pipe clamps!!!

[Vanilla Gorilla]

So, I am looking to invest in a fair number of pipe clamps, but since I have very little experience with them, I figured I would tap the knowledge base!

I don't have a lot of money, so that is certainly an issue. I also do not need clamps that are feature rich. Bare bones are fine. What should I look for/stay away from? Is this something that I should get from harbor freight?

Can I get away with 1/2", or is 3/4" a necessity? I imagine that the length of the pipe matters in that equation, so assume that none of my clamps will be over 60", and very few will be over 4 feet.

How about pipe? I already have a pipe threader, but is there a significant price difference between threaded and non threaded pipe? Where would the cheapest place to get pipe be? Is it worth it to get galvanized or plated pipe to keep from staining my wood?

Sorry for the sheer volume of questions, but I respect the opinion of the people on this site, and I would like to know what you all think about this!!


-Marco

 

[NCPete]

get the galvanized 3/4, wax it. If you have a pipe threader, then it doesn't matter so much what length you get. I will soon be cutting my longer pipes down, and using connectors on them, for the rare occasion that i need to clamp anything that large. 1/2 inch pipe will deflect on you, when you really need to lay some serious clamping pressure on your subject. IIRC, the clamps I have are the Jorgensen Pony's??? Orange, can't remember where I got them from, and they were about $10 or $13 a set?

 

[Bas]

Go with 3/4". The difference in price is small, and they are MUCH stronger. It's like router bits - 1/4" shank is OK, but 1/2" shank is better. If you have a pipe threader, you can buy pipe pretty cheap at the local BORG. The difference between threaded and unthreaded is not trivial, but not massive either. Best of all, you can make handy sizes such as 50".

The Pony's are probably the best value. Harbor Freight has 3/4" pipe clamps too that go on sale periodically, they're a little rough but work just fine. I think I picked up 5 for $5 last time with a coupon, hard to beat that.

I've only used black pipe. Rumor has it galvanized pipe is slightly softer and may slip more easily, but I have no experience one way or another. Could be one of those WW urban legends. Galvanized would be nice, since it doesn't rust and won't stain your workpiece. Either way, wax the pipes.

I bought some thin self-adhesive cork at the crafts store. It's great for padding the clamp faces, so you don't damage the work piece.

 

[JimmyC]

Marco,

First let me explain that I have pony (Jorgensen) pipe clamps, HF pipe clamps, and a bunch of other kinds. Bang for the HF is a good deal on sale, but that being said, I would first invest in about a half dozen or so good ones (p=Pony brand), they rack smoother and easier and it would be beneficial for your first two clamps of each size to do just that, afterwards you can deal with sticking points, if any, because the piece is already set up.

I would recommend 3/4" pipe. just because they aren't that much more expensive and they have more surface and holding strength. Pipe is cheaper (significantly) in full lengths even at the borgs, shop around for cost. If you want 48" clamps, and you make them yourself, you can make the pipes long enough to open to 49 or 50" so the you can clamp a 48" cabinet. If you use a 48" pipe, it's no good for 48" projects. I've used galvanized for some, but now use black because I dont let the pipes come in contact with the wood (wax paper, sleeves, etc.). Glue on your pipes is as much of a hassle as marks on your wood.

I hope this helps and Good Luck !

Jimmy:mrgreen:

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

"Harbor Freight has 3/4" pipe clamps too that go on sale periodically, they're a little rough but work just fine. I think I picked up 5 for $5 last time with a coupon, hard to beat that."


When you say 5 for $5, do you mean $5 each, or $1 each? Because if $5 is a good deal for them, then I will pick up some of those to start with



I also like the advice of getting a few really good ones to start the clamping. Good call Jimmy. Just like everything else in woodowrking, there are so many options!!!

 

[WoodWrangler]

Oh, pipe clamps ... good fun. :gar-La;

I have some $5 ones from Harbor Freight, and some $12 Bessey brand ones from Lowes. I've rather give you $12 all day long. The Bessey pipe clamps are just better all round and that's pretty darn cheap still. Add a Lowes coupon to the order, and they come closer to $8-9 each.

As for the pipe, watch Lowes. I went there and picked up 24", 36", 48" and 72" pipes that were designed for ceiling fans hung from high ceilings for 70 cents each! They work beautifully and are clean to handle (they are "finished")

And YES ... 3/4" if you want to clamp anything with some force.

 

[JimmyC]

"Harbor Freight has 3/4" pipe clamps too that go on sale periodically, they're a little rough but work just fine. I think I picked up 5 for $5 last time with a coupon, hard to beat that."


