Clamps Reviews

After reading the reviews I saw that Record was consistently ranked higher than its competitors. I agree, it's a quality product. Two small items, however: 1) the holes for attaching your wooden jaw faces are not threaded, and there is not room enough for a nut on the back of the bench-side jaw, so you'll need to cut your own threads (or mess with a magnetic setup). 2) the quick release must be pushed to the half way position to work best. If you push it too far, it appears to re-engage the threads and bind. Other than that, a very nice product; I'm well pleased.

This vise was a most welcome addition to my workbench, all it took was a couple of wooden jaws , the gripping power is tremendous and the quick release mechanism works fine without being in the way. I recommend this vise to everybody that is looking for a quality product at a very reasonable price

If you have a hard time finding one of these, look no further. No, you won't find them at Lowes or Home Depot. This is a Record vice, a famous brand, but I could care less about brands, I can say it is well made, works great and does what its supposed to. The lever for fast release from the screw works great. Does not come with wood faces, you need to make your own, but if you're buying a wood working vice, that should not be a problem!!

This isn't the cheapest wood working vice, but then again quality never is the cheapest alternative.

The router base plate is great. Unfortunately, the t-nuts which ride in the grove in the straight edge jam with sawdust. Getting a cut started was a pain as each t-nut had to be rotated to line up with the groove in the straight edge. Also, the far t-nut comes out of the track at the end of an 8 foot cut and rotates so you need to stop everything and hand feed it back in the groove.

To get around this I cut a thin strip off the far edge oft the base. It was very slightly less than the width and thickness of the groove. I then drilled and tapped it to accept the bolts which went into the t-nuts. What an improvement. The sawdust was just pushed out of the way. No more feeding t-nuts back into the groove at the end of a cut.

This unit fits snugly into the Slot on the fence without any play or looseness. That makes it a very accurate piece of equipment. It does not have any predrilled holes, so you can custom drill it to your specifications. Placing it closest to the fence area will give the greatest flexibility and use. You also can drill it for different routers without any problems. It basically is a large thick piece of white smooth plastic, custom formed to fit the fence guide.
Knowing the precise distance the bit takes from the fence to the innermost edge of the router bit is an advantage. One way is to do this is make measurements prior to drilling. That way you know the distance. Another method is to make up a guide block that you size to the distance. When routing an edge you simply place your guide block along the fence edge and line it up with your pencil line for the work edge.
This is a very simple device, and fortunately is one the works well for what it is designed for. Engineered to simplicity.

After many years of using multitudes of clamping straight edges, custom bases for routers and a variety of fabricated jigs to achieve totally accurate joinery at last a product that works! No chatter or run-out. Combined with the FTS series clamping straight edge this is a joy to work with and well worth the price.

These are high quality and far better than the band type.These are clean looking and fit over the ridges on the pipe instead of crushing them. They tighten up with a screwdriver or wrench and really sinch down tight.Because the dust collection hose is made with a continuous ridge and not seperate sections. You will have to cross over some ridges on the collection hose but, it still comes out clean.Forget the old rubber hose type clamps and go with these you wont be sorry. Now get out there and clamp some hose.

These work great on the "ribbed" hose that most shops use for dust collection. The solid strap clamps tend to slip and skew when tightened and allow tiny leaks where these wire clamps seat on the hose solidly. You can also use a nut driver or socket wrench to get them REALLY tight, tighter than just using a screwdriver. If you are using Woodstock International hose, use these clamps.

picked up 10 of these clamps and I like them a lot better than the other type . If you would use the other ones on the flex tube you are going to crush it. with these you wont harm the flex tube cause it sits in the groves. I also like the way they look. To me it looks like a pro put it together

a better can opener. I mean, what would it do better than this one?

First off I have to admit my bias towards Zyliss products. This company seems to get all the details just right, from ergonomics to quality of construction to design.

