Clamps/cramps for info

Garry R · Post by **Garry R** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:50 pm

I have just been down to Lidl and they have one handed style clamps on offer at 2 for Â£1.99 which for the restorers among you (pretty much all of us I guess!!) is a pretty good deal. They also have G-type clamps but they do not look great.

Post by **stu** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:56 pm

Not on mine they didn't

Post by Ed » Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:33 pm

I will have a look

personally I am not a great fan of the 'G' clamp, prefering the chinese 'F' clamps.

These are normally cheaper and I have often bought them for about Â£1.50 each....especially if you buy 10 or so at a go. Price builds up....but what other tool could replace 30 or so clamps? I think I have got 40 or so, but they still come under the 'you never can have enough .......' along with RAM or broadband speed I guess

cheers

eib

angus · Post by **angus** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:56 pm

What does a Chinese F look like?

Post by **Rupert** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 1:29 pm

It is what the very cheap clamps look like after you have over tightened them...
Screwfix is a great place to buy cheap F clamps - I don't know how Ed copes with only 40! I think clamps take up more space than anything else in the way of tools!
By the way, can anyone tell me that the differece between a clamp and a cramp is, please? Or are we back to Chinese again?

Post by Ed » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:01 am

well the 'F' clamps look like a bit like a 'F' really.....well as much as a 'G' clamp looks like a 'G' anyway.

Rupert is right 40 is never enough. I never have a job that does not use them all and it does mean that you can't do one gunwhale....till the other has dried/cured, which can be bit of a pain as often it is better to do both at same time due to danger of warping something due to pressure of gunwhale.

I will try and find a link for image of F clamp and put it up here later.

But they are not only cheaper, but much easier to use as they can normaly be put on and tightened with one hand which the 'G' clamps you certainly can't.

cheers

eib

Post by **Rupert** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:03 am

But they do have a habit of dropping back down the bar again at vital moments...

Post by Ed » Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:38 am

too true....

or they won't budge at all due to being stucked together with guck

cheers

eib

Brian E. Evans · Post by **Brian E. Evans** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:02 am

Remember the old saw: How many clamps do you need for a job? The answer is always 3 more than you've got.