Lets talk clamps

[Mike Holbrook]

The Blum bench can be found by just entering blumtool.---Blum's design uses a base that folds up into the table, making it portable. He has a few innovations for sale to enhance pipe clamps for table use too. I made a sheet goods sawing table base by using water pipe sections, flanges and Ts for the base. The base ends up with enough leg length adjustment, via the screw on flanges, to adjust to floors that may not be dead level. The legs can also be removed if I want to throw it in the truck and move it between the house and our dog training building on our property.

I'm sure Zach could figure something to fit his needs from these approaches to pipe clamp tables.

I am heading to Highland Woodworking to look at some clamps. I may pick up a few more for my Festool table too for light clamping, holding down chores.

[David Weaver]

If you get the new k jrs, let us know what you think of them (or do you already have them?). I *despise* the jet clamps, and half of mine are those, I got into this hobby right when they were coming out. They are bulky and cumbersome with a worthless thumb ratchet mechanism compared to the old bessey k body clamps. Not sure who makes the bessey clamps in the US now (is it jorgensen or someone?), but really wish they would've just kept the original made in germany k body clamps, even if the exchange rate would've made them a few bucks more. They are so much more intuitive and smooth than the other clamps I've gotten, and they don't weigh a ton. At their strength, they are more than overkill for any reasonbly well cut joint.

I wonder if they dumped the old bessey design because of the exchange rate, or if it was because of all of the new gargantuan clamps that came out with "features" like the jets and other chinese made less reliable and much more cumbersome clamps. (the full sized k body revo are about the same size as the jet clamps, just an invitation to make bigger dents in projects if they get away from you).