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Clamp Alert!

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Xam:
Me too warped!

Also got an e-mail stating that this item will be $8.99 this weekend at a sidewalk sale at the stores. NO! I do not work for nor endorse HF...LOL! I just know tools are expensive (even the cheap ones) so I like to pass along bargins when I find them.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=47844

Xam

DrewKaree:

--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on March 03, 2006, 07:40:13 pm ---
 Well, HF often has Pipe Clamps for sale.   Id bet these would work really wel..  and nice thing about them,  is they can be any size - by using longer or shorter pipes.

 Anyone try these?

 Only downfall I guess would be shear weight : )   

--- End quote ---

Pipe clamps can be used.  After a certain point though, their effectiveness is severely reduced.  They tend to bow the material upwards toward the bar when doing glue-ups on panels, but for cab use, should be just fine if you're gluing up the entire carcase (meaning all four sides at once).  I wouldn't recommend doing only three sides and then doing the fourth later.  That bowing effect WILL happen.  Maybe not enough that you can't overcome it, but it will.

Generally when doing glue-ups of panels with pipe clamps, you put one clamp on both sides, and use even numbers of clamps.

For the money, they are the cheapest and most versatile clamp available though.  Like you said, just buy different lengths of pipe for a different size clamp.

krick:

--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on March 02, 2006, 11:36:00 pm ---
 I have a few of those type from Homier.   2 of them snapped right in half at the top section upon clamping very hard with them  :(   

 I prefer the Big Lots clamps..  which look like caulking guns.   They are cheap, and work pretty darn good.   

 Maybe the HF clamps could be strengthened by placing a huge mound of epoxy in between the struts.

 Maybe I got a bad set..   Or maybe they get worse over time..  hard to say.  Still, the fact that they are plastic and the head isnt competely solid does pay a big factor.


--- End quote ---

I have four of these and they're awesome.  They're a bit more pricey than the ones from Harbour Freight but they're really sturdy and I'm pretty sure you'll have a hard time breaking them.  Lowes sells them in a two-pack for $20:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=96054-281-5462SM

nostrebor:
The Harbor Freight "Quick Grip" style clamps have a bad reputation in the WW circles. They have 2 significant problems.

1. They break under pressure, as described above.

2. They slip under pressure, as described above.

There have been many attempts to add to these or modify them to get better results. All have fallen short. I have these on the "Don't buy" list for HF products.

HF also runs regular sales on the "F" style clamps. These are not Besseys by any stretch of the imagination, but they are good everyday clamps. I have about 40 in my collection of clamps ;)

SirPeale:
I curse Harbor Freight!  I curse them forever!

Why, you ask?  Because they keep sending me flyers, but don't have a location nearby!

Of course, I could mail-order their stuff, but that defeats the purpose of the cheap prices due to shipping costs.

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