Thread: Which clamp lengths do you use most?

I think your poll options are too close to each other to be really meaningful - not even 2ft between the small and large.

As an alternative, may I suggest:
Small - 3ft (900mm) or less
Medium - 3-5ft (900-1500mm)
Large - 5ft (1500mm) or more

I find 4-5ft (1200-1500mm) to be a really versatile size for most things and a couple of really long ones are great to have, but get the sizes that best suit your planned projects.

The last largish item that I made was a fish tank stand. I used 1m length clamps that I got from supacheap auto. Since then nothing that big for over x amount of time. I got rid if them and find that I am using the 600mm length more often.
If I was to purchase cabinet clamps then I would look at only getting 4 x 1.2m. Than smaller sizes.

About 1-1.2m do most things for me. I have pipe clamps for holding table tops together. For smaller jobs I have some box/picture frame clamps and some small 600mm clamps. I use Irwin mostly, but some Bessey as well.

Rob

If you use pipe clamps with threaded ends it is quite easy to add length by joining pieces together,bunnies sell various lengths so you can have what you need for each job and not then having to work around too long a clamp.
IMHO that is!

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

I think your poll options are too close to each other to be really meaningful - not even 2ft between the small and large.

As an alternative, may I suggest:
Small - 3ft (900mm) or less
Medium - 3-5ft (900-1500mm)
Large - 5ft (1500mm) or more

I find 4-5ft (1200-1500mm) to be a really versatile size for most things and a couple of really long ones are great to have, but get the sizes that best suit your planned projects.

I agree that a better spread of sizes for the poll would be more meaningful and that the 1200 - 1500 mm is a really useful size.

FWIW most of the stuff I make is small so most of my goto clamps (about 50 of them) are less than 300mm long, plus I have a heap of 3,4,6" clamps I use for metal work.

For bigger stuff I have a range of clamps sizes and types.
I also have the pipe threading tools for 3/4" galv water pipe so I can make whatever length pipe clamps I like.
A 6m length of 3/4" water pipe (unthreaded) costs about $50 which makes a lot of clamps.
I know it's cheating but I find a really long pair (my longest pair are 3m long) are very useful to use diagonally across frame to hold the frame square during gluing.

You need a range. I've got 300, 600 and 1200mm jet parallel clamps and find that they seem to cover me for almost everything. To answer your question, I probably use the 600s the most.

Love my parallel clamps. Wouldn't buy anything else for casework (except the panel clamps that keep everything flat while clamping). I've got some bessey klik clamps for smaller jobs.

Trav

I generally find that the clamp(s) I grab is 2" too short for the job I'm doing

I find that 4" and 6" clamps get used the most. I bought a box (20) of the "F" style 4" ones last year. I'm amazed how much they get used.

Although I have a good supply of 12" and 18", I find that the 24+ inch Bessey parallel or the Jet over built POS seem to get used most and on cabinets.

I use the 1200 to 1500 the most for panel work. Also, I prefer the extra rigidity and flat tops of the T-bar style sash clamps very useful.

The quality of the clamping hardware is quite variable. I have had no trouble from my record

Oops. Premature sending due to fat fingers!

Last sentence should refer the manufacturer, Record

Paul

Thanks for all your responses.

Btw, I looked into changing my poll options after creating it but couldn't find a way to do so but point taken--although I suppose the definitions are relative depending on the type of work being undertaken!