View Poll Results: What length of parallel clamp do you use the most?
- Voters
- 14. You may not vote on this poll
-
Short (less than 24"/2 feet)
7 50.00% -
Medium (30-40")
7 50.00% -
Long (40" plus)
0 0%
-
7th December 2013, 10:42 PM #1Slowly but surely he learns
- Join Date
- Sep 2008
- Location
- Perth
- Age
- 44
- Posts
- 80
Which clamp lengths do you use most?
Am about to purchase a bulk lot of parallel clamps from over East and am thinking I'll mainly go with longer bars for the versatility for furniture making, despite the inconvenience of having clamp bars poking out when the length isn't required.
For those of you making tables (i.e. hall tables, night tables, dining tables and tops) and casework large and small, what clamp lengths are your 'go-to' clamps?
I currently own two 1500mm t-bar clamps from Bunnings.
(I've attempted to create a poll to capture your responses...)
-
7th December 2013 10:42 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Age
- 2010
- Posts
- Many
-
7th December 2013, 11:29 PM #2Taking a break
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
- Location
- Melbourne
- Age
- 34
- Posts
- 6,127
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.
-
8th December 2013, 10:40 AM #3
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.
-
8th December 2013, 10:55 AM #4
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
-
9th December 2013, 10:05 AM #5SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Location
- Melbourne
- Age
- 79
- Posts
- 601
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!
-
9th December 2013, 10:48 AM #6.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,796
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.
-
9th December 2013, 07:10 PM #7
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.
TravSome days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen
-
9th December 2013, 07:33 PM #8
I generally find that the clamp(s) I grab is 2" too short for the job I'm doing
regards
Nick
veni, vidi, tornavi
Without wood it's just ...
-
10th December 2013, 03:04 PM #9rrich Guest
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.
-
11th December 2013, 06:42 AM #10Novice
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 13
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
-
11th December 2013, 06:45 AM #11Novice
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 13
Oops. Premature sending due to fat fingers!
Last sentence should refer the manufacturer, Record
Paul
-
12th December 2013, 01:16 AM #12Slowly but surely he learns
- Join Date
- Sep 2008
- Location
- Perth
- Age
- 44
- Posts
- 80
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!
Similar Threads
-
Clamp/G Clamp Storage.
By Scott in forum WOODWORK - GENERALReplies: 0Last Post: 7th December 2011, 08:11 PM -
the lengths we go to...
By Slow6 in forum A Woodies YarnReplies: 3Last Post: 16th March 2006, 06:14 PM -
Looking for - Pine 250 mm x 19 x lengths(syd)
By Boc1971 in forum TIMBERReplies: 3Last Post: 31st August 2004, 03:46 PM