Great time shooting this video with Jeff and Rob and getting to be on their latest episode of The American Craftsman Podcast you can check it out here - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-american-craftsman-podcast/id1532155091 Check out the Dubuque Clamps amzn.to/3CxFmzP
Rob Cosman uses hockey tape for clamp handles. I tried it and now all of my clamps have hockey tape too. It gives you plenty of grip to twist tight joints together.
Woodworking is my hobby. And I really appreciate the UA-cam contributors who share their experiences,knowledge and skills. I just purchased a few Jorgensen parallel clamps at a discount. I see a place for them in my shop. Heavy, but I like the fact that you can stand them up and free up space in a small shop. I have the cheap Harbor Freight knock offs of the Dubuque Clamps. They are adequate at the best. And leave a lot to be desired. After using the Jorgensen for awhile, and if I have the need, I will check out the Dubuque Clamps. Great content. Keep up the good work.
@@JonPetersArtHome Before seeing your video, I wasn’t aware of the Dubuque Clamps. I see the advantages of Dubuque clamps, and they are made in the USA. I bought the knockoffs, because of their availability, when gluing up a desk top for my grandson.
That was a brilliant, honest review of clamps which is hard to find these days. I love how all you guys have learned the hard way and can offer so much valuable advice on such an important subject. In the UK we use sash clamps and Tee bar sash clamps a lot for panel gluing and they can get heavy. We do have aluminium clamps like yours but they are very light weight and nowhere near as good as your US made models. I really want some of those. I also use a lot of Klemsia cam clamps as I make instruments and need light weight as well as ease of operation. Great video and I love how you guys interact. Well done!!!
I love my Dubuque clamps...using them for over 20 years...You can also get the Miter Attachment for Aluminum Bar Clamps (UC905A) and / Dubuque Clamp Universal Face Frame Cabinet Clamp UC-76 Woodworking (UC-76) and /Dubuque Clamp Works Universal Cabinet Shelf Clamp UC-76A Woodworking (UC-76A) I also have the Jorgensen F clamps and I--Beam clamps....with great grip....
After 40 years of professional woodworking, I find clamps to be more a personal style and use then generalist. Its like tools, if you know how to use them in the right way, then even old tools have their uses. Thanks for the video, was quite an eyeopener.
I wish I had known about the Dubuque bar clamps before I bought the Rocklers as they look nice and are USA made. I will be ordering a couple from those as I need a couple. With that said I have a lot of HF clamps especially different sizes of those quick grips they are cheap and work. Just do WW as a hobby so cheap clamps from HF mixed with some quality is good enough for my needs.
A lot to think about, but you guy, s were great giving your opinion on all the clamps as a newbie I appreciate and I have taken in what you said and recommended. Nice one why don't you do something about routers.
Excellent presentation for most useful clamps. I have more bessey clamps than any other in my shop. Heavy and expensive but they do a great job. I just bought 4 24" Dubuque clamps (which I have never heard of) as a result of your video.
Great info Jon! Love the casual conversation format and the review based on all three of your experience with using different clamp styles. Means a lot that it wasn't sponsored and the three of you are just conveying your thoughts on the pros and cons of each. Saves all of us hobbiests a lot of time and money!
To make the aluminium extrusion clamps even more solid put a piece of pine/poplar down the middle of them, make sure it's a snug fit. Doesn't add much weight and makes them that much stronger and pretty much removes any racking you might get under load. Also put either some shhet cork or thin ply on the clamp faces to stop marking of your piece.
Thanks guys. Good viewing and info. Over the last couple years I’ve ended up buying a number of those extruded aluminium clamps in various sizes (600, 900, 1200mm). As much as I would love the higher end Bessey clamps, I find the light weight and quick handling of the aluminium clamps is perfect for me. Great for holding carcasses together when screwing up and furniture when glueing. Sometimes I might have more than 8 clamps on a piece and as a 1 man show it makes it doable manoeuvring and rotating the work piece. Buying them by the box of 6-8 makes for good value also. Mine look like the Rockler version (sold as Torquata in Australia) and probably out of China. Had a problem with a couple of the castings for the handle ends (of the 20+ that I have) that broke but managed to get free replacements. I don’t over-tighten them, just tighten so they are firm. Anything that needs more encouragement I take out the steel sash clamps.
Interesting discussion and comparisons. One of the modifications recommended to stiffen them up for aluminum "U"-beam clamps is to place a full length wooden insert in the interior. The wooden clamps are much more versatile even than described. Not only clamped flat on the bench top to hold something, but clamped with the woking end hanging over the edge/end of the bench to hold a piece for handwork like dovetailing, carving, trimming, etc. Same with clamping one to a face board such as those found on the edges of benches 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" thick that are 3 1/2" to 4" tall and give the illusion of a thicker bench. That space between the underside of the board and the bench proper is perfect for clamping one to it. Maybe not for medium size and larger production shops where "Time is Money" reigns supreme, but, for the more modest wood worker where more "Hand Toolery" and maybe a few power tools rules the roost they're very versatile.
