Malleable Steel Pipe, galvanised or not ?

[Max Power]

Is pipe for pipe clamps best galvanised or plain, does galvanising make it more prone to slipping ?

 

[Pedronicus]

Plain (or black iron) will be cheaper and do the job just as well.

 

[Inspector]

The galvanized ones are reputed to wear the clutches (little plate grip things) causing slip, but I haven't noticed on the few I had among all of mine. They weren't recommended for my Pony Clamps I bought decades ago. The advantage of black is they are cheaper. Disadvantage is that many glue and wood combinations make the wood black where they touch. You either keep the pipe clear of the wood when tightening or put a few sheets paper (newspaper, wax, phone book, remember them, copy, parchment etc) or some tape between the pipe and the wood. Gets to be a natural habit if you do it a lot. Galvanized doesn't cause the staining but costs more and as I said may wear the clamps faster. I'd go for the black unless you get a bunch of freebees.

Pete

Thinking back it might not be that the galvanizing cause wear but the clamps slide on it, doesn't bite as well.

 

[sawtooth-9]

Just use gal pipe.
It works just as well and does not rust as easily

 

[clogs]

even galv is as cheap as chips n something less to go rusty.....
I wish my Record bar clamps were galvanised...

 

[stuart little]

Wrap foam pipe-insulation around black pipe to prevent marking of wood.

 

[stuart little]

I used black iron pipe bought in 1m. lengths threaded both ends+ some barrel nipples so that two pipes would make a 2m. clamp etc.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Is pipe for pipe clamps best galvanised or plain, does galvanising make it more prone to slipping ?

Galvanised is terrible for all the versions of pipe clamps I have. I use black or red pipe for easy clamping. If I use the few lengths of galvanised I bought by mistake I have to use a screwdriver to make them functional.