Sash Clamps for Lightweight Work
For more information on sash clamps, see our beginner site Common Woodworking.
Interested in Good, Lightweight Clamps
For more information on sash clamps, see our beginner site Common Woodworking.
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A while back when I made the workbench from your online series I purchased several of the blue aluminum clamps from Harbor Freight in the US. I did your retrofit and the clamps have performed very well.
Hi Brandon,
One difference between the UK suppliers and the US Harbor Freight ones is that the HF ones do break under heavy torqueing down, which in my view is usually unnecessary for this weight of clamp. UK versions seem not to do this. We may have broken one in four years. I will be posting on some steel bar clamps I really like, but that’s from Screwfix, a UK supplier for UK users I am afraid.
Hi Mr. Sellers, I also bought 8 of the Harbor Freight clamps and retrofitted them your way as well. I used furring strips from the Home Depot. I think they’re 7/8″ x 1.5″ x 8ft, and only 0.97 cents each! They only need planing to fit (no sawing). The only problem is most of the strips have huge, brittle knots, and I have to rummage through the pallet looking for useable ones. But they’re in there.
I like these clamps too. So far no breakage, but I have noticed that the aluminum around the notches tends to yield somewhat easily. The notch looks like it sinks in and the sides of bar bulge out. This happened on 3 of them after my first time using them (on my workbench top lamination). Perhaps I overtightened (the whole glue up did not exactly go as planned -_- ), but I don’t really think I did. It’s hard to gauge. I’m hoping this is won’t be a problem long-term, and would like to ask if you have noticed this issue at all?
I love the alluminium clamps all round. I like the price and the returns policy at Harbor freight. The UK ones definitely hold up better for some reason. They are different to the US ones and the heads do not break in general and respectful use.