Jon thank you for this video - I am a fairly new woodworker that dismissed the bar clamps due to the cheap ones that I saw in a local tools store so I bought some Bessey K-Body's that I love with the extender to join them together to make longer clamps when needed. However, after seeing this video, I was pleased to also find these in stock at my local Lee Valley store in Canada and picked up 4 x 24 inch ones yesterday and they are much better quality than the ones I saw at the previous store. Thank you guys for making me aware of the Dubuque clamps!
You guys hit the nail on the head with your choices. When I discovered the Dubuques 10 years ago, it has replaced the K bodies, and the pipe clamps. Great comparison video, Jon!
With the aluminum box clamp Paul Sellers glues 1/4 inch squares to the jaws and he also slides a length of wood into the box void to prevent any twist as the clamp is tightened.
I first used the Dubuque's in the late 80s. Beautifully manufactured, light, easy and quick to use and strong. I've seen a few of the clamping pads break from dropping the clamps a certain way onto a concrete floor but it's a rare occurrence.
I live here in Iowa, so I am going to contact Dubuque clamp works for giggles. I love my wood hand screws and dewalt quick clamps, but for panels, I only have pipe clamps and the harbor freight parallel clamps- they work great, but I am willing to switch if I can cut the weight significantly. Also, I reached out to a Florida company Corrosion Technologies about Corrosionx for preventing glue and other substances from sticking to clamps. I spoke to a gentleman in tech support and he recommended the original red can of corrosionx or bioslide which was designed as a concrete mould release agent. I think it is experimentation time!!
OMG!!!! Awesome content from guys working the job daily. Wish I'd seen this video 6 months ago. Requesting best clamping techniques video based on various needs...tips and tricks. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
I've had Dubuque clamps for quite a long time. Love 'em. Dubuque also makes the wooden screw clamps you reviewed. They're quite nice too. For wooden handled clamps, I like the Rob Cosman hockey stick tape grip. I have a hand tool bench, but another use of the wooden screw clamps for power tool benches without work holding is to put one clamp at each end of a longer piece to do, say edge sanding. You can clamp the wooden screw clamp to the table top with your quick grip clamps for more stability.
Have never been convinced by parallel clamps. My go to cramp as we used to call them in the UK was the Record T-Bar or sash cramp, heavy but there was nothing I could not get cramped together with them. Love the old wooden hand screw cramp and old G-Cramps and the pinch dogs. Always like to have a selection of cramps for different operations, but never wasted money on parallel clamps.
I wrap the handles of all my F style clamps, with hockey tape. And that works very well! Also the Bessey K body parallel clamps, have a slot for an allen key in the bottom of the handle. So you can use an impact driver with the correct bit. Or just an allen key. But anyhow, thanks for the awesome clamp video. Take care
Nice presentation and 100% agree. I generally abide by the "you get what you pay for" rule. I have the aluminum bar clamps (Rockler specials) and they are really for light duty work... like cabinet door glue-ups where you are only holding the parts and not clamping down hard. For the cost (half the good ones), they work as long as you don't expect to crank down on them. I too like the feet on them, as well as the crank handle (if it works). They tend deflect under high load. I'm going to grab a set of those Dubuque clamps.
Good video. One thing about those old wood furniture clamps is that you can adjust the jaws to clamp parts that are not entirely parallel. I recently built a wood kayak and they were invaluable when I had to pull the angled bow and stern into shape to epoxy the deck and hull together. The other clamp I use a lot is cheap spring clamps. At times I had to use 30 or 40 at once while working on the kayak and I find that I reach for them all the time in random situations where I just need to hold something (like yard debris wrapped up in a tarp).
I enjoyed this one. FYI, the Rockler clamp at 4:20 is a faithful knock off of the old Jorgensen, not the Dubuque. The clamp jaw of the Dubuque don't reach around the bar like the Jorgensen. My issue with the Dubuque is that for that very reason the clamping jaw goes out of square under pressure and the single rivit that they use to hold that end onto the bar is mounted too close to the end of the extrusion. I've had at least six of them fail at that opint over the years. Scott
Great info, Jon~! As for getting a better grip on clamps with wooden handles, I've been using the "Rob Cosman" fix by hockey-taping them as you would the handle of a hockey stick. Makes it more comfortable for moderate clamping pressure and especially if you need to crank them down.
The Dubuque clamps are very good clamps. The are not cheap but the price different by size isn’t very large so longer clamps are light and easy to use.
I will definitely check out the Dubuques, they large ones are not crazy expensive, if they work so well they seem like a pretty good deal. I use bar clamps and like them. The bars are not black here, they are galvanized steel and they don't stain but have gone up in price quite a bit in the last years.
