I'm familiar with the Bessey KFT-4 clamp but not the EKT-55.
So the question is has anybody used both and have a preference? Or a +or- on each compared..
I'm familiar with the Bessey KFT-4 clamp but not the EKT-55.
So the question is has anybody used both and have a preference? Or a +or- on each compared..
I take I'm the only one using these?
Can't help with the clamp question but, may be able to help with the lack of response. I am on the forum daily and this is the first time this thread has come up when I click "New Posts". Maybe it was lost in 'computer neverland' and will now get some responses(?).
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
I have used the second style for 20+ years successfully. I have 6 of the small and 4 of the large ones, and if I were buying more I would get the large ones only. They will open up to 3" thick and you can get a substantial caul between the work and the screw pad so you can use fewer of them on a straight edge. The one drawback is that you have to take care not to get glue on the spring-loaded rubber cam pads. It is possible to get replacement cams/pads ($$). The best pricing I have seen is here http://www.selectmachineryinc.com/pr...spx?product=15.
The EKT-55 would appear to be a true "one hand" clamp as the gripper pads are held free of the glueline until tightened. With a 2 1/8" thickness capacity they would be more comparable to the small Kantenfix clamp and about the same price. I guess I would buy one and see how it compares. A guy I used to work with said he preferred the KFT cam style, but I can't say exactly why.
Jack, I'm not familiar with that particular type of clamp and suspect many non-production woodworkers are in the same situation. It does appear to be something that can "do the intended job" and Bessey tends to do what they do well.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
sometimes it's people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one imagines. Alan Turing
Holy Moly what a great organizer you are. I'd love to do the same, but I simply do not have the room unless I can figure a way to hang them from an 8' ceiling & still make them "easily" reachable. Nice collection of clamps
Thoughts entering one's mind need not exit one's mouth!
As I age my memory fades .... and that's a load off my mind!
"We Live In The Land Of The Free, Only Because Of The Brave"
“The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living."
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill
Thks for the info. I have Zebra wood wrapped with maple at the beginning this week. Won't get any deals on time and none local to check out. I will keep a close eye on Amazon deals over the next week and if that fails I guess I'll be at the mercy of the internet. Thks for the hit on the website...
I supply separate tools at work from the tools I use in my personal shop. My hand tools are behind doors with cam locks when not in use. My tools are 100% guaranteed with company. I'm in the process of creating an allowance either every 3rd or 4th for around $300 each time till they buy me out. Replacing mine with new to take home...
Last edited by jack duren; 12-18-2016 at 5:32 PM.
One other point to consider is that the EKT clamp pressure is always centered in the frame, whereas the cams on the KFT's can be offset, which is occasionally useful.
I use these most on banding ends of long pieces and curves, but there are oddball situations where nothing else will do as well.