This can opener is no exception. It rests on top of the can rather than hanging off the side as with most other can opener designs. The cutting mechanism works its magic right along the middle of the pronounced ridge of the top edge of the can. The location of the cut is such that there is neither a sharp edge on the can or the lid. An added benefit is that the lid rests snugly inside of the can without falling inside - great for storing cans in the fridge for later use.

It is hard to visualize or explain exactly how it works, but it does work exceedingly well. I doubt that you will be the least bit disappointed...even after paying more than double than the cost of an average can opener.

OPEN IT UP, CLOSE IT WITH THE KNOB ON TOP OF THE CAN, TURN IT EASILY, AND OFF COMES THE ENTIRE TOP WITH NO LITTLE PIECES OF TIN FALLING INTO THE CAN. - Takes a little getting use to.

I bought 2 of this clamps base on my experience with BESSEY heavy duty clamps I already own (Model TG5.512).

This LM4.012model was a good clamp, but I was expecting it to be heftier. Their TG5.512 are absolutely superb. I was not expecting this one to be like the TG's but I expected more. for example, the clamping screw could have been larger to offer stronger clamping.

I also expected the end of the clamping screw (the one that contacts the object), to be one solid piece. Well it is a stamped piece. So it is hollowed with a piece of plastic to cover that end. It is not like the TG's end which is one solid piece. I expected a solid piece from a BESSEY clamp.

Last but not least, my TG's heavy duty ones have proudly engraved "Made in Germanny." These LM's do not even show any "Made in..." engravings. So, who know? In summary, they are good and do the job but I expected better...Heftier.

Which Bessey clamp is the one most used? I guess that depends on the type of project you frequently do. This particular model fills a very frequently used niche when you want a medium size clamp, with good throat depth and size. The little 4" clamps are probably the ones that get the most frequently used, then comes these. I love my Bessey K-Body clamps, but they only come out when I am assembing or gluing a larger project.
When others say, that you can never get enough clamps, I have to agree with that. The more, and greater variety you have, the better off you are. The one thing for sure is that Bessey clamps are the top of the heap. I still have a little stumbling that I do when figuring out the proper angle to grip the bar when trying to tighten the clamp. It normally takes a little tweaking for it to bite. That is only because I haven't spent the time to get the knack of the angle to bite. It takes only a few seconds to figure it out, but what I should do is spend a few minutes with the Bessey's and let them teach me the sure shot technique to get them to lock on the bar when I want to tighten them up. These clamps are simply put, the best clamps I have ever used. I am sure that they will be in use for many many years. Highly recommended.

The clamp goes on well and holds on to material securely. The only draw back is that the size that will fit in the miter clamp is limited by the rails securing the hold down. Really not a flaw, just an inconvenience. Amazing how Delta stuff fits so well on Delta products.