The Bessey EZS trigger clamps are head and shoulders above others like that Irwin with the yellow pads, and even above the other Bessey trigger clamp models. 450lbs, legit pressure for pretty much anything you’d ever need, without being clunky bulky like lost of others. And, smooth, easy operation. (I have some of the Irwins in various sizes of the same vintage as yours, and I like them a lot for really light duty work. They are even more nimble than the Bessys, at the expense of a lot of clamping power. I’m really glad for the review and tip on the aluminum clamps, I think I’m ordering a set and may sell my Bessy parallel clamps if they work out as well as you describe. Picking up a panel assembly with 60 lbs of clamps on it does get old.
Very interesting and informative video, Jon. I'm a one-handed woodworker so weight and holding strength is key for me. I started with Irwin (which I still use) but I've come to love Bessey clamps. Their duoklamps are great for quick, strong holds.
You guys forgot about spring clamps! Thank you for this video cause I’ve been holding off on purchasing bigger more expensive clamps and will check out the Dubuque ones.
Dubuque Clamp Works also produces hand screw clamps and hardware kits to make your own hand screw clamps. I wonder what's the "Exit Plan" for Keith & Edna Clark (DCW owners) who are approaching 80yrs old. They run hard on their "We're not selling out," mindset. But as my late father said, "Nobody makes it out of here alive, kid!" So, who takes over the biz when they punch their final time cards? Not being morbid, just asking a real life question.
To glue on the pads to your clamps , try "Liquid nails" , I have had very good luck using that glue . As an example , I put up a shelf between two walls with it and loaded the shelf with 6 gals. of chemicals for my dark room , never had an issue . I had to use a sledge hammer to remove the shelf later when I remodeled .
Never really gave much thought to which clamps I reach for … BUT realized that I align pretty close to the preferences. Now I want a long reach jaw version and “want” a Dubuque!
Just rechecked the Dubuque clamps. And a great construction point is thicker aluminum bard which adds rigidity. Just sold be as I have the Chinese knock offs.
Didn't show 6 inch bar clamps. Have the Irwin for speed clamping but not strength in holding power. Have the Bessy clamps but haven't used them due to smaller projects. Like the Dubuque but a little pricy for small shop unless doing a lot of projects. I agree about the course threads on aluminum clamps. Very informative and it would be great guide for first time buys. Thanks !
I put athletic tape on the round handles of all my twisting tools (k body clamps, screwdrivers and the like) to give me a better purchase on them for heavy twisting
The Iowa clamps look interesting. The Harbor Freight clamps do leave a mark. Light sanding seems to remove it. I will try to clean to see if the film residue will disappear. Great video guys!
Very candid presentation with real woodworkers. I do have a few disagreements with y'all, however: --The Dubuque clamps you like so much (I have some)--don't you find those indents fill up with hardened glue and the clamp won't engage in the middle of a glue-up? Drives me nuts, and my students are even more dumbfounded. --Speaking of favorite clamps--you missed my favorite: The Cam-Clamp. Klemmsia is the most renowned maker of these. Not terribly powerful, a bit pricey (you can make your own), but no pads needed, light (facilitates one hand operation), and when you're just clamping a stop block or a squaring-up jig, or clamping/sharpening your cabinet scraper: just perfect. --I agree with your assessment of the hand-screw clamp (you guys called it a wooden clamp):You'll always find a use for these. They are one of the few clamps you can use to spread, rather than clamp: I recently used one to tear apart a frame and panel door that a student clamped up in a badly. --Pipe Clamps. Another one of my favorites! Cheap. You can couple the pipes, as was mentioned, but also you can couple them without the sleeve--using two clamps, just turn the dogs 90-degrees and hook 'em. You can always find these used. --You talked and demoed F-clamps. Very useful. I find the classic 'made in USA' Jorgensen's the best, if you can find them. Otherwise, knock-offs will do. --I dunno why you y'all moan about the weight of clamps so much. You look healthy to me. --And talkin' about having one or two of these or that clamps? Jeez, every woodworker and cabinetmaker knows you NEVER HAVE ENOUGH CLAMPS!
I have had pipe clamps for fifty years. Best thing I did to them was add pieces of 1/2" Baltic birch plywood about 2" by 6" with a hole through it for the pipe. Then they will sit up and you can put them over the top of a panel and keep the pipe/stain off the face. But, I have gotten a dozen Dubuque clamps (6@24" and 6@36") and they get 90% of the use. Buy Dubuque clamps. Also have a bunch of Irwin Quick Grip in various lengths and really like them but they stopped making them. I do not like the replacement version so I buy the older ones at Estate sales. As an aside, I tried gluing leather pads on my Dubuque clamps with epoxy and it fails. Switched to 3M 5200 adhesive and it works.