When you say 5 for $5, do you mean $5 each, or $1 each? Because if $5 is a good deal for them, then I will pick up some of those to start with



I also like the advice of getting a few really good ones to start the clamping. Good call Jimmy. Just like everything else in woodowrking, there are so many options!!!

HF clamps usually sell for $7-8 each, on sale for $5 each. The Pony's will run you closer to $13 ea., but you won't be sorry owning a couple of them because they are superior

Jimmy:mrgreen:

 

[PeteQuad]

I like pipe clamps. I bought some cheap ones but they annoyed me so now I stick with only the Jorgenson Pony brand. I use 3/4" ones, and I buy my black pipe at the borg. Home Depot will usually cut and thread pipe for you, so you can buy in 10' sections and have them cut them up and thread them for you if you want. It's a lot cheaper than buying the individual sizes. (I think a 10' pipe is around $11, and you can get two 4' and a 2', or whatever you want from it).

For a while, I was just picking up 1 Pony everytime I was at the store, but now I have a decent amount of them. They are my most used clamps by far.

 

[Bas]

When you say 5 for $5, do you mean $5 each, or $1 each? Because if $5 is a good deal for them, then I will pick up some of those to start with

My memory is slipping....must be the glue. The normal price is $5, they were on sale with a coupon a while a go for dirt cheap, I got a box of 5 for $11 or $12 I think.

I also like the advice of getting a few really good ones to start the clamping. Good call Jimmy. Just like everything else in woodowrking, there are so many options!!!

Yup, you typically get what you pay for. Get a couple of Pony's, then you'll have something to compare against. I have the Jet parallel clamps, and they're top notch. But I also have a bunch of HF 18" bar clamps, and they're great for all sorts of smaller projects that don't need too much force. Also have several Bessey 36" bar clamps and 6" Irwin quick clamps. A few pipe clamps. A couple of HF hand screws. Some C-clamps and spring clamps. They all have their uses. And you never have enough :gar-Bi

 

[walnutjerry]

Ask yourself----"what am I going to clamp?"

Buy according to the need. Properly jointed edges do not need an excessive amount of pressure, in my opinion, to mate up.

Jerry

 

[zapdafish]

I got the Rockler ones when they were on sale and had free shipping. They've worked great the few times I needed em. I have no experience with the others. They have some nice features, I don't wanna rewrite whats already there so heres a link, hehe
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17397&filter=pipe clamp


For pipes, I got mine from Lowes. 3/4 black ones. If you get the 10' ones you can ask them to cut it down and thread the ends for you at no extra cost. I ended with with 6 and 4 ft sections. Definitely don't buy the precut ones, it will cost you alot more. Not sure if Home Depot has the same service.

 

[Canuck]

I have been using the Irwin 3/4" pipe clamps for about 4 years. (I think I payed about $14.00/pair back then.)

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200237274_200237274

They have been great! I like them primarily because you don't need to use threaded pipe for them to grip. Also; the feet allow the clamps to sit up from the worksurface so that the crank is clear. I just bought black pipe and use masking tape where I suspect that the wood being clamped may come into contact with the pipe causing a stain. A roll of wax paper nearby also helps.

Wayne

 

[Glennbear]

I have used pipe type clamps exclusively for decades and I have been pleased. I recently was lucky enough to score some hefty Hargrave type steel bar clamps on CL so my opinion may change. I have always used 1/2 pipe clamps and have never felt the need to go to 3/4 however as has been pointed out the price difference is negligble so next round I will probably go for the larger size. If you have a threader and the means to transport long lengths 10ft sections of pipe will save you some money. One thing I did not see mentioned was the fact that some of the cheaper clamps do not have "feet" or a true crank handle both of which makes things easier. Urban legend or not I do find that my clamps seem to slip more on galvanized pipe. This review pretty much sums up my opinion of pipe clamps :wsmile: :
http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/ponyclmps.html

 

[Charles Lent]

I have a bunch of pipe clamps both 1/2 and 3/4. Most of them are the orange 3/4 size (Jorgensen) and they work fine. The 1/2 size are a bit light and should be avoided for all but the lightest gluing jobs, but they work OK. Rockler has a design that is similar to the Jorgensen brand, but with legs, so they don't roll on the bench when you are trying to position them and this may be a good idea, but I had already bought enough of the orange ones before they became available, so I never tried them.

I did try another brand of cheapie pipe clamps and wasn't at all satisfied with them. They weren't Harbor Freight because that place didn't exist at the time, but the quality and price of these was similar to what they sell. These were similar in design to the Jorgensen pipe clamps, but the pipe gripping piece at the tail end of the clamp was a spring loaded barbed piece and not at all like the "angled plate" design of the Jorgensen that always works so great. These barbed pieces failed to properly grab the side of the pipes and would slip whenever I tried to tighten the clamp against a board. The only way to make them work was to file grooves along the pipe for them to grab. This style should be avoided no matter what the price. They were much cheaper than the Jorgensen, but in my opinion, totally worthless.

