Difference between revisions of "Clamps"

From Ed's Mediawiki
(Deep reach C clamps)
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[[file:deep-clamp.png]] [[file:c-clamp1.png]][[file:c-clamp2.png]]
 
[[file:deep-clamp.png]] [[file:c-clamp1.png]][[file:c-clamp2.png]]
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==Bar clamps==
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Bar clamps can open up very wide, but are not generally as strong as a good C clamp.  they are, however, a very good clamp to have around because of the ability to clamp over a large distance.  A deep reach bar clamp is shown here.
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[[file:deep-bar-clamp]]

Revision as of 15:30, 9 November 2011

-Good clamps to have on hand-


C Clamps

There is a wide variety of sizes and quality. Here are some 4 inch clamps from Home Depot. The blue one is made by Irwin, at $8. The clamping force is not specified, and it just says it is made of "steel". The black one next to it is the same size in drop forged steel made by Jorgensen, and is $20. The difference is the material and the clamping capacity. The Jorgensen clamps at 6200 pounds; the Irwin does not specify clamping force . The third one, also made by Jorgensen but cast, not drop forged, clamps at 2400 pounds, has square threads, and goes for $13. For our purposes, drop forged clamps are probably overkill, but I like the cheaper Jorgensen with the square threads. Square threads make a significant difference in how much effort you need to put into tightening the clamp.

Irwin-c-clamp.pngC-clamp3.pngSquare-thead-c-clamp.png

Deep reach C clamps

These let you clamp to benches, drill press tables, the band saw table, etc, with a lot of distance between the back of the clamp and the clamping surfaces. Careful on this, because they need to be very strong to support this distance and still clamp tight. Three different depths shown below. The deeper, the less rigid, so take some measurements on the machines before deciding.

Deep-clamp.png C-clamp1.pngC-clamp2.png

Bar clamps

Bar clamps can open up very wide, but are not generally as strong as a good C clamp. they are, however, a very good clamp to have around because of the ability to clamp over a large distance. A deep reach bar clamp is shown here.

File:Deep-bar-clamp