Best clamps for gluing??

Dan Thibert

Member
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183
Location
Leominster Mass
I thought I would post this here since I am looking for some advice so I can order this after noon.
I am looking to purchase 4 clamps in order to help me with gluing some boards.
I found Amazon.com has a great price on the Jorgensen clamps but not sure what size to get.

24"
http://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-802...ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1242917226&sr=1-7

or 36"
http://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-803...f=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1242920457&sr=1-15

or 48"
http://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-804...ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1242920457&sr=1-5

or maybe a combination? The need now is for a 24" X 12" piece, but next project may be bigger?

Your help in making this decision would be helpful
Dan
 
i have different types of clamps, but if i'm gluing up a panel, or a couple of boards, i will use my pipe clamps. i bought a handfull of the mechanisms from rockler, and varying lengths of black pipe from home depot, ranging from 2 ft to 6 ft.
 
Those are good prices. I use Bessy k-body but the CM's are nice too. I use 24" more than anything and finally had enough once I had eight. Longer ones come in handy now and then but, I bought long ones thinking I could use them for short stuff too . . . . Doh! Very awkward and the weight of the unused bar pulls your project all over the bench.

If you are only going for four (you'll kick yourself later at that price) I would grab a couple 24's a a couple 36'.
 
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I have some pipe clamps, the problem is keeping the work flat while I am clamping. I am thinking that these will allow me to use the sides of the clamps so they will lay flat ont he pieces and offer good coverage.
 
i had that problem too dan, until i realized that i was overlooking 2 things. the first was that i wasn't checking to make sure the boards were flat on the pipes to begin with, and the second was that i was applying too much pressure, and it would bow up in the center (path of least resistance). once i corrected those errors, haven't had a problem since. just a matter of tending to all the details i guess... :)
 
they look top quality, cant picture going wrong with jet products.
I can tell you one thing, almost 3 years into this woodworking hobby, you can never, EVER, have enough clamps.
 
i agree with you allen about never having enough clamps :thumb: but if my wife ever caught me spending that much on 4 clamps :eek:, i wouldn't be spending a few nights on the couch, i'd be out in the car... :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
I have some pipe clamps, the problem is keeping the work flat while I am clamping. I am thinking that these will allow me to use the sides of the clamps so they will lay flat ont he pieces and offer good coverage.

When I was making a lot of cutting boards, I often used cauls at each end to keep the boards all flat during glue-up. I put wax paper between the cauls and the panel I'm gluing up. (I put wax paper on the bed of the parallel clamps to keep the glue off them, too.) They don't need to be tight...just firm enough to keep the boards from shifting up and down.

This sketch doesn't show the main clamps that pull the panel pieces together, but it should give you an idea of what I'm talking about...

Panel Glue-Up Cauls.jpg
 
vaughn, i can see where that would control vertical movement, but unless you are gluing up an oversized panel, then cutting to size, how would horizontal movement be controlled? to me it seems like a lot of extra steps, that in my view could be taken care of by a minimal use of (insert the "b" word here), and only tightening up only one set of clamps.
 
Best Clamp for Edge & Face Gluing?

Well, I always thought that this was the best, but I could not justify the cost.:D

79F-6-PC.jpg

rockerplates.jpg


www.jltclamps.com/edge_and_face_gluing.html?id=10
 
I still think its better to learn to use what you already have & not throw money at the problem when its not necessary.

I have made several cabinet face frames & a year ago I made my first frame & panel doors all with pipe clamps it only takes a little time & they work fine.

Yes I would love to have parallel clamps but would have to be able to justify them to my self, not to mention room to store them. If I were to buy parallel clamps at the price of the Jorgensen clamps they are what I would purchase for $154.00 I could purchase several & make my own support brackets to hold the for door frames.

Come to think of it I didn't have any brackets to hold the clamps when I made that set of frame & panel doors gee I don't remember how I did that but it worked the doors came out nice & flat.:rofl:

Throwing money at a problem will not always make it go away & can become a bad habit . Learn to think outside the box, you may find it helpful in the middle of a project when there is no time to buy something,
 
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vaughn, i can see where that would control vertical movement, but unless you are gluing up an oversized panel, then cutting to size, how would horizontal movement be controlled? to me it seems like a lot of extra steps, that in my view could be taken care of by a minimal use of (insert the "b" word here), and only tightening up only one set of clamps.

I almost always cut to size after gluing. In the cases where I'm gluing to finished size, I'd also use a caul or something similar to keep that dimension together. I think you'll find that even with a good set of parallel clamps, your boards are going to want to shift. Since I don't have a decent wide thickness planer, I've still ended up using cauls (like in the sketch) with my Bessy K-Bodies and Gross Stabil parallel clamps for things like cutting boards where I have a lot of pieces of wood. It only takes a minute or so to add them to the glue-up. I do it after the pieces are in the clamps, but before I do the final tightening of the clamps. Sometimes a little extra time spent during the glue-up can save even more time later in the process. In my case, sanding. I don't like sanding. :D
 
I was still in the big bed after the wife finding out :thumb:

I like the idea of the cauls, thanks for the pic cause I never would have understood what you were talking about:huh:

Maybe I did not need to spend that much on clamps, but they got great reviews and would also be a big help putting the kitchen cabinet doors together. I have 24 of them so any help will be welcome
 
Good point Bart,
I think I have a harder time thinking outside the box since I am still learning how to put the box together :rofl:

I am also in the "WOW in need one of those" stage. It has to stop since I am already going into my wife retirement to pay for this hobby:bang:

Everytime I pick up a Woodworkers magazine of watch Woodsmith on TV my wife gets scared:eek:

I do look for deals, but toys/tools are still expensive

Dan
 
well dan the jets are rated better than the jorgies, in overall stats from the various reviews.. they had troubles with there locking mechanicsums for awhile but may have corrected that now... i have bessys and some jorgy bar clamps.. if i were to purchase any more clamps i would look into the bar clamps.. they are the mains stay for many old shops..they last and dont break.. but one thing you need to look at as well is the size listed is usually just that 24" period and for most things you are better off to trim to size after your glued up..so that means to make them over size first then your 24" wont make a over size panel that needs to be 24 finished!! bessy makes a 31 that is a great size for cab work.. and 24" are great for door work. just a few different ideas..:thumb:
 
Larry the set I got have (2) 24" clamps and (2) 40" clamps.

I thought that would give me the best size options.

I also have (5) bar clamps, (4) pipe clamps (4) of the squeezy bar clamps :rofl:, and a variety of spring clamps and C clamps.

I know I need more but I have to start somewhere:rolleyes:

Did I make the right decision on these clamps????

I hope so I certainly do not have the money to through away:(
 
i cant tell you whats good for you.. i can only tell you what i have done and what i have read.. you know your uses better than any of us. look at what you have done in the past and what worked the best for you.. and go from there and take what info you get from the forum, and put it all together..and go with your best choice.. there is no right and wrong.. unless they are made outa plastic:)
 
I've got some of the Jets and a handful of Bessys. They all work well, though i like the Jets better for a few minor reasons. I'd be happy with either one. I did have some problems with the Cabinetmasters refusing to release after clamping. Now THAT'S frustrating - having to fish a screw driver or drive pin inside the clamp mechanism, prying and "tapping" to get the thing loose again. I hope they've fixed that problem.
I'm with the others on this though. The parallel clamps are great, but not necessary. They do make life easier if you've got a lot of repetitive work where a few of these clamps can replace a bunch of other clamps, cawls, tape, rope, straps, and artfully placed four letter words.
They're a bit spendy, but i think you'll appreciate having them.
paulh
 
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