Tool Questions

[John Anderson]

Well I have a few questions:

1) Pipe Clamps - My clamp collection is very limited, and i know that i need more. right now i only have a few F clamps and a few quick-grip clamps. I am am an HVAC Student so i know i can get 3/4" Black pipe at a pretty good discount from our supply house. My question is, are pipe clamps obsolete now? most shows and virtual shop tours that i see seem to use parallel clamps more. 10 years from now i dont want to have 30 pipe clamps that i never use sitting on the wall because i finally bought some parallel clamps. i know parallel's cost a lot more, but i would be saving money in the long run bygetting them instead of buying pipe clamps now then eventually buying parallel clamps.

2) Band Saw Tires - how do you know when they need to be changed?

3) Riser Block - I have a US made Delta 14" Cabinet Bandsaw. Are there any other brand of risers that fit this saw? it seems as if Delta wants twice as much for their riser than everyone else.

4) Mortising Attatchment - I have a 1HP PC Floor Model Drill Press, and was wondering if it is worth it to buy the mortising attatchment or should i just save my Money and get a Dedicated Mortiser

Well i think that about it for now. Thanks for your help!

John

[Mister Pants]

I'm not sure about #2 and #3 but for questions:

1. Pipe clamps - they're not obsolete at all. Parallel clamps are, IMO, better than pipe clamps as the jaws don't deflect near as much, and the jaws are taller. Which helps keep glue ups flatter. But that doesn't mean pipe clamps are obsolete by any stretch, they're still quite useful, especially if you're limited by budget and they have some benefits like being able to make a clamp as long as you need it to be. I wouldn't put much stock in what you see on woodworking shows as to whether or not its necessary. Most of those shows are sponsored by different manufacturers so their budget isn't necessarily relevant to the hobbyist. Same with a lot of shop tours, a lot of the great shops you see are the result of someone spending years accumulating tools or are the shops of pros. I'd feel comfortable starting off with pipe clamps (which is what I did when I started woodworking), and eventually adding parallel clamps down the road. Even with a whole shop full of parallel clamps, you'll always find some uses for the good old pipe clamps.

4. Mortising attachment - I have the mortising attachment for my delta drill press. It has its pluses and minuses. My shop is pretty space limited so I need to be really careful spacewise adding another machine, and the attachment is good for that, its also cheaper from a budgetary standpoint. On the con side though, setting it up is a bit of a pain whenever you need to mortise, and from what I have heard before, though haven't really noticed myself as I haven't used the attachment that much, is that a drill press table is subject to some flex, and the pressure from the mortising attachment could in theory deflect the table throwing off the mortise. The table deflection can be ameliorated by bracing the table on the underside, but again that ends up being more setup time. The attachment works for me due to the space savings. The cost savings isn't that huge though (I think its something along the lines of $80-90 for the attachment, versuses about $250 for a mortiser), so if you have the space and the money isn't that big of an issue you may want to go with the mortiser.

[John Anderson]

thanks Mr P. i saw some Jorgensen pipe clamps that look like F-clamps. are they better than the short regular pipe clamps?

and i found #@ in the FWW Archives if anyone else was wondering

"Tires are simply oversized rubber

bands. But they should be checked

regularly, because the rubber becomes

worn, cracked or hardened and can

cause tracking problems and vibration.

A tire should have an obvious crown and

be smooth and free of grooves. Press

your thumbnail into the tire; it should

press in easily, and the surface should

spring back. A lack of springback is a

sign that the tire has hardened and

needs to be replaced. To remove a tire,

use a screwdriver to lift it over the rim. If

the old tire was glued on, clean off the

adhesive using acetone. The new tire

should snap into a groove in the rim of

the wheel (see the photos below)."

-By John White FWW#157

[Onboard]

Rockler sells the “Sure-Foot Plus™ 3/4'' Pipe Clamp”. They have this to say about them:

“…features 2-1/4" high jaws — a half inch higher than standard pipe clamps”.

From all the reviews both customer and professional, I keep reading that the Jet parallel clamps are, in one way or another, better than the Jorgensen’s or the Besse parallel clamps. This is not to say that the Jorgy’s or the Besse’s are not good clamps, they are, but Jet seems to edge them out. Also, places like Rockler tend to have the Jet's on sale a time or two during the year.

[Vic]

I've found that I manage to add to my clamp arsenal without breaking the bank by just buying a pair every couple weeks or a month. Two of the Jets are just about $90.

[Mister Pants]

From all the reviews both customer and professional, I keep reading that the Jet parallel clamps are, in one way or another, better than the Jorgensen’s or the Besse parallel clamps. This is not to say that the Jorgy’s or the Besse’s are not good clamps, they are, but Jet seems to edge them out. Also, places like Rockler tend to have the Jet's on sale a time or two during the year.

I can never find them in Rockler unfortunately, all my local oner carries is Bessey. Nothing wrong with Bessey, the Jets just have a few more whizbang features (bigger surface, graduations on the bar, and the quick release) for the same prce.

As for the sure foot pipe clamps. I've actually used the HF, Pittsburgh knock-offs they seem to work just as well for about half the price.