daviddoria Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Hello, I have some 40" and 24" Jet parallel clamps. I was having some strange problems where panels that I knew were dead flat were rocking on the clamp bars as I was setting up to glue another piece to the panel. After some investigating, I noticed that the rail stands are actually longer than the faces (below the bar), so when they are used there is a significant gap between the jaw and the table. See attached clamp_flat.jpg for how the jaw sits on the table without the rail stand, and then clamp_lifted.jpg to see it with the rail stand attached. Is this expected? It basically means that if I don't have all of the clamps oriented the same way (which I understand to be a common clamping strategy) that I won't have a flat surface (the problem shown in the picture is actually doubled). I actually contacted Jet about this and they said that the rail stands are designed to be taller than the standard jaws to allow for easy adjustment of the dynamic jaw to the object being clamped and that I should indeed put all of the rail stands on the same side of the panel. Do you guys agree with this? Any other thoughts? My plan for now is to simply not use the rail stands, which seems like an odd plan :). Thanks! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 The moving end of the clamp is held up by the little thumb screw piece so that you can actually move it. I always have my clamp handles facing the same way in glue ups so not sure what to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I also have all my handles facing the same way. On panel glue ups I alternate the clamps, one under the panel one over, one under, one over and so on. The extra little stands on my clamps usually just stay at the end of the clamp, I don't really use them. On my Bessys the only place you can have the stands is at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I have a mix of Jet and Bessey, the Bessey stands are the same. It's never been an issue for me, if they get in my way I just flip them around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Even though I can reach both sides of my bench or assembly table, I too have all my handles facing me. I don't want to reach over or walk around to work clamps during a glue up any more than I have to. I have torsion beams in 5' and 3' lengths that get used all sorts of ways including as clamp elevators during glue ups. I also have identically milled pieces of glued-up 2x4 blanks in various lengths that I use as stands/supports despite having plenty of the commercial ones around due to buying "clamp sets" when they were on sale. I find the commercial ones fussy and they all live in an old gym bag hanging from a hook in the shop since I can't convince myself that I'll never use them ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I don't use the feet that way. I use them at the long end of the bar, only when it cantilevers out in an awkward way when I clamp something narrow. Beside that, they aren't on the clamps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Alternating directions with parallel clamps should serve no purpose. With F-style clamps, you get some twist as they tighten against the work, but parallels don't. Turn them all the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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