(...)
I just received this Delta Deluxe Miter Gauge #34-928. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how long ago I ordered it. I guess a fresh batch is in so order it quick. Now on to the item. When they say that it is accurate, the first thing I did, when I took it out of the box, was break out the Bosch Digital Protractor. It measures angles with a digital readout in tenths of a degree. (Equal to 3600 dots in a circle, no matter how small the circle) I put the miter gauge to the test. I clamped an aluminum level onto the face to extend the surface, and guess what? I got perfect readings after trying the detent stops, and even got the same results when I eyeballed a setting just using the pointer. It wasn't even off by a tenth of a degree.
At first I was confused, because some of the stops weren't right on the number, then I realized that they have stops at the popular detents, and some of those are in tenths of a degree.
Point number two is that I was impressed that the miter gauge bar that rides in your miter slot has little Allen bolts imbedded in it, so you can adjust it perfectly, to eliminate any play. When I put it in my Powermatic 66, it fit so perfectly, without any play, that I don't even need to fiddle with it. It is so snug that you would have to measure the play in thousandths of an inch, as in non-existent, yet it slides along the track like it was on greased wheels. It fit my Bench Dog miter track on their Router table extension for table saws the same way. The Might T track miter track guides had a little slop in it, but that is obviously the track and not the gauge. I guess you can tell where I will be using it. (Although the play is adjustable for any 3/4 x 3/8 track)
Point three is that the bottom of the gauge is polished so smooth that it will not scratch your saw tabletop. The front face of the gauge where you rest your work, looks like it was fine ground-polished with something like a 1000 grit wheel. You can see ultra-ultra fine lines going in a circle from where it was fine machined.
I strongly recommend that you also get Delta's clamp attachment that works with this gauge. The one that I bought is the 34-568 clamp assy, and it fits and works perfectly. Delta and Amazon feature the Delta cheapy miter gauge with the clamp as a combo package for about the same money as buying this Deluxe gauge and the 34-568 clamp assy as separate pieces. So for about the same money you are getting Delta's best, and in this example it is worthy of that title.
The gauge and clamp combo perfectly resolves the problem of when you are trying to cope the ends of your rails in a raised panel bit set. You know the problem, you have to hold that two-inch wide board and run the bit over the tip. Trying to get the bit to not move the board, by either pushing it a little away from the fence, or run into the second fence face causing a stop is a major accomplishment. Many use sleds with clamps on them, but then you are raising the work piece off of the table to make up for the sled base plate. With a router, that is a major consideration, because that oftentimes leads to having to raise the bit higher up out of the collar, causing more vibration and potentially a dangerous bit flying condition. This gauge and clamp combo locks it in just the same, but keeps the work piece flat against the tabletop. The other advantage to that is if you are running some larger pieces at the same time, you can do it by removing the gauge, and not have to change a bit setting. Wow! I'm getting off on this, I don't know about you. :-)
Another point is that the picture doesn't do it any justice. The fit, the finish, the accuracy of the deluxe gauge is better than any other miter gauge I have seen, even the one that came with the Powermatic saw. I can't recommend this high enough. Is it because it is a waxed Ferrari sitting in the garage? No, it is because it is as accurate and fine as a miter gauge can get. Buy one, you won't be sorry. Hope this helps.

Excellent tool, precise, and easy to use.
Blades are relatively fragile and somewhat costly to replace..and are hard to find.

Not a perfect tool by any means, but very useful in a wide variety of applications. Compact with an extra long cord and adjustable speed control.

Need to do an undercut at a doorway? This is very easy to use.

Probably use it more often than I should, given the cost of extra blades, but it is very handy if you are doing moderate complexity remodeling or building. Have used to quickly cut drywall (put a hole through wall for air-conditioner, nice, fast way of cutting drywall), plastic pipe, undercut doors, mitre door trim (without the box actually). ...

This is a high quality and well-made tool that does what it says and does it well. The one drawback is the lack of a mechanism to easily release the clamp from the panel. I would suggest putting some small pull wires or other device onto the gripping jaws so they could be opened easily to release the panel.

We found these handles to be a great design. We moved 5 drywall panels that were 5/8" X 4' X 12' from our garage to our basement. They made each trip so much easier. We also moved 9 - 1/2" X 4' X 12' panels. Without them we could have never moved that many panels around the outside of our house to the downstairs. Thank You

If your dust collection hose is at an end, and you still have a machine to travel to, then this splice is your answer. Both ends were at 4" , the hose fit nicely, and the wire clamps attached snuggly.

The splice allows you to use up all the hose, no matter the length of the run.

This is a well made splicer. Looks and feels solid. Fits very nicely.

I have half a dozen of these clamps in my shop and I think they are decent little clamps. Being steel, they are very sturdy and I have found the spring/jaw tension to be excellent. Though I don't use them all the time, at times I find myself with a clamping need that only these clamps can satisfy. The only reason that I am not giving these five stars is because over time the rubbery-plastic tips on the jaws (that protect your work) tend to work loose and slide off. This can be a bit annoying. Other than that one minor complaint, these are good clamps that I have had a lot of success using. If anything, these 3" clamps are an even better value than the 4" version.

I can't think of anything about these spring clamps that I'd change. I use them for woodworking to hold on trim (or whatever) and they do the job.

For 2" spring clamps I use cheap ones ($0.99) from home depot. They aren't quite as nice but they do the job just fine.