<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4522.1800" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Hey Greg. The clamp at the URL I sent is simply a clamp that <EM><STRONG>appears</STRONG></EM> very similar to the clamp I had found = nearby to me. It is not the same clamp. It is not from that (URL) source. The = clamp I found does indeed cost only $7.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I also looked at the K type clamps. The ones I looked at, when you = put some pressure on them, the jaws did not remain parallel to one another - the = formed a small but significant angle. Yours may well be better.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My attraction to, and reason for trying to evaluate these others = further is the $7 X 25 = $$$ factor.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As far as digging into the rim underside - a little block = between clamp and piano solves that problem.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell <SPAN = id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=gnewell@ameritech.net = href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net">Greg Newell</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 22, 2002 = 8:37 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Soundboard/Rim = Clamps</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>Terry, <BR>    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 = <B><I>savings</I></B> 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. <P>Greg <P>Farrell wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE">I am hoping someone might have some input = regarding suitability of some <BR>clamps I have found at a hardware store for = clamping a new soundboard to the <BR>rim during gluing. A clamp that appears = nearly identical can be viewed at: <BR><A = href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00002245H/ref%3Dnosim/too= lstoolstoo">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00002245H/ref%3Dnosim= /toolstoolstoo</A>- <BR>20/103-5531792-1187059 <P>Greg - these are the clamps I was referring to. <P>The clamp I am considering has a reach of 4-3/4" from the inside = of the bar <BR>to the center of the screw adjuster thingee (I believe it is = referred to as <BR>a 5-inch clamp). The bar is 24" long, 1-1/8" = wide, and 1/4" thick. I put a <BR>36" version of this clamp on a 32' wide = table at the hardware store and <BR>torqued down on the screw adjuster thingee = and was only able to bow the bar <BR>perhaps a quarter-inch - maybe 3/8". So = I would think that one of these <BR>clamps only opened to 14 inches or so, = like you would typically have on a <BR>piano soundboard installation, you = would find very little bow indeed (is <BR>that not the worry with a = too-light-duty clamp?). <P>What makes or breaks a clamp for installing a soundboard? Enough = reach? <BR>Strong enough bar? What else? <P>These clamps are significantly heavier duty that the orange bar = clamps that <BR>you common see at Home Depot type places. Not a whole lot = more heavy duty, <BR>but a significant step up. Still a far cry from a = $60 hand made German <BR>clamp. But I suspect they will do just fine. Any = opinions? <P>So maybe I should buy one. And do what with it? How can I = reasonably <BR>evaluate it without just buying 40 of them and putting in a = soundboard? Any <BR>ideas? Any thoughts Greg? <P>I think this clamp is A-OK. It only costs $7. I would sure like = to find out <BR>that it is A-OK, but I also don't want to find out the hard = way that it is <BR>just a tad weak on performance in this application. Thanks = for any input