When a company says that its clamp can extert X amount of force, what does
that mean? Before the clamp will snap? That a user will not be able to
tighten it any further?

Specifically I am interested in the specs on the "Quick-Grip One-Handed Bar
Clamp / Spreader" shown he
http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/w..._bar_clamp.htm

It says that the clamp "Exerts up to 250 lbs of clamping pressure". I've
used this clamp and tightened it as best I could by hand, squeezing the
trigger. Assuming I have a "normal" strength grip, would that mean that at
that point the clamp is exerting 250 pounds? What might the multiplier be?
What if I used another clamp to squeeze the trigger of the first clamp?
TIA. -- Igor

It was somewhere outside Barstow when igor
wrote:

When a company says that its clamp can extert X amount of force, what does
that mean?

Average hand force to twist the handle generates that much linear
force.

This is generally a combination of the helix angle on the screw
thread, moderated by the bendiness of the frame.

It says that the clamp "Exerts up to 250 lbs of clamping pressure".

Well they're lying.

And they're Irwin, so don't buy it anyway.

I've used this clamp and tightened it as best I could by hand, squeezing the
trigger. Assuming I have a "normal" strength grip, would that mean that at
that point the clamp is exerting 250 pounds?

No, see my previous point about "lying".

These aren't usually bad clamps for lighter gluing, and you don't need
250lbs to clamp a glueup anyway, or else you get squeezeout. But
leave it a few months until the pawl wears and you're lucky to get a
few lbs out of this type of clamp. The best ones I've found are by
Wolf (turquoise and black) and even those don't last very long.

"igor" wrote in message
...
When a company says that its clamp can extert X amount of force, what does
that mean? Before the clamp will snap? That a user will not be able to
tighten it any further?

Specifically I am interested in the specs on the "Quick-Grip One-Handed
Bar
Clamp / Spreader" shown he
http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/w..._bar_clamp.htm

It says that the clamp "Exerts up to 250 lbs of clamping pressure". I've
used this clamp and tightened it as best I could by hand, squeezing the
trigger. Assuming I have a "normal" strength grip, would that mean that
at
that point the clamp is exerting 250 pounds? What might the multiplier
be?
What if I used another clamp to squeeze the trigger of the first clamp?
TIA. -- Igor

I have several style clamps, many of which easily exert much more clamping
pressure with MUCH less effort on my part than my Quick Grip clamps.

"igor" wrote in message

What if I used another clamp to squeeze the trigger of the first clamp?
TIA. -- Igor

That simply means you are using the wrong clamp.

Quick Grip clamps are OK for a quick holding, but IMO, they are not well
suited for serious work. I'd much rather use a Bessy K or F. Even the
lightweight UniClamps are better but come in size up to 18".

"igor" wrote in message
...
When a company says that its clamp can extert X amount of force, what does
that mean? Before the clamp will snap? That a user will not be able to
tighten it any further?

Specifically I am interested in the specs on the "Quick-Grip One-Handed
Bar
Clamp / Spreader" shown he

http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/w..._bar_clamp.htm

It says that the clamp "Exerts up to 250 lbs of clamping pressure". I've
used this clamp and tightened it as best I could by hand, squeezing the
trigger. Assuming I have a "normal" strength grip, would that mean that
at
that point the clamp is exerting 250 pounds? What might the multiplier
be?
What if I used another clamp to squeeze the trigger of the first clamp?


Lots of replies, but the real answer is up to the point of clutch slip or
screw jamming.

The type referenced are used to hold things in place in lieu of a helper in
my shop. Though primarily "extra hand" devices, they can also be used
effectively as clamps, especially on properly prepared material.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...
"igor" wrote in message

What if I used another clamp to squeeze the trigger of the first clamp?
TIA. -- Igor

That simply means you are using the wrong clamp.

No, I learned early on that they are for better suited lite duty but I was
more or less giving a warning to the OP. He was considering using another
clamp to squeese the trigger on the Quick Grip clamp.


