make a bunch really.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marine-Stain ... 0010.m2109

If you could find them with a pin long enough to clear the body of the cramps, although in use I don't suppose it would matter too much. It's surprising how many sellers don't give the dimensions. Any pins you buy now (I've not looked at Record) are quite likely to be parallel, and will fall out anyway.
They sell them with parallel pins so I don't suppose they'd keep tapered ones for spares.

 

[Tris]

Could a shaft locking pin from an agricultural merchant be used? They could be attached to a chain and wouldn't fall out in use.
I did once think about something like an anti-luce pin from a trailer but don't have the means to make it. I'll leave that to people with far more skills than I

 

[CHJ]

You need Pip Pins, similar to these, unfortunately most seem to be 6 or 8mm and I think most clamps are nearer 7mm. (for 1/4" ? pins)

 

[Droogs]

could you not just get some steel round bar the right size and drill and saw to length and then just make up some safety pins from gauge wire for one end and keyring loops for the other

 

[RobinBHM]

You need Pip Pins, similar to these, unfortunately most seem to be 6 or 8mm and I think most clamps are nearer 7mm. (for 1/4" ? pins)View attachment 61

thats a great idea.

can you also tell me where I can buy magic clamps that never get gummed up with glue

 

[doctor Bob]

can you also tell me where I can buy magic clamps that never get gummed up with glue

OLd chisel, on it's side run up and down pops the glue off a treat.

Thanks for the ideas chaps.

 

[Rorschach]

Some of these would be great

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1PC-6-3mm-1- ... Swm8ZdOAAS

 

[AndyT]

The best way I know to keep the loose pins in place while clamping is to roll a small fat o-ring along the tip of the pin once it's in the right hole.

So for your workshop, you could forget about attaching a pin to each clamp and just have a tub of pins and a tub of o-rings.

To keep glue off, I like brown parcel tape, but you do need to rip it off to slide the heads along, then replace it. Probably not necessary to change it every time if you are clamping up lots of things the same size.

 

[CHJ]

The best way I know to keep the loose pins in place while clamping is to roll a small fat o-ring along the tip of the pin once it's in the right hole.

Hmmmmm!

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Hi,
I have about 40 Record T bar clamps, half have the original pin and chains, half now have, 8mm bolts, long screws, old drill bits, etc
Give me your best solutions, must not fall out when clamping.
I can buy replacements but mental £15 each from record.
Regards Bob

I've found that removing the chain links altogether and replacing them with twisted wire, about 6 or 8 strands making something perhaps 2.5 - 3 mm thick helps in preventing loss of the pins. Unlike chain links, which open and/or break relatively easily under stress, wire seems to be much less fragile. Attaching the wire to the pins and the clamp head usually involves feeding the wire through holes in the pins and heads, twisting and soldering and/or crimping: Rorschach has posted a link to a similar idea.

The pins still fall out in use sometimes, but at least you should rarely lose them: others have suggested O-rings to stop the pins falling out, which looks a pretty useful idea, one I've never thought of, although I can see you might need a good supply to keep up with the number of O-rings that'll go walkabout, ha ha. Slainte.

 

[D_W]

drill rod with only the last little bit threaded and a wing nut so that you don't need tools if the assembly is tightened.

you can put nuisance stuff on the threads (like mineral oil and beeswax mix) so that the wing nut doesn't wander. Should cost less than a pound each to make. if the last little bit is the only part threaded, you won't be tempted to waste time spinning the wing nut on further than it needs to go.

 

[xy mosian]

Or possibly these:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Taper-Pins-M ... Kcv6-tioWA

A good start, if 6mm is suitable, but would need the chain added of course.
xy