Sash Clamps

[esox20]

Recommendations for sash clamps.....looking to build workbench so need some good clamps for laminating worktop......TIA

 

[disco_monkey79]

I may get shot down in flames here, but I bought some Silverline ones from Toolstation, and they're good enough for my needs. Steel ones, not the aluminium ones.

 

[MikeJhn]

No flames from me, I have some as well and they do the job, the thing is Silverline don't make anything they are cloned from elsewhere so they could even be Festool. :twisted:

Mike

 

[Hot stuff]

Yep, they're definitely festool ones. And their planes are made by Clifton I heard.

 

[John15]

I bought most of mine new off ebay - the aluminium Silverline ones as mentioned above, and a piece of timber fitted into the box section makes them very rigid.

John

 

[custard]

Here's an original Record sash cramp next to the Rutlands version.

The steel spine is exactly the same dimensions on both. The tommy bar and cramping bolt is thinner on the Rutlands cramps, but the screw pitch is also finer so you can get more oomph that way. I use the two brands interchangeably, I don't notice more flexing on one versus the other. Given the whopping difference in price maybe they're worth considering. Good luck!

 

[davem62]

I have the aluminium ones and insert wood Paul Sellers style and that stiffens them up considerably, just look up Paul sellers retrofit claps on google

 

[pcb1962]

These ones from Rutlands are very good value if you don't want to spend Bessey amounts of money.

 

[Beau]

Clamp heads work well combined with an appropriate length of wood. Wax the wood to avoid it sticking to the work when gluing. I have some metal sash clamps but rarely reach for them for two reasons. One when resting on the top of the work they fall over easily and secondly they have to be carefully set away from the glue lines as can react causing staining especially when using oak. Mine are Record and Paramo but these look identical to the Paramo. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-0070 ... B0001P05J0

 

[worn thumbs]

If my plans were to involve using them every day I would seek out Record T-bar cramps on ebay.I own a few of the plain Record sash cramps,but when I needed some six footers for a one off job,I went to Machine Mart and bought the well known own brand.I had to spend a bit of time de-greasing and filing burrs off but they worked beautifully.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

I have a fair selection, I'm lucky to have been given quite a few. I find T bar clamps a bit heavy unless you really need massive clamping power. Really like my Record 135s, Rutlands 135 clones and also the Rutlands parallel jaw clamps. But, and it surprised me, my favourite clamps are a couple of the cheap aluminium ones, as used by Paul Sellars, was given them by my neighbour and now want more. Really fast to set, light and easy to use and. More than up to most tasks.

Simon

 

[Eric The Viking]

Clamp heads work well combined with an appropriate length of wood. Wax the wood to avoid it sticking to the work when gluing. I have some metal sash clamps but rarely reach for them for two reasons. One when resting on the top of the work they fall over easily and secondly they have to be carefully set away from the glue lines as can react causing staining especially when using oak. Mine are Record and Paramo but these look identical to the Paramo. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-0070 ... B0001P05J0

I agree, and the ones you link to are the best around these days. I've got (sadly only one) set of a similar earlier design, that has one crucial extra feature: one end has an 8mm hole next to the middle of the slot, to use as a guide for drilling - saves a lot of messing about.*

Two things though: You can, of course, wax ordinary steel sash cramps, or simply stick a strip of masking tape along the top edge and fold it over - works a treat.

T'other thing: an old friend of mine used to have plywood pads screwed to the feet of a lot of his sash cramps, to make them more stable when doing big glue-ups of things like worktops and table tops.

It's got several advantages: obviously they're harder to knock over, but you can also vary the thickness of the wood to take different brands of cramp into account, so that all the bars end up at the same height off the bench. And for those really awkward jobs, you can more easily screw the clamps down to battens, so they all stay square and aligned nicely (saves a lot of grief if you're single handed).

E.

PS: one absolutely infuriating thing about the Silverline pair I have (most of mine are very s/h Record and similar), is that the holes aren't drilled in the same places with respect to the screwed head (or they were pre-drilled and cut in the wrong place). They're not even evenly-spaced on one of them! They work just fine, but you have to double and triple check before starting a glue up, in case you picked the wrong hole on one of them.

*Ok I've got my template, but those ones are a bit nicer in finish and manufacture quality than the current ones, which are good enough though.

 

[MikeJhn]

I have a set of Pipe clamps similar to these: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-tr ... amp-505560 work superbly well, but they are so heavy, looking for some lightweight versions so this thread has been very helpful, thanks chaps.

Mike

 

[Farmer Giles]

I've just ordered some Bessey pipe 3/4" BSP clamps (just over 1" pipe OD) from Amazon, £22 each including delivery. I shall let you know if they are any good when they arrive.

 

[MikeJhn]

Never got around to it myself, but I have often wondered if 25mm black conduit would fit these, if comes already threaded on one end?

Mike

EDIT: to add link: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CO25slash3.html

 

[porker]

I've got some old Record clamps and some Rutland clones and I think they are fine. The heads don't pull in perfectly square so I am careful to shim with some thin packer if I need pressure at the top of jaw (if that makes sense). Steve Maskery bought some recently if I remember and I'm not sure if he was impressed but he is a woodworker and I'm a bodger. Can't say flexing has been an issue for me although I don't use them that often and I think I have used them more to repair furniture than make new.

 

[Jacob]

.... and secondly they have to be carefully set away from the glue lines as can react causing staining especially when using oak. .....

No prob if you lay a strip of sticky tape on the line of the clamp. Or on the clamp itself but then you cant adjust it with the tape in place.
Any old tape will do - masking, sellotape, parcel, insulating, drafting, etc.

 

[Beau]

.... and secondly they have to be carefully set away from the glue lines as can react causing staining especially when using oak. .....

No prob if you lay a strip of sticky tape on the line of the clamp. Or on the clamp itself but then you cant adjust it with the tape in place.
Any old tape will do - masking, sellotape, parcel, insulating, drafting, etc.

Yes have done that on my metal clamps but it's nice not having to faf about.

Surprised clamp heads are not more popular as they are so versatile and long lasting. In 20 years only broken one of my wooden bars and that was due to short grain and over tightening. All the heads are perfect.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Never got around to it myself, but I have often wondered if 25mm black conduit would fit these, if comes already threaded on one end?

Mike

EDIT: to add link: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CO25slash3.html

That should work but this stuff definitely does, the 3/4" BSP OD 26mm

http://www.pipefittingsdirect.co.uk/con ... k/d15.html

 

[MikeJhn]

Wow gas barrel £17.00 per 3.25M whereas 25mm ID conduit is £7.50 per 3.0M hope it does fit at that sort of saving? and probably half the weight, as its intended use is in tension I don't think the difference in specification will make any difference.

Mike