Official Luthiers Forum!

Just a quick heads up to those using those spring type plastic clamps that you can pick up at any borg for next to nothing.
Watch that you don`t push them too far. They break and send shrapnel flying when they`re "maxed out". Within the past half hour three of them have gone off. I`m kinda leery about goin` in the shop to take `em off.

Who`da thunk?
Coe

_________________
Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

I have sustained deep cuts in my fingers before before (well today, actually) due to cheapo clamp problems... Sam Price39065.7274768519

Funnily enough Sam, my favourite clamps for holding the kerfed linings on are 'Made in China', ?1.00 for 10 from Halfords, just the right width, articulated jaws and just the right strength!

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I think you should take them back and get a refund. Talk to a manager about how dangerous they are. I hope that they would want to hear about it and not risk the liability.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

I did think about taking them back, but in all actuality, I was in fact pushing them a little too far.
Another lesson learned the hard way.

_________________
Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

I've never had a problem with one in use, but last week I dropped one on the concrete shop floor, and the powerful spring sent a bit of shrapnel flying as the clamp disintegrated near the spring.

What type of clamps are you talking about?

This is what I use.

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I suspect he is using these.

(I like them for all the pretyy colors. )

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

[QUOTE=Colin S] Funnily enough Sam, my favourite clamps for holding the kerfed linings on are 'Made in China', ?1.00 for 10 from Halfords, just the right width, articulated jaws and just the right strength!

Colin[/QUOTE]

Colin, I know the ones you mean. They are amazing. What is it, five for a pound or something? They are all hitting the Poundstretcher-type stores as if there's a new fashion or summat!!

I`m refering to the ones Steve has shown. Plastic just isn`t meant to be overstressed. It does fine within its own limitations, though.

_________________
Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Yes the ones like Steves are the ones I like they are the best clamps I have found for holding the linings on and as 10 for a ?1 (5 for $1), they are great value. I have never had a failure, but like any tool they should only be used for their purpose and to their safe limit.



The black ones with orange jaws are my favourites for size/strength ratio.

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I've used clamps like Lance has shown - except mine are smaller. At a little more than a quarter each - they work great.
I'll stay away from the plastic ones now. Thanks for the heads up.

Tony, the plastic ones are fine I've used them for years perfectly successfully. Like anything else they just need to be used within their working parameters.

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I use the wee plastic ones too. I think they are the bees knees for kerfed lining. Most other clamps have jaws too wide for the lining to properly conform to the shape of the sides ,particularly tight curves .
As Colin said, they are articulated , so fit either triangle or reverse kerfing . Mine have never let me down , nor have any blown up !
They have about the right strength for the job , but
I strap some rubber bands around a few to use on stubborn areas .
Colin , I never noticed that the black ones were stronger than the others . Your not pulling a kiwi's leg here are you ?

Craig LawrenceKiwiCraig39069.7369328704

_________________
CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
_____________________________________________

No Craig I'm not pulling your leg. The coloured ones are Wolfcraft ones (friends a rep gave me a boxfull) but the black ones are cheap Chinese ones at 10 for ?1 they have slightly stronger springs, but they all work fine. I love them.

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.