Thanks for mentioning the stain that Harbor Freight Pittsburgh trigger clamps leave - they are such a great value, actually have some pressure and don’t slip, but I find them useless for anything but rough carpentry because they spec’ed a plastic for the pads that leaves an oily stain! I mean, where did they even FIND a plastic that leaves an oily stain?😮 I just bought one after 8-9 years to see if they had changed the plastic and they haven’t. It’s like they are purposely making them bad to encourage you to buy the next grade up.
Great video Jon & GSJ crew, very informative. I actually have the Rockler clamps. While I agree they’re not the best, they’ll definitely get the job done for the occasional DIYer.
I use pipe clamps because you can make them as short or as long as you need to just by buying various lengths of black iron pipe which is not very expensive.
I would have loved to hear yalls opinion on the I-beam clamps. I know they're similar to the bessey k revo clamps but with a huge turning handle . They're heavy but super easy to turn and provide the most strength per Sq. Inch.
@@JonPetersArtHome sorry, just excited about the clamps lol… all I really have is pipe and F clamps… been wanting some parallel clamps but will just go with Dubuque’s after watching this. Don’t know how I missed the link, they aren’t available on Amazon anymore but I just googled them and found them elsewhere… Thanks
I've got some 35-year-old Dubuque Clamps and they are still going strong. I also have 6 Jorgenson aluminum bar clamps I bought at the same time and they work just as good 35 years later. I do have a bunch of Rockler and I have had no problem with them. Hate the parallel clamps. All that money wasted.
As to F clamp feet that don’t stay, I’ve designed some that I 3D print that pretty much never come off unless you want them to. Made of TPU, have design for Bessey, Jorgensen, and even Harbor fright ones. Let me know if you want to try them! Haven’t released yet as need testing durability.
I bought some bora parallel clamps. They clipped almost immediately and now are junk. Big fan of pony Jorgenson. I bought the rockler surefoot aluminum after I saw you using them.
Big fan of Dubuque clamps. Love my REVOs too, but this vid makes me laugh at all the nay sayers when I was touting them 4 years ago. Only best in the world clamp you missed were Frontline panel clamps.
You should have included the small Bessey LM2.004 General Purpose clamps. These are great to have. I love the Dubuque clamps, and for many things I prefer them to my K-bodies because of their light weight and ease of use.
Pretty sure they're just talking through pros/cons of clamps they personally own. Not so much a comprehensive clamp review to include every noteworthy model.
Great content! Never heard of those light wieght clamps, but I am definitely going to be purchasing a few. Off subject question: Where did the 2 gentleman purchase their leather aprons? Could you reach out to them and find out? Thanks Jon! I am a long time subscriber, you have been a wealth of info for me! 👍🙏
Very informative video, Jon! I really like what the guys said about how you really have to pay attention to where these things are made. It's tough to find tools and equipment that aren't made in China.
Great time shooting this video with Jeff and Rob and getting to be on their latest episode of The American Craftsman Podcast you can check it out here - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-american-craftsman-podcast/id1532155091
Check out the Dubuque Clamps amzn.to/3CxFmzP
Rob Cosman uses hockey tape for clamp handles. I tried it and now all of my clamps have hockey tape too. It gives you plenty of grip to twist tight joints together.
I bought 6 Irwin trigger clamps years ago. They still perform great today. Absolutely no slippage.
Fascinating. Probably 80 years of woodworking, poured into a discussion of clamps. Loved it!
And 80 yrs ago you could afford them.
@@lancekoller5284still can sounds like a you problem lol
I love those dubuque aluminum bar clamps. Light and plenty strong.
Woodworking is my hobby. And I really appreciate the UA-cam contributors who share their experiences,knowledge and skills. I just purchased a few Jorgensen parallel clamps at a discount. I see a place for them in my shop. Heavy, but I like the fact that you can stand them up and free up space in a small shop. I have the cheap Harbor Freight knock offs of the Dubuque Clamps. They are adequate at the best. And leave a lot to be desired. After using the Jorgensen for awhile, and if I have the need, I will check out the Dubuque Clamps. Great content. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! Really do like the Dubuques always reach for them first 👍
@@JonPetersArtHome Before seeing your video, I wasn’t aware of the Dubuque Clamps. I see the advantages of Dubuque clamps, and they are made in the USA. I bought the knockoffs, because of their availability, when gluing up a desk top for my grandson.
@@AAA-0 a little pricey, but definitely worth it👍
@@JonPetersArtHome Agree. All hobbies are expensive, but sometimes buying quality is cheaper. Being free of sponsors gives you a leg up on honesty.
That was a brilliant, honest review of clamps which is hard to find these days. I love how all you guys have learned the hard way and can offer so much valuable advice on such an important subject. In the UK we use sash clamps and Tee bar sash clamps a lot for panel gluing and they can get heavy. We do have aluminium clamps like yours but they are very light weight and nowhere near as good as your US made models. I really want some of those. I also use a lot of Klemsia cam clamps as I make instruments and need light weight as well as ease of operation.
Great video and I love how you guys interact. Well done!!!
