New Clamps

Sean Wright

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902
Location
WNY, Buffalo Area
The other day i picked up my 1st set of Bessey K-Body Clamps.

I got 2 24in, 2 40in, and the KP blocks. Rockler advertised this as a set for about $160. However, they didn't have them as a box set, so one of the sales guys took all of the seperate items and rang them out as the package. It actually came out to about $2 less than the price in the catalog. :D

Here you can see I already have the 24in'ers hard at work on a cutting board I'm doing.
 

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Sean, you are right....the Bessey K-Body's are great!!! And going on personal experience gained this week, after gluing up four of that exact same cutting board at one time, you will soon find that you will need more....QUICKLY!!! :rolleyes::eek:

- Keith
 
That kit is the first set of parallel clamps I ever bought (back a few years). They taught me the joys of K-Body (and the like) clamps. Very nice.
 
Yeah, using good parallel clamps for the first time is an eye-opening event. May as well start saving your lunch money now Sean, because you will wanting more of them. ;)
 
Bessey K body clamps

I have four 24" , four 30" and four 48" K-body clamps and love em! I want
to get some 12" clamps but will have to order them. My local woodworking
dealer has started carrying JET parallel clamps and has some 12" clamps in
stock. I prefer the Bessey clamps but have read good things about the
JET clamps. Any one have the JET clamps? If so, let me know what you
think about them and whether they are as good as the Besseys.
 
I've got several Besseys and a half dozen or so of the Jets. They both work fine, but i find that i reach for the Jets more often. The quick release lever is really handy, the jaws are wider and deeper, the handles fit my hand better, and the bench dogs that screw into them are really useful when glueing up panels. The inch markers on them are something i never use, but i guess, like everything else, that's just a matter of preference.
The Jets aren't polished up as nicely as the Besseys, but they work just as well. If you like the Besseys better than the Jets, you might look at the Woodcraft line that came out this past year. It's made by Bessey, and is essentially the same as the K-body clamps except that the bar is painted, not nickle plated. They are a bit less expensive as well.
Paul Hubbman
 
Woodpeckers is having a pretty good sale right now on Bessey's if you use their internet coupons. I just ordered some of their 60" clamps along with some others. Shipping wasn't to bad either.


Doug
 
If I had to buy the complete complement of Bessey's to match all the sizes of Pipe clamps I already have I wouldn't be able to buy any wood to make anything for a long long time.:(:doh: So I'll just be what I am a frugal hobby wood worker.:D:):thumb: Its fun even if it takes a little longer & isn't quite so fancy.:D:D:D:thumb::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
If I had to buy the complete complement of Bessey's to match all the sizes of Pipe clamps I already have I wouldn't be able to buy any wood to make anything for a long long time.:(:doh: So I'll just be what I am a frugal hobby wood worker.:D:):thumb: Its fun even if it takes a little longer & isn't quite so fancy.:D:D:D:thumb::rofl::rofl::rofl:

And they all said... Amen

It's all about doing doing it your own way Bart. :thumb:
Not a thing in the world wrong with pipe clamps.

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I like the Rockler pipe clamp. A while back they would put them on sale for $9 but limit how many one could order.
I kept an eye on them for three seasons until I got what I wanted.

I have a 10' length of pipe out there left over from putting in my compressor piping.
So, I guess that means I have a 10' pipe clamp if I need one. ;)

DT
 
K-Body Clamps

I also have K-Body by Bessy and love them. The only time I reach for my Pony pipe clamps is when I need something real long. I came across a tip a while back about geting a little more presure on the bessy K-body clamps. I drilled a 3/8" hole through the handle.....Insert a wood dowel through the hole and it gives you just a little more tork. I know,if things fit perfect you should not need the extra tork. But some times if it don't fit ....get a bigger HAMMER.
 
If you guys haven't used it before to get a reduced price on Bessey K-Body Clamps (or whatever suits your fancy that you might find on Amazon.com's Woodworking stuff), then try using www.frozenwarrior.com to track price changes for you! This site is great for tracking price drops for you on your choice of items. Back in April, I got the Bessey KBK2440 Cabinet Door Parallel Jaw Bar Clamp Kit for $109.99 and the KBK2450 Large Cabinet Door Kit for $123.90. That's eight K-Body Clamps (4 - 24's, 2 - 40's and 2 - 50's) plus eight clamping blocks for under $234 delivered. Try it!

Rob Payne
 
:wave:It's apparent to me you all have a high regard for the Bessey's and you are entitled to your opinions. No disrespect intended here.

I have used the Besseys, and much more prefer the Jet Parallel Bar Clamp. Just to provide you with a comparison of prices: 6 - 40" & 6 - 24" cost me $356.85.

Google "Jet Parallel Bar Clamps" and have a good look at them. They are a superb bar clamp.:thumb:
 
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