# Pipe clamps vs bar clamps?



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

I am planning on replaceing my cheap bar clamps with pipe clamps or these Universal Bar Clamps from tools for woodworking. I know pipe clamps are cheap and the pipe is easy to get. But I have alway used bar clamps.


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## hokieman (Feb 14, 2008)

I have used pipe clamps all my woodworking life and never had a problem at all. I am sure the bar clamps are nicer as everyone prefers them but it is one of those if I don't know any better it won't matter that much to me.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

It's really a matter of preference.

Bar clamps come in all shapes and sizes - some cheap and worthless, some really good.

Mind you - pipe clamps don't have as deep a reach as bar clamps although they can be jigged up to have better reach - like I said, it all boils down to preference and requirements.

Also, for shorter lengths - pipe clamps are NOT cheaper than good quality bar clamps (for example, Rockler carries sales once in a while for 5-7 $ for a good heavy duty 24" bar clamp. at 24" just the pipe clamp head would cost more not including the pipes). but for longer clamps they are cheaper THAN parallel bar clamps.


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## Uncle_Salty (Dec 26, 2009)

Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater! I use ALL my clamps at various times! I still have the cheapie Cummins Tool Sale pipe clamp kits and I use 'em. I use the cheapie F-clamps that I bought at the BORG. I use the Joregensen II bar clamps because they are AWESOME. But my personal prize clamps at home are the Peachtree "Bessey" knock offs. They are indeed hard to beat, with one possible exception.

At the school shop (my job and my background hobby!) Ihave access to the full on assault Joregensen I-beam clamps, which, IMHO, are the VERY BEST.


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

I like when Jet puts their clamp sets on sale, then I buy them!!


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## Gofor (Jan 12, 2008)

I use pipe clamps for longer glue ups, and also to supplement my bar clamps for shorter things like panels. Some things to consider with pipe clamps:

3/4" diameter pipe is more rigid, so works well at long lengths. However, it is also much heavier.

1/2" pipe is pretty flexible, so you get a lot of bow, especially if you extend the jaws with wood, etc. Not good for a bookcase, etc.

Black pipe allows the clamp to grab and not slip. Galvanized coating is soft, so clamps may slip as it peels off the soft zinc. However, zinc doesn't stain, where any bare metal where the paint is scraped off the black pipe will put iron stains on the work. I use galvanized couplers and shorter lengths of pipe (which keeps the work surface away from the black iron), and also some short pvc sleeves which accomplish the same thing.

I also have 6", 12", 24" and 48" lengths of pipe. That allows me to join them together to so I do not have a lot of unused length causing weight and unwieldiness.

If you have a store near you called "Big Lots", check there first for clamps. They often have quality clamps for much less than the box stores.

HTHs

Go


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## jack1 (May 17, 2007)

They are both good. Keep what you have a get some good bar clamps too. Jorgensen at HD are good as are Bessey. Get the BEST you can afford even if you only get a pair at a time… You'll be glad you did.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

I have Jorgensen HD but they dont seem to pull the joints tight.


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## jack1 (May 17, 2007)

Are they the parallel "cabinet" clamps with the big steel beams? Those work real well usually but get pricey as they get bigger. I've had no prob with mine.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

They are not parallel, they are them bar clamps you get from the borg.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

As "Norm" was fond of saying, "You can never have too many clamps". Keep the ones you have and just add more, CJ.

Lew


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## jack1 (May 17, 2007)

THe ones I'm talking about have steel "beams" that are about 1/2" thick and 1 3/4" wide. Real beefy with big wide jaws that are parallel to each other. They come in 2', 3', 4' and I think 50" lengths. These are mongo clamps…

;0) jack


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Charles - from my experience joints that are not 'pulled tight' by the clamps usually means that the joint may not be clean enough or cut at the right angles. the clamps are just there to keep it together while the glue sets, not to force it into position. I use jorgensen type clamps ALL THE TIME and although they flex quite a bit when tighten hard - they do a fair job. I would not throw those out just yet.


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

I have 10 - Bessey bar clamps and 14- Jet bar clamps and 12 - 3/4" Jorganson pipe clamps in different lenghts. Up till two years ago, I had always used 3/4" pipe clamps for over 35 years. I use them all but see nothing wrong with just using pipe clamps. I was gluing up a doweled frame the other night and could not pull the joints tight with the bar clamps. The pipe clamps had no problem pulling them together. If I buy some more clamps some day they will be pipe clamps. You can buy 3 pipe clamps and pipe for what it costs for one bar clamp. If you can buy Bessey and Jet bar clamps on sale, it might not hurt to have some.

Tom


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## REK (Aug 30, 2009)

You'll need lots and lots of clamps….Always buy more clamps!!!!!!

Good luck on your shopping, maybe you'll find a good sale.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

I think pipe clamps is a better choice for me. Since I am on a budget!


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

I use pipe clamps today, but as soon as it is in the budget, I am going to get a set of one of the brands of parallel clamps like the ones from Bessey. I get tired of having to fight with the clamps to get everything square. I want some clamps that actually help to get everything square.

Doc


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hi Charles
Like the others have said keep all the clamps as long as they still work I have many different types some work better than others but they all work on something. I have about 250 clamps and still run out of clamps sometimes. About half of mine are Pipe clamps they work great. I've bought most of my pipe clamps from Harbor freight usually on sale ,at about 1/10 the price of brand name pipe clamps you get a lot of bang for you buck.
I agree that 3/4" and black pipe is the way to go 1/2" is way to flexible The HF clamps sometimes need some vasilene put on the threads(not the pipe) to work smoothly and sometimes they just don't work at all,but HF will replace them and pay the freight. when on sale I usually buy at least a dozen or more . They are around $2.50 on sale and of course you still need to buy the pipe, I have it threaded on at least one end so they can be coupled together with a pipe coupler.


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

It never hurts to have several different styles of clamps in your arsenal. As said and is a true statement, you never can have enough clamps. I have on occasion used just about every clamp I had in the shop and wish I had more at the time. Don't forget clamping squares, you can buy them or make them. They come in handy keeping things square while clamping.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

My current clamps really dont work that well.


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## Pete_Jud (Feb 15, 2008)

I think that I have over a hundred clamps in the shop right now. I like the HF 3/4 inch bar clamps when they go on sale for 3 bucks a set, but the pipe will cost you a lot more. Also the HF F clamps seem to be a good deal when on sale. I don't buy any of the HF clamps with the orange handles because most broke the first time I used them they broke, and I took them back, but because I did not have the paper, they told me to go F off, and did not honor their life time thing.


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

I see you have the F style clamps. So I'm going to assume that the reason they aren't working well is that they tend to slip when applying pressure. I had this problem with some of mine doing this. What I did was to slide the bottom part of the clamp off of the bar and reversed the plates in the opposite direction and slid it back on and that took care of the slipping problem.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

I keep all clamps. As things work out, the poor clamps can be salted in with the good clamps. It all works out, until you run out of clamps, then you are looking for rubber bands and bailing wire, old necktie work too.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

I am going to keep my F style clamps, and add more to what I have.


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## jim1953 (Nov 18, 2007)

I use pipe Clamps I got them from 2ft to 8ft long


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## Gator (May 2, 2008)

Charles,
I have a bunch of pipe clamps and I like them. When I bought my pipe the first thing I did was take some mineral spirits and wash them down real good to make sure there was no oil or other crap on them. Then I took 180 grit sandpaper and gave them a scuff, then wiped them down with mineral spirits again. I have not had a problem with marking any projects I have used them on, but I am careful to try and keep something under the pipe so it does not touch the wood. Gofor had a good suggestion about the pvc pipe, but as long as to make sure the pipe is not touching the wood you should be fine.

You will not find any clamps that will hold tighter than pipe clamps, and they are not expensive.

Gator


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

Yes I've agree that pipe clamps are better than my bar clamps.


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## MartyBacke (Oct 23, 2010)

As a humorous aside, look at some of the clamps the the Japanese woodworkers are using, as shown in the Hand Tool Journey #13 video posted a couple of days ago. Clearly just about any clamp will work.

I suspect that the more precise your wood working, the less robust your clamp needs to be.


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## ChrisCarr (Jun 19, 2010)

Not a big fan of any clamp that uses springs to hold to the bar or pipe. The springs will wear quickly and not grip the bar. Plus some bars and pipe arn't rough enough and the clamp slips when you tighten it snug.

Personally I would use big C-clamps to replace 6-12 inch bar clamps and anything bigger that needs clamping I would use these…

http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-bar-clamp-96213.html (cheap but surprisingly have worked better than my Joregensen clamps.)

and Bessey "profiled" bar clamps are the best I have ever had.


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## racerglen (Oct 15, 2010)

And..
Always buy them in pairs or multiples like 2- 4- 6- 8
Nothing more frustrating than realizing you don't have a mate for the left side and it's now after store hours..

;-(


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

For those of you that use pipe clamps, get 10' or better lengths. The cost is less per foot. Since you only require threads on one end, cut the pipe in half to the lengths you need. I keep several 10' pipes for those times that I need an extra long clamp.


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

HD sells pipe in 10' lengths, and they will cut it to length and thread it for you. Lowes sells the 10' lengths, but at least my local Lowes doesn't have the tools to do cutting and threading.

Last time I was buying some, the guy told me that they have to lock up the dies - people were stealing them!

I expect your plumber can get it for less, and may be willing to cut and thread it for you also.


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## sandhill (Aug 28, 2007)

One thing I learned was don't use galvanized pipe use black iron because the galvanized pipe is softer and the clamp will slip, digging into the pipe.


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