I love my Dubuque clamps...using them for over 20 years...You can also get the Miter Attachment for Aluminum Bar Clamps (UC905A) and / Dubuque Clamp Universal Face Frame Cabinet Clamp UC-76 Woodworking (UC-76) and /Dubuque Clamp Works Universal Cabinet Shelf Clamp UC-76A Woodworking (UC-76A) I also have the Jorgensen F clamps and I--Beam clamps....with great grip....
Great presentation. This definitely makes reconsider some of the Bessey/Pipe Clamps I use. Thank y'all for your time and patience!
Awesome! Love hearing from the guys that WW all day long every day! No marketing, just what works! Love going to Jeff and Robs shop!
This was extremely helpful thank you very much
I have probably 40 of the universal clamps and I agree with them, they are my go to clamps.
After 40 years of professional woodworking, I find clamps to be more a personal style and use then generalist. Its like tools, if you know how to use them in the right way, then even old tools have their uses. Thanks for the video, was quite an eyeopener.
I was surprised C clamps didn't make the list, but I thinking about it I realize they are more purposed for metal work.
I wish I had known about the Dubuque bar clamps before I bought the Rocklers as they look nice and are USA made. I will be ordering a couple from those as I need a couple. With that said I have a lot of HF clamps especially different sizes of those quick grips they are cheap and work. Just do WW as a hobby so cheap clamps from HF mixed with some quality is good enough for my needs.
A lot to think about, but you guy, s were great giving your opinion on all the clamps as a newbie I appreciate and I have taken in what you said and recommended. Nice one why don't you do something about routers.
Excellent presentation for most useful clamps. I have more bessey clamps than any other in my shop. Heavy and expensive but they do a great job. I just bought 4 24" Dubuque clamps (which I have never heard of) as a result of your video.
Thanks Mark, you’re not going to regret it… Really nice clamps and the fact that they’re so light is a big plus.
Great video! Makes perfect sense. Thank you.
This is a great episode, so informative and candid. I feel better about my current clamp choices already!
Great info Jon! Love the casual conversation format and the review based on all three of your experience with using different clamp styles. Means a lot that it wasn't sponsored and the three of you are just conveying your thoughts on the pros and cons of each. Saves all of us hobbiests a lot of time and money!
To make the aluminium extrusion clamps even more solid put a piece of pine/poplar down the middle of them, make sure it's a snug fit. Doesn't add much weight and makes them that much stronger and pretty much removes any racking you might get under load. Also put either some shhet cork or thin ply on the clamp faces to stop marking of your piece.
Thanks 👍
Awesome advice! I have harbor freight versions of the dubuques and they’re really handy, but those seems like way nicer quality. Thanks for sharing
Thanks guys. Good viewing and info. Over the last couple years I’ve ended up buying a number of those extruded aluminium clamps in various sizes (600, 900, 1200mm). As much as I would love the higher end Bessey clamps, I find the light weight and quick handling of the aluminium clamps is perfect for me. Great for holding carcasses together when screwing up and furniture when glueing. Sometimes I might have more than 8 clamps on a piece and as a 1 man show it makes it doable manoeuvring and rotating the work piece. Buying them by the box of 6-8 makes for good value also. Mine look like the Rockler version (sold as Torquata in Australia) and probably out of China. Had a problem with a couple of the castings for the handle ends (of the 20+ that I have) that broke but managed to get free replacements. I don’t over-tighten them, just tighten so they are firm. Anything that needs more encouragement I take out the steel sash clamps.
Interesting discussion and comparisons. One of the modifications recommended to stiffen them up for aluminum "U"-beam clamps is to place a full length wooden insert in the interior. The wooden clamps are much more versatile even than described. Not only clamped flat on the bench top to hold something, but clamped with the woking end hanging over the edge/end of the bench to hold a piece for handwork like dovetailing, carving, trimming, etc. Same with clamping one to a face board such as those found on the edges of benches 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" thick that are 3 1/2" to 4" tall and give the illusion of a thicker bench. That space between the underside of the board and the bench proper is perfect for clamping one to it. Maybe not for medium size and larger production shops where "Time is Money" reigns supreme, but, for the more modest wood worker where more "Hand Toolery" and maybe a few power tools rules the roost they're very versatile.
Thanks guys! graet to hear other woodworkers talk about our most used static tools in the shop! HF clamps are getting better!
Plasti-Dip is what you want for the end of the clamp where the cap comes off. Works well actually.
Jon thank you for this video - I am a fairly new woodworker that dismissed the bar clamps due to the cheap ones that I saw in a local tools store so I bought some Bessey K-Body's that I love with the extender to join them together to make longer clamps when needed. However, after seeing this video, I was pleased to also find these in stock at my local Lee Valley store in Canada and picked up 4 x 24 inch ones yesterday and they are much better quality than the ones I saw at the previous store. Thank you guys for making me aware of the Dubuque clamps!