Galvanized pipes don't leave glue stains on your boards, but hot dipped galvanizing is frequently too thick and too soft, which sometimes causes problems with the clamps not gripping properly. Black iron pipes work great but will leave stains on the boards where the glue touches it. Frequent waxing of the pipes will minimize this, as will pieces of waxed paper or plastic bag material between the pipe and the glue joints. Instead of buying long pipes, all of my pipe clamps are 4' and smaller. For the few times that I've needed longer clamps I bought some pipe couplings and just join pipe from several smaller clamps to make the length that I need.
When the project is finished I re-assemble the pipes into the smaller clamps again. I just don't use long clamps often enough to justify having them.

Charley

 

[4yanks]

Marco,

Another vote for Pony/Jorgensen and 3/4" black pipe. Someone else mentioned using connectors to join shorter sections into longer ones. I agree. I have a couple of 60" pipes laying around that I never use anymore because it is easier to join a couple of shorter ones than dig them out.

Willie

 

[cptully]

Marco,

I have both Pony and Rockler 3/4 clamps. I must say that I like the Rockler version's legs a lot, but the Pony ones I have also have a small leg, that works... But the Rockler ones give your fingers more room, they also give you a convenient hanging hook. The Rockler clamps were a Christmas present, but they have certainly been nice to have, and they do have slightly better "fit and finish" than the others I have. For example on one of my pony clamps the foot of the moving end has popped off of the crew, so I have to be careful to keep in place when placing the clamp.

I would definately go for the 3/4 pipes for any thing longer than 36". So far for my projects, I have gotten away with 10' pies pre threaded on both ends and cut in half to give ~55" clamping capacity. One of the claims to fame from Bessy is that thier clamp jaws are absolutely parallel. I've never had trouble with my 3/4 pipes bowing enough to matter, but I can gaurantee that a 1/2 pipe would!

Keep in mind that clamping force radiates out from the clamp in a 90 degree fan. If you draw lines from the clamp point out at 45 degrees from the clamp bar, you will get a good idea of the effective area for the clamp. Best practice is to space the clamps so that there is a small over lap of these fans, which insures uniform pressur across the whole joint.

Chris

 

[b4man]

Marco,
I have Pony clamps, they're fine. The only advice I have for you is where to get the pipe.
Try a Habitat Restore first. Also, if there is an Electrical Contractor around you stop in and ask if you could buy some cutoff pieces and for that matter check in at some commercial job sites. HTHs.

 

[Gofor]

I have HF and craftsman clamps, and have an assortment of pipe lengths from 1' to 4' with connectors to make the best length for the job. I use black pipe with galvanized connectors. The connectors stand off the work piece to prevent marking, and the black pipe does not have the slippage problem. The zinc on the galvanized pipe is soft and will let the tail piece creep if you have the type that uses the serrated cam piece to clamp in. The Pony type clamp with the layered spring tabs probably will bite into either type. However, if you can get some old galvanized cheap or free, and have the serrated cam type tail piece, the galvanizing can be removed with a disk sander and 34 grit disk quickly down the strip where the clamp digs in. A quick spray with rattle can paint prevents most staining.

Another way to get the zinc off is to brush on a solution of Sodium Hydroxide NaOH (AKA lye, quick lime, draino crystals, etc). If using this wear gloves and eye protection as its the same stuff the stockyards used to use to dissolve all the unwanted remains from the cattle and hogs. It will eat your skin, and can cause an irreversible degenerative blindness if splashed into the eyes. First aid is to rinse with copious amounts of clean water immediately for 5 to 15 minutes.

I use 3/4 because 1/2 will bow easily in the longer lengths. I also hot gun glue tabs of wood on the jaws to prevent marring, altho some also use credit cards, etc.

If using electrical metal conduit, you need to use the rigid metallic conduit (RMC), not the intermediate (IMC) or EMT (electrical metallic conduit). The IMC and EMT are too thin walled.

Go

 

[customwood]

I have 7 used 3/4 used pipe clamps with pipe attached for sale on my web site that I will sell for $8.00 each.. http://jacksykes.com/used_tools.htm scroll down the page and you can view a picture of the pipe clamps. Jack

 

[pslamp32]

I use the Rockler clamps as well and though I have a good amount of alternatives I find myself using the bar clamps and these aluminum ones

most of all.