pipe clamps

I know you can get zinc pipe at any plumbing supply house but wonder if the rough surface will prevent the clamp heads from sticking in one spot (may help actually) but it seems if this were the case many would be useing them already rather than the black iron pipes. I was also thinking about taking some degreaser to the black iron pipe letting it rust a bit and coating them with hammerite spray paint or even just doing it direct (I was thinking the rust would make the paint stick better. May have to experiment here.

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Just put a piece of wax paper under the clamp and no rust.

The woodwhisper talks about clamps in the current issue #12 I think. The one where he is wearing the LumberJock shirt.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

I agree with Karson, using some wax paper on top of the clamps works well. Also I would use a block of wood on each pad of the clamp (wider than the pad). It will help stop the indentations that the pipe clamps can leave.

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

Karson is correct though wax paper cost money. If you go to almost any contractors office, they have dozens of rolls of plans that they bid on and didn’t get the job and the large rolls are thrown away. Works great, I just tear them off the wood when dry and hit the glue and paper spot with my paint scraper (got to do that anyway).

If you are gluing up panels, I have found that most cheap clamps ( I can’t afford Bessie) do not
push at a perfect 90 degrees so you can end up with a bowed or cupped panel. To solve this problem I put a dowel the same thickness as the boards that I am using at the front and back of each clamp jaw and the dowel pushes from the center.

I have used pipe clamps on lots and lots of panels and with the dowels I get a great job with NO cupping or bowing and no clamp pads to fool with. Bill

-- Make Dust

Dowels! Yes!, thanks for that tip. could have used it yesterday… but better now than never.

can also use saran wrap or blue tape on the clamps to keep the glue from leaching black stains up into the wood.

But when your in the plumbing dept picking up new pipe, check out the other pipe against the black iron. an extra dollar now will save money, time and possible frustration in the meantime.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

I have one galvanized pipe clamp…I’ve never used it because as soon as you tighten it the end slips. It just will not tighten. I always plane my wood after a glue up so haven’t had any stain problem.

Degrease the clamps and put masking tape on them. Very easy.

-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!

Why do we have to make our lives difficult?
BassBully nailed it…simple an’ quick. No muss.No fuss.

-- I've got a bandsaw in my kitchen...

I use “galvanized pipe and have never had a stain. No muss, no fuss, no tape.

Bill

-- Make Dust

I have 6 pipe clamps and use galvanized pipe

I also have some funky galvanized pipe that wants to slip too, but i just hold the little anti-slip thingies on the pipe clamps so they bite the pipe a little tighter and they quit slipping.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

I have just waxed them before and not hade much trouble with stains. You can also spray on some clear sealer but it sratches off fast.

-- vlee2@ford.com

I use a brand of plasic thats found in grocery stores of all places called Seran wrap on my pipe clamps. You can wrap it around the pipes and the stuff stays put. Also it’s easy to sand off if if the glue sticks it to your project. I’m sure like me you’ll find several other uses around the shop for it.
Good Luck,
Jim at
Clark Customs

-- James Clark

“I use “galvanized pipe and have never had a stain. No muss, no fuss, no tape.” – Bill

What he said

-- Cheers