Glad to hear it! Thanks Kevin
You guys hit the nail on the head with your choices. When I discovered the Dubuques 10 years ago, it has replaced the K bodies, and the pipe clamps. Great comparison video, Jon!
With the aluminum box clamp Paul Sellers glues 1/4 inch squares to the jaws and he also slides a length of wood into the box void to prevent any twist as the clamp is tightened.
I first used the Dubuque's in the late 80s. Beautifully manufactured, light, easy and quick to use and strong. I've seen a few of the clamping pads break from dropping the clamps a certain way onto a concrete floor but it's a rare occurrence.
Definitely my favorite clamp👍 only wish I knew about them sooner.
I have a bevy of the old Jorgs and the Dubuques...love em both...
I happened across Dubuque clamps about 3 years ago and they are the only ones I will buy now.
Great clamp review. It’s not discrimination, but tools made in the USA mean a lot: quality.
Good job Jon and thanks for sharing!
thanks! Your timing was perfect. I was just getting ready to buy a bunch of clamps for a job.🙂
I live here in Iowa, so I am going to contact Dubuque clamp works for giggles. I love my wood hand screws and dewalt quick clamps, but for panels, I only have pipe clamps and the harbor freight parallel clamps- they work great, but I am willing to switch if I can cut the weight significantly. Also, I reached out to a Florida company Corrosion Technologies about Corrosionx for preventing glue and other substances from sticking to clamps. I spoke to a gentleman in tech support and he recommended the original red can of corrosionx or bioslide which was designed as a concrete mould release agent. I think it is experimentation time!!
OMG!!!! Awesome content from guys working the job daily. Wish I'd seen this video 6 months ago. Requesting best clamping techniques video based on various needs...tips and tricks. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Great suggestion! Thanks!
Refreshing! Jon is one of a kind. Great video
I've had Dubuque clamps for quite a long time. Love 'em. Dubuque also makes the wooden screw clamps you reviewed. They're quite nice too. For wooden handled clamps, I like the Rob Cosman hockey stick tape grip.
I have a hand tool bench, but another use of the wooden screw clamps for power tool benches without work holding is to put one clamp at each end of a longer piece to do, say edge sanding. You can clamp the wooden screw clamp to the table top with your quick grip clamps for more stability.
Have never been convinced by parallel clamps. My go to cramp as we used to call them in the UK was the Record T-Bar or sash cramp, heavy but there was nothing I could not get cramped together with them. Love the old wooden hand screw cramp and old G-Cramps and the pinch dogs. Always like to have a selection of cramps for different operations, but never wasted money on parallel clamps.
Great back & forth dialogue & conversation! Thank you!!
How interesting. Haven't really seen those "Universal" clamps (the ones made in Iowa)--they look really neat.
Helpful, thanks boys!
I was surprised to get to the end, I just wanted to take a peek, initially. This was good 😊. Thank you.
Super informative!! I love the big wood clamp for the drill press tip.
I wrap the handles of all my F style clamps, with hockey tape. And that works very well! Also the Bessey K body parallel clamps, have a slot for an allen key in the bottom of the handle. So you can use an impact driver with the correct bit. Or just an allen key. But anyhow, thanks for the awesome clamp video. Take care
Great stuff! Thanks Brent
Nice presentation and 100% agree. I generally abide by the "you get what you pay for" rule.
I have the aluminum bar clamps (Rockler specials) and they are really for light duty work... like cabinet door glue-ups where you are only holding the parts and not clamping down hard. For the cost (half the good ones), they work as long as you don't expect to crank down on them. I too like the feet on them, as well as the crank handle (if it works). They tend deflect under high load.
I'm going to grab a set of those Dubuque clamps.
Good video. One thing about those old wood furniture clamps is that you can adjust the jaws to clamp parts that are not entirely parallel. I recently built a wood kayak and they were invaluable when I had to pull the angled bow and stern into shape to epoxy the deck and hull together. The other clamp I use a lot is cheap spring clamps. At times I had to use 30 or 40 at once while working on the kayak and I find that I reach for them all the time in random situations where I just need to hold something (like yard debris wrapped up in a tarp).
On the wood handles, I learned a great trick from Rob Cosman…”hockey tape”- tape them like a hockey stick , it’s amazing how much more grip you get.
While I would not subscribe to a podcast called Clamp Talk - even hosted by you, Jon! - this was surprisingly entertaining and informative.
Well done guys, thank you
I enjoyed this one. FYI, the Rockler clamp at 4:20 is a faithful knock off of the old Jorgensen, not the Dubuque. The clamp jaw of the Dubuque don't reach around the bar like the Jorgensen. My issue with the Dubuque is that for that very reason the clamping jaw goes out of square under pressure and the single rivit that they use to hold that end onto the bar is mounted too close to the end of the extrusion. I've had at least six of them fail at that opint over the years. Scott
Great info, Jon~! As for getting a better grip on clamps with wooden handles, I've been using the "Rob Cosman" fix by hockey-taping them as you would the handle of a hockey stick. Makes it more comfortable for moderate clamping pressure and especially if you need to crank them down.