Quick Grip clamps are OK for a quick holding, but IMO, they are not well
suited for serious work. I'd much rather use a Bessy K or F. Even the
lightweight UniClamps are better but come in size up to 18".

Pounds are used to measure force, not pressure. There is an important
difference.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

"Lawrence Wasserman" wrote in message
...
Pounds are used to measure force, not pressure. There is an important
difference.

Indeed. A clamp which can deliver a force of 250 lbs can give a force of
thousands of pounds per square inch if the contact area is very small, or
almost no pressure at all if the contact area is large.

-j

on 3/15/2005 3:12 PM J said the following:
"Lawrence Wasserman" wrote in message
...

Pounds are used to measure force, not pressure. There is an important
difference.


Indeed. A clamp which can deliver a force of 250 lbs can give a force of
thousands of pounds per square inch if the contact area is very small, or
almost no pressure at all if the contact area is large.

Easily demonstrated by placing your hand on the floor and asking your
lovely wife to step on it quite slowly. First barefooted and then while
wearing her high heels.

There's more than one reason you don't see a lot of vinyl tile in
business places. High heels will dimple it better than a ball peen hammer.

You'll be back at that lathe or table saw in four or five weeks!
Guaranteed!g

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 07:19:43 -0500, "George" george@least wrote:


"igor" wrote in message
.. .
When a company says that its clamp can extert X amount of force, what does
that mean? Before the clamp will snap? That a user will not be able to
tighten it any further?

Specifically I am interested in the specs on the "Quick-Grip One-Handed
Bar
Clamp / Spreader" shown he

http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/w..._bar_clamp.htm

It says that the clamp "Exerts up to 250 lbs of clamping pressure". I've
used this clamp and tightened it as best I could by hand, squeezing the
trigger. Assuming I have a "normal" strength grip, would that mean that
at
that point the clamp is exerting 250 pounds? What might the multiplier
be?
What if I used another clamp to squeeze the trigger of the first clamp?


Lots of replies, but the real answer is up to the point of clutch slip or
screw jamming.

The type referenced are used to hold things in place in lieu of a helper in
my shop. Though primarily "extra hand" devices, they can also be used
effectively as clamps, especially on properly prepared material.


Thanks, all, for the replies. I brought up the question because of some
_rough_ stress testing to failure. (Maybe I should have said "OT", since I
raised the question not in the context of clamping wood?) I had set up a
bench tester and used the quick-grip clamp to generate the force to stress
a part between two components of the tester. You see, NASA has been
bugging me and I was behind schedule on a part for the next Shuttle launch
.... But seriously, ladies and germs. I had not been able to cause failure
using my 200# weight at the end of a lever (much more force than the clamp
could apply because it was near he base of the lever), but I was hoping the
clamp could give me some sort of rough _perceived_ metric -- such as, "as
shown in this photo, part did not fail when 250# of force was applied."
Yes, I could try to do the math, based on the length of the lever and my
own weight, etc., but I thought the clamp looked better in a photo than
would me hanging on the end of the lever. Looks like maybe I should get a
pulley, a bucket, and some sand.

Also, with the discussions here about tool "ratings", such as hp, I thought
the clamp rating numbers deserved an airing. Again, thanks. -- Igor

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 15:17:03 GMT, "Leon"
wrote:


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
m...
"igor" wrote in message

What if I used another clamp to squeeze the trigger of the first clamp?
TIA. -- Igor

That simply means you are using the wrong clamp.

No, I learned early on that they are for better suited lite duty but I was
more or less giving a warning to the OP. He was considering using another
clamp to squeese the trigger on the Quick Grip clamp.


Actually, it was more of a hypothetical -- i.e., what sets the so-called
250# limit? Will the trigger just stop activating the clamp, regardless of
pressure applied to the trigger? In furtherance of the "regardless"
question, I thought, "What would happen if I used a 2nd clamp to pull the
trigger?" (This reminds me of the photo I saw online somewhere (via the
wrec) of the guys in a warehouse using a forklift on a larger forklift to
lift some worker high enough to reach something.) -- Igor