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Leon[_7_] Leon[_7_] is offline
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Default Speaking Of Clamps - Jet Cabinet Set, $200?

On 6/1/2018 6:45 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 11:41:19 PM UTC-4, Leon wrote:
On 5/31/2018 9:39 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 1:54:39 PM UTC-4, Leon wrote:
On 5/31/2018 11:46 AM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 5/31/18 10:32 AM, Leon wrote:
On 5/29/2018 8:31 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 5:45:06 PM UTC-4, Leon wrote:
On 5/29/2018 7:42 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Where do Jet clamps rank? This set is $260 on Amazon, $200 on my
local Craigslist.

The blocks are shown in the CL listing, no mention of the bench dogs.

"Great shape, not all covered in glue"

https://www.amazon.com/Jet-70411-Par.../dp/B000F79022


Jets are ok,Â* You want to oil the screw PIVOT point where it meets the
big washer end, not only the screw itself.

Also these type clamps normally do not need passing to prevent denting
the wood.Â* NOT THE CASE with Jet.Â* Jet clamps imprent the work.

Not that I'm planning on buying them, but what is different about the
Jet
clamps that they damage the wood?


I am not sure, but there are straight line imprints on the wood at the
edge of the clamp faces.Â* It is probably the hard plastic that they
use, it apparently stays flat.Â* I would guess that the Cabinetmaster
and Bessey clamps have a little give on the surface and they probably
leave a less visible smoother arc shaped indention with out leaving a
defined imprint.

If you look at the back side of the tail end jaw, you will see two flat
sections of steel bar stock used, horizontally on the left and right
sides of the jaw.Â* These are covered in that plastic housing, which is
the only thing on the flat/clamping section of the jaw that presses
against the wood.

The handscrew end has a steel box-like structure, covered in the plastic
housing, but there is steel across the section that presses against the
wood.

The tail end jaw has the edges of the steel bar stock pushing against
the plastic, and against the wood being clamped.Â* Obviously, the hollow
middle section has more give than the edge section which are backed by
the steel.Â* So the imprints you see are the edge sections where the
steel is on the edges.

Very poor design, imo.



The beauty of the "K Body" and clone design clamps is that you do not
have to use a cushion between the clamp surface and the work, except in
this case with the Jet's. Yes, the Jet design team missed the point
totally. I am certain they looked at the competition and designed their
own version. BUT they did not actually do any field testing to compare
results. I would bet that the testing and one box to check. Do they
clamp, YES. Do the clamps damage the wood, not on the qualification
check list.

I once bought a set of clones at a WW show and they were designed by
that vendor that I bought them from. No one else sold this particular
clamp.
Great clamps, EXCEPT the plastic material used on the clamping surfaces
OOZED oil and permanently stained the wood. I returned the clamps.

I feel that the Bessy clamps, kBody or revo, are built a little too
tight. They can be crotchety to slide open or close.
Also their screw travel is short. I find that once the clamp engages to
actually start clamping you have used up more than half of the travel.
If you use clamps a lot this becomes very irritating. A big issue when
trying to close a mortise and tenon joint on each end of a rail.

Do you guys use the KP blocks for stacking the clamps perpendicular to each
other?

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/b...locks-set-of-4


Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. In fact they cost you
depth. They are set up such that you put perpendicular clamp bars on
top of each other. The clamp surface of the bottom clamps will be less
equal to the thickness of the top clamp bars.


I'm not arguing, just trying to learn. Let's ignore the cost of the blocks
for the purposes of this discussion.


Understood, not a problem. ;~)




Why does it matter if you lose depth on a glueup that still fits within the
exposed area of the lower jaws? e.g. any work piece less than 2.5" thick.


In that case it would matter. BUT I build hundreds of drawers and the
vast majority are way deeper than 2.5" thick. So a relative large
amount of the joint does not see the face of the bottom clamp.

In fact a K-Body style clamp has its limitations too. I have worked
around that issue. If I have a 5~7" deep drawer I put the clamp to the
side of the drawer rather than on bottom and on top. The entire length
of these style clamps, top above the bar, the area beside the bar, and
the area under the bar are valid usable clamping surfaces. so I
literally use the entire length of the whole clamp face rather than that
surface just above the bar. I tilt the clamp in at the top.



A 3/4" cabinet door for example. As long as the jaws are parallel along
their entire length, why does the work piece need to be buried deep into
the clamp?


In this case not an issue. BUT, did I tell you I build hundreds of
drawers yet??? LOL.

You do not need 4 clamps on a door/drawer after the pressure has been
applied. Two is plenty. In my case I put two clamps on bottom pressing
the stiles against the rails. I put two clamps on top to ensure that
the joints rails are not proud of the stile ends. Once every thing is
lined up and tight I remove the top clamps and move the glued up
assembly and the two bottom clamps out of the way.

The beauty of this method is that you can do twice as many glue ups with
half as many clamps.


In fact, unless you raise the lower clamps (and therefore the work piece)
off of the work surface, aren't you losing depth on the upper clamps when
they are inverted as shown here?

https://i.imgur.com/HNQmFlL.jpg


I do not see any clamp blocks.. ;~)



Of course, raising the lower clamps off of your nice flat work surface
could introduce twist, which we all know we don't want.


I do not have a twisting issue if the clamps are correctly positioned
and tight.



What am I missing?


The expense of using unnecessary clamps blocks.



I always put two clamps on bottom and two clamps on top of the glue up.