Yep. Works great!
The Dubuque clamps are very good clamps. The are not cheap but the price different by size isn’t very large so longer clamps are light and easy to use.
I will definitely check out the Dubuques, they large ones are not crazy expensive, if they work so well they seem like a pretty good deal. I use bar clamps and like them. The bars are not black here, they are galvanized steel and they don't stain but have gone up in price quite a bit in the last years.
The Bessey EZS trigger clamps are head and shoulders above others like that Irwin with the yellow pads, and even above the other Bessey trigger clamp models. 450lbs, legit pressure for pretty much anything you’d ever need, without being clunky bulky like lost of others. And, smooth, easy operation. (I have some of the Irwins in various sizes of the same vintage as yours, and I like them a lot for really light duty work. They are even more nimble than the Bessys, at the expense of a lot of clamping power. I’m really glad for the review and tip on the aluminum clamps, I think I’m ordering a set and may sell my Bessy parallel clamps if they work out as well as you describe. Picking up a panel assembly with 60 lbs of clamps on it does get old.
Great tips on clamps for new woodworkers
“How’d you get the stains off the boxes?”
[thinking]: “I didn’t…that’s the finishers’ problem!”
[actual response]: “umm…duh!”
The "jorgensen" wooden clamps are very useful as well as all the dubuque bar clamps.
Very interesting and informative video, Jon. I'm a one-handed woodworker so weight and holding strength is key for me. I started with Irwin (which I still use) but I've come to love Bessey clamps. Their duoklamps are great for quick, strong holds.
You guys forgot about spring clamps!
Thank you for this video cause I’ve been holding off on purchasing bigger more expensive clamps and will check out the Dubuque ones.
Dubuque Clamp Works also produces hand screw clamps and hardware kits to make your own hand screw clamps. I wonder what's the "Exit Plan" for Keith & Edna Clark (DCW owners) who are approaching 80yrs old. They run hard on their "We're not selling out," mindset. But as my late father said, "Nobody makes it out of here alive, kid!" So, who takes over the biz when they punch their final time cards? Not being morbid, just asking a real life question.
I wonder that about so many great small businesses
This is great “inside baseball” stuff. Thank you
To glue on the pads to your clamps , try "Liquid nails" , I have had very good luck using that glue . As an example , I put up a shelf between two walls with it and loaded the shelf with 6 gals. of chemicals for my dark room , never had an issue . I had to use a sledge hammer to remove the shelf later when I remodeled .
Never really gave much thought to which clamps I reach for … BUT realized that I align pretty close to the preferences. Now I want a long reach jaw version and “want” a Dubuque!
Wolfcraft makes a good clamp for my shop , they are one hand use and reversible , they will stay in my shop with no complaints .
Just rechecked the Dubuque clamps. And a great construction point is thicker aluminum bard which adds rigidity. Just sold be as I have the Chinese knock offs.
Didn't show 6 inch bar clamps. Have the Irwin for speed clamping but not strength in holding power. Have the Bessy clamps but haven't used them due to smaller projects. Like the Dubuque but a little pricy for small shop unless doing a lot of projects. I agree about the course threads on aluminum clamps. Very informative and it would be great guide for first time buys. Thanks !
I put athletic tape on the round handles of all my twisting tools (k body clamps, screwdrivers and the like) to give me a better purchase on them for heavy twisting
For sure, good clamp show! I wish I could have those clamps you guys have no use for, for whatever reason. Thanks for your professional opinion.
The Iowa clamps look interesting. The Harbor Freight clamps do leave a mark. Light sanding seems to remove it. I will try to clean to see if the film residue will disappear. Great video guys!
learned a few things and loved the review!
Thanks!
Awesome video thank you !
Very candid presentation with real woodworkers. I do have a few disagreements with y'all, however:
--The Dubuque clamps you like so much (I have some)--don't you find those indents fill up with hardened glue and the clamp won't engage in the middle of a glue-up? Drives me nuts, and my students are even more dumbfounded.
--Speaking of favorite clamps--you missed my favorite: The Cam-Clamp. Klemmsia is the most renowned maker of these. Not terribly powerful, a bit pricey (you can make your own), but no pads needed, light (facilitates one hand operation), and when you're just clamping a stop block or a squaring-up jig, or clamping/sharpening your cabinet scraper: just perfect.
--I agree with your assessment of the hand-screw clamp (you guys called it a wooden clamp):You'll always find a use for these. They are one of the few clamps you can use to spread, rather than clamp: I recently used one to tear apart a frame and panel door that a student clamped up in a badly.
--Pipe Clamps. Another one of my favorites! Cheap. You can couple the pipes, as was mentioned, but also you can couple them without the sleeve--using two clamps, just turn the dogs 90-degrees and hook 'em. You can always find these used.
