Soundboard/Rim Clamps

[Greg Newell]

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Terry,
    The URL you sent has the clamp listed at  $26.99. My thoughts are that the K
body clamp has a built in plastic pad surface and it's wider  to grab a larger
surface area to prevent slipping. You wrote that it only cost $7 but the savings
was $7 not the cost. The reach is greater on your clamp than the "k" body but
the iron jaw could easily dig in the underside of the rim. I have 2) 12" clamps
of the style you offer and like them a lot. They are very strong. I just thought
that the extra pad protection was worth the effort of ordering the "K" bodies. I
paid roughly the same for the same length clamp.

Greg

Farrell wrote:

> I am hoping someone might have some input regarding suitability of some
> clamps I have found at a hardware store for clamping a new soundboard to the
> rim during gluing. A clamp that appears nearly identical can be viewed at:
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00002245H/ref%3Dnosim/toolstoolstoo-
> 20/103-5531792-1187059
>
> Greg - these are the clamps I was referring to.
>
> The clamp I am considering has a reach of 4-3/4" from the inside of the bar
> to the center of the screw adjuster thingee (I believe it is referred to as
> a 5-inch clamp). The bar is 24" long, 1-1/8" wide, and 1/4" thick. I put a
> 36" version of this clamp on a 32' wide table at the hardware store and
> torqued down on the screw adjuster thingee and was only able to bow the bar
> perhaps a quarter-inch - maybe 3/8". So I would think that one of these
> clamps only opened to 14 inches or so, like you would typically have on a
> piano soundboard installation, you would find very little bow indeed (is
> that not the worry with a too-light-duty clamp?).
>
> What makes or breaks a clamp for installing a soundboard? Enough reach?
> Strong enough bar? What else?
>
> These clamps are significantly heavier duty that the orange bar clamps that
> you common see at Home Depot type places. Not a whole lot more heavy duty,
> but a significant step up. Still a far cry from a $60 hand made German
> clamp. But I suspect they will do just fine. Any opinions?
>
> So maybe I should buy one. And do what with it? How can I reasonably
> evaluate it without just buying 40 of them and putting in a soundboard? Any
> ideas? Any thoughts Greg?
>
> I think this clamp is A-OK. It only costs $7. I would sure like to find out
> that it is A-OK, but I also don't want to find out the hard way that it is
> just a tad weak on performance in this application. Thanks for any input.
>
> Terry Farrell

--
Greg Newell
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net


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