Got Clamps?

[Tapper]

Nice clamp collection - love all those C-clamps. My dad and I used them a lot building wooden boats when I was a kid, back before anyone ever thought of a Bessey! 

BTW, is that a Dewalt GA in the last photo?

Doug

P.S. Mike still has the lead - I'm not going to embarrass myself by posting mine!

[EightFingers]

This brings back memories of the old “Who’s got the most clamps?” threads. Some were pretty lively. Also the Amazon clamp deals and how they would ship one clamp per box.

Good times those were....

[BloomingtonMike]

P.S. Mike still has the lead - I'm not going to embarrass myself by posting mine!

Sadly that is just my parallels, right angles, and some my F's. The Dubuques, Bowclamps set, I-Beams, rest of the F's, C's, Strap clamps, Quick clamps, the Pipes, and all the Kregs for the tables, etc are in other racks and a few in drawers (Kregs). Those pics above were obscene enough I thought. It is deeper than it appears.

Still have a hard time turning down Bessey and Jorgy parallels at $20 ea though. I tend to just buy them all when I see that price. Usually they give a price break even on that price when you say how much for all of the clamps?

I have a buddy that is a newer woodworker - he has gotten most of my clamp deals on Irwin parallels, Bora parallel deals, and new Chinese Jorgys. I am not a fan of those.

I will say I don't drive long distances for clamps now though. I am good. I think I have actually reached the - You can have enough clamps - stage. Welding clamps/jigs and bullet vises have that collecting place in my heart/wallet now. A recent vise was 5.5 hours drive one way, was there 15 minutes social -distanced, then drove back home.

Most under appreciated clamp to me these days - the big MasterForce F's from Menards. Many they are great for the money in an F clamp. Much larger head than the lightweight line of 2.5" throat F Bessey Tradesmen and that includes the German made ones. Sure not giving up the German Tradesmen but folks would do their collection right with a few of those large Fs if you dont have them. I like Fs a lot.

[GeeDub]

Like Mike, I used the "buy 'em when the price is right" approach until I could get through projects without saying "if I only had one more (of a certain type of) clamp".  That point will be different for all of us.  I do have a collection of clamps that I thought I just had to have that I have used once or twice and could have done without.  The problem with over acquisition is that you need to store them 
.

[photobug]

My wife thinks I have a problem an addiction to clamps.  I need to show her this thread so she sees I am just starting my collection.

[Handplanesandmore]

Now, we know why oil prices are dropping, but clamp prices don't move down even a bit!


Simon

[Bob Vaughan]

Nice clamp collection - love all those C-clamps. My dad and I used them a lot building wooden boats when I was a kid, back before anyone ever thought of a Bessey! 

BTW, is that a Dewalt GA in the last photo?

Doug

P.S. Mike still has the lead - I'm not going to embarrass myself by posting mine!

Good eye.  Its a GP with a GA guard on it so I can use 14" blades.

[Tapper]

Good eye.  Its a GP with a GA guard on it so I can use 14" blades.

Nice! I have a GA "medium arm" in the queue for refurb - hopefully will get to it this summer.

Doug

[Tapper]

Like Mike, I used the "buy 'em when the price is right" approach until I could get through projects without saying "if I only had one more (of a certain type of) clamp".  That point will be different for all of us.  I do have a collection of clamps that I thought I just had to have that I have used once or twice and could have done without.  The problem with over acquisition is that you need to store them 
.

GeeDub,

Are the grips on those older Besseys the ones that Rockler sells? If so, how do you like them?

Thanks,

Doug

[Handplanesandmore]

Quantity is one yardstick...but when the job calls for reach, who has clamps with the longest reach? Show your pictures!

A European cabinetmaker told me he owned several of a shorter version of this -

http://www.piher.com/en/piher-classic-cl...50-cm.html


Simon