--You talked and demoed F-clamps. Very useful. I find the classic 'made in USA' Jorgensen's the best, if you can find them. Otherwise, knock-offs will do.
--I dunno why you y'all moan about the weight of clamps so much. You look healthy to me.
--And talkin' about having one or two of these or that clamps? Jeez, every woodworker and cabinetmaker knows you NEVER HAVE ENOUGH CLAMPS!
I have had pipe clamps for fifty years. Best thing I did to them was add pieces of 1/2" Baltic birch plywood about 2" by 6" with a hole through it for the pipe. Then they will sit up and you can put them over the top of a panel and keep the pipe/stain off the face. But, I have gotten a dozen Dubuque clamps (6@24" and 6@36") and they get 90% of the use. Buy Dubuque clamps. Also have a bunch of Irwin Quick Grip in various lengths and really like them but they stopped making them. I do not like the replacement version so I buy the older ones at Estate sales. As an aside, I tried gluing leather pads on my Dubuque clamps with epoxy and it fails. Switched to 3M 5200 adhesive and it works.
These guys are great!
Thanks for mentioning the stain that Harbor Freight Pittsburgh trigger clamps leave - they are such a great value, actually have some pressure and don’t slip, but I find them useless for anything but rough carpentry because they spec’ed a plastic for the pads that leaves an oily stain! I mean, where did they even FIND a plastic that leaves an oily stain?😮 I just bought one after 8-9 years to see if they had changed the plastic and they haven’t. It’s like they are purposely making them bad to encourage you to buy the next grade up.
Best clamp show.
Great video, and very informative.
Great video Jon & GSJ crew, very informative. I actually have the Rockler clamps. While I agree they’re not the best, they’ll definitely get the job done for the occasional DIYer.
I use pipe clamps because you can make them as short or as long as you need to just by buying various lengths of black iron pipe which is not very expensive.
True, but they do get heavy
I would have loved to hear yalls opinion on the I-beam clamps. I know they're similar to the bessey k revo clamps but with a huge turning handle . They're heavy but super easy to turn and provide the most strength per Sq. Inch.
Need a link for the clamps made in Iowa!!
Really with the!… The link is in the description just checked look again
@@JonPetersArtHome sorry, just excited about the clamps lol… all I really have is pipe and F clamps… been wanting some parallel clamps but will just go with Dubuque’s after watching this. Don’t know how I missed the link, they aren’t available on Amazon anymore but I just googled them and found them elsewhere…
Thanks
I've got some 35-year-old Dubuque Clamps and they are still going strong. I also have 6 Jorgenson aluminum bar clamps I bought at the same time and they work just as good 35 years later. I do have a bunch of Rockler and I have had no problem with them. Hate the parallel clamps. All that money wasted.
Very interesting and informative video. good one
As to F clamp feet that don’t stay, I’ve designed some that I 3D print that pretty much never come off unless you want them to. Made of TPU, have design for Bessey, Jorgensen, and even Harbor fright ones. Let me know if you want to try them! Haven’t released yet as need testing durability.
I bought some bora parallel clamps. They clipped almost immediately and now are junk. Big fan of pony Jorgenson. I bought the rockler surefoot aluminum after I saw you using them.
Thumbs up Jon!!
Thanks Chuck
Big fan of Dubuque clamps. Love my REVOs too, but this vid makes me laugh at all the nay sayers when I was touting them 4 years ago. Only best in the world clamp you missed were Frontline panel clamps.
You should have included the small Bessey LM2.004 General Purpose clamps. These are great to have. I love the Dubuque clamps, and for many things I prefer them to my K-bodies because of their light weight and ease of use.
Pretty sure they're just talking through pros/cons of clamps they personally own. Not so much a comprehensive clamp review to include every noteworthy model.
thanks
Very helpful
Great content! Never heard of those light wieght clamps, but I am definitely going to be purchasing a few.
Off subject question: Where did the 2 gentleman purchase their leather aprons? Could you reach out to them and find out? Thanks Jon! I am a long time subscriber, you have been a wealth of info for me! 👍🙏
That’s! Calavers Tool calaveratoolworks.com/collections/calavera-work-aprons
Home Depot $0.99 spring clamps are very useful.
Very informative video, Jon! I really like what the guys said about how you really have to pay attention to where these things are made. It's tough to find tools and equipment that aren't made in China.
In Brazil I spent 250 in just one 24" quick clamp. The price here is insane.
Awesome!
I use the Fox parallel clamps and they are hard to slide and they will strip. Not a pro btw.
I like the irwin clamps of all sizes for quick stuff.
Can I have the Rockler clamps left in the shed/ attic? No point in taking up space.
For clamp pads, get some leather and contact cement.
10:11 After taping off the beams it generally takes me longer to untape them so a huge waste of time.