Hello. I in the process of building my first decent sized case work and I’m in need of expanding my clamp collection. My question is about pipe clamps. Is there a difference between the 1/2 pipe clamp versus the 3/4 pipe clamp, other than the obvious?
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Replies
I'm in the minority but I use 1/2" pipe clamps almost exclusively.
The only significant difference between the two sizes is that the 1/2" pipes will bow a bit more than the 3/4" pipes under identical loads. However I fit my joinery to get a very good fit before I start a glue up so I rarely apply more than a moderate amount of pressure with the clamps. If you have to apply a lot of pressure with clamps you are doing something wrong.
I prefer the 1/2" size because they are lighter in weight making them easier to handle and they much less of a load on the piece being glued up. I use Jorgensen clamps almost exclusively but I believe that the Rockler clamps are also well made.
John White
John - Thanks for the follow up. That's kind of what I thought but I wanted to confirm my findings.
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