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Thread: Can you save crummy clamps?
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4th March 2014, 05:27 PM #1Member
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Can you save crummy clamps?
Some years ago I bought 6 Irwin Pro-Clamp M 300x120 clamps, along with 6 no-name 500x120s. Since then all my clamps have been Besseys, which work perfectly (as do the no-names!).
The Irwin clamps slip. I have wire brushed the ridged sides of the bars, lightly filed them with a needle file. No luck.
I just thought, before I dump them in the rubbish, someone may know if this problem can be readily fixed.
Thanks,
Mark
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4th March 2014, 05:33 PM #2Jim
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I saved some of mine by drilling holes and using a nail through to stop the slipping.
Cheers,
Jim
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4th March 2014, 05:48 PM #3
I am on the opinion that at some stage in the life of a clamp it will need to be replaced/retired. From your low end clamps to the high end ones. It is just a matter of when it will need to be done. Now I am not telling you to bin them but use them for something else.
Can these clamps be used for light work?
I purchased one Irwin clamp for a couple of dollars for the soul purpose to holding a small piece when using the drill press. It's purpose is to protect my hand and it lives next to the drill press.
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4th March 2014, 05:57 PM #4
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4th March 2014, 06:10 PM #5.
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What happens with those clamps is, if the main shaft has notches and they wear off, and/or the rectangular opening in the lower jaw becomes worn, then they will slip.
You can recut the notches in the shaft with a file and square up (yes open up!) the shorter rectangular opening in the lower jaw so you can fit a strip of sheet metal into the opening and they will work for a bit longer.
The other thing I have seen done with bigger versions of those clamps is to drill and tap the back of the rectangular opening in the lower jaw and add a short bolt. Just hand tightening the bolt is enough to help the lower jaw grip the shaft.
This of course weakens the jaw so it only really works on bigger clamps
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4th March 2014, 08:17 PM #6
Or if you put a clamp .. on the shaft ... of the clamp ... behind the slipping part ...
Paul
... 'cors, if that starts to slip ...
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4th March 2014, 11:53 PM #7
Good Morning Mark
The above solutions may work, but why bother? Will you ever really trust them again. They are likely to slip and stuff up something important.
Life's too short to use crap tools.
I have the same type of clamps and I agree they are unreliable - should have dumped them 20 yrs ago. But their Quick Grips are great.
Fair Winds
Graeme
I will never buy crap tools again.
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5th March 2014, 03:16 PM #8
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5th March 2014, 09:17 PM #9Senior Member
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Ok then, how do we replace the "foot" ie the little round spinning bit at the end opposite the handle, of a clamp (G or F) that has fallen away to oblivion?
Cheerio,
Virg.
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5th March 2014, 11:25 PM #10
I was taking 'crummy clamps' in the context given in the original post. It was about slipping clamps, not broken ones or rusty ones or bent or...
- Andy Mc
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5th March 2014, 11:48 PM #11
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6th March 2014, 12:48 AM #12Intermediate Member
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Pipe clamp
How do you stop a pipe clamp from slipping?
Is it the pipe that needs to be roughed up or something else on the clamp hardware?
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6th March 2014, 07:05 AM #13Member
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Thanks everyone,
I am always amazed at the ingenuity and resourcefulness of members of this forum.
Graeme, I agree about bad tools but am reluctant to spend $250 on replacing these 6 clamps if a little adjustment will fix them.
Some of the fixes are beyond me but either the bolt through the headstock, or a row of holes to take a nail (yes, an F-shaped sash clamp) should fix the problem, giving me a reliable clamp.
Regards and thanks,
Mark
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6th March 2014, 07:39 AM #14GOLD MEMBER
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I assume you mean the type that have notches on the bit that catches onto the pipe. I have fixed a couple of these by re-filing the "teeth" that grip on the pipe. You will need to take it apart to get at the "teeth" but it is not too difficult.
A gentle tap with a hammer also helps the "teeth" bite into the pipe.
Hope that makes sense and is helpfulTom
"It's good enough" is low aim
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6th March 2014, 08:47 AM #15Jim
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