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Pony pipe clamps

Doug Gatecliff

Doug Gatecliff

Member
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44
Location
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
I have decided to build a bunch of pipe clamps. I bought the Bessey pipe clamps, and am disappointed in the finish. I took them out of the box, and the casting is very rough on them, just not the finish I have seen on other clamps.. probably Jorgensen clamps maybe. Do you wash the pipe down with thinner to get all the oil off them, and then paint them to keep them from rusting? Will the paint not come off if you rub it on a project, and if you don't put a protection on them, will they not rust.?

Am I worrying too much?

Doug
 
I have a bunch of 3/4 inch pipe clamps with Pony clamps on the ends. As I understand you can buy 3/4 inch pipes in galvanized steel or some such steel that is rust resistant. Mine have not rusted even in Japans very humid climate.
 
Alex Reid said:
I have a bunch of 3/4 inch pipe clamps with Pony clamps on the ends. As I understand you can buy 3/4 inch pipes in galvanized steel or some such steel that is rust resistant. Mine have not rusted even in Japans very humid climate.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend using galvanized pipe, because I was given 4 one time and they have a tendency to slip. I took them off the galvanized and put them on black pipe and they worked fine. I just lay some wax paper over the pipe, or stick a piece of masking tape along the top of the pipe in between the clamps to keep the glue from causing the black to get on the wood you are clamping. Painting them will usually cause them to slip also.
 
Thanks guys,
I will use black iron pipe, and just wipe them down good with degreaser and thinners. My shop is 68 to 70 Degrees.. year round, so they should be okay as far as rust..
Like I said.. I really thought the Bessey would have e nicer finish.. but.. "made in China".. and approx. $8.00 a set cheaper then the next brand.. so I guess, you get what you pay for..

Doug
 
I haven't bought a Pony since Rockler came out with the Bigfoot. Has Jorgensen made changes to the Pony in response to (what I feel is) the superior design of the Bigfoot?
 
I use galvenized. No rust problems in almost 4 years (mostly hanging in the rack as I acquired K-body clamps). The casting on the jorgies are pretty rough as well so I don't think your Bessys are sub-par.
 
Doug,

If you are worried about rust, you can put Boeshield or something like it on them. That is what I use on my cast iron tables. I wouldn't think this would cause them to slip.

I have had the pony pipe clamps for a few years and they have not rusted, but my shop is always heated at 50 to 55 degrees. I have had some rust on my table saw.

As the others have said, put some wax paper over the pipes and you wont get the black transfer to the wood. This especially happens with oak.
 
I use 3/4" Rigid Conduit (my son, the Electrician, brings me threaded shorts :thumb:) It is already Galvanized and ready to go.

Pony is by far the best choice for Pipe clamps, if you want better quality then forego the pipeclamp idea and purchase Bar Clamps. Pipeclamps are a Makeshift situation at best. Tis not the casting finish or the painting that makes the difference , it is how smooth the Acme threads advance the clamp. there is where your concerns need to be centered. That is the business end as the rest is cosmetic.

Pony is Jorgensen, Same company... I have several differend brands of the same design and all are inferrior to the Pony. (Haven't done the LV route so don't yes/but me) I do have Rockler's and the best I can say is they are close but still the Pony is smoother.

Add the price of a good set of Pipe clamp jaws and screw to the price of Pipe and then look at a good Bar clamp Are you getting close? I think close enough to consider one less clamp for the price of better choice.

(but I get my Pipe FREE)
 
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I get my pipe almost free it is used galvanized.I have found there is a difference in diameter in the old & new galvanized. None of the Pony or Sears clamps slip on the old pipe but they do on the newer pipe. So I've stuck to using used galvanized pipe. I have 4 pieces of black pipe & wouldn't give you a nickle for it always chasing around trying to make sure it is covered so there will be no stain marks is baloney. I can usually get 3/4" galvanized pipe for around $2-$5 for 25'. Not to long ago I received all but 4 of my Dad's Sears pipe clamps the have the lever style gripper they seem to work ok sometimes I need to tap on the lever to get it to grip but not often. So 32 pipe clamps on old galvanized pipe for free which brings my total pipe clamp collection to 49 I'll never use them all at one time. I store 28 of them out in a rack in an out building.

I'll bet for the most part I could easily get by with the light duty aluminum clamps. Which I've used a number of times for face frames with no problems. Now with pocket screws I don't use that many clamps.
 
Good points Bart and Bill. I wonder if the galvanizing coat on the electric conduit might be somehow better suited to the task of the clamp clutches than galv. water pipe is. I guess the point of the black pipe making a mess of finish wood on projects was something I never thought about before. I mostly used my pipe clamps for metal fabrication, in which never it was never a concern. Now working with wood, I have to change my thinking.

Thanks for bringing these points out so well. I seem to be using my shorter parallel clamps mostly these days anyway. My pipe clamps are all disassembled and stored away.

Aloha, Tony
 
I've read about the slipping here and there over the years. I've got to assume subtle differences in suppliers(?). My galvanized 3/4" is just the stock stuff from Lowe's about 4-5 years ago. No slipping, I guess it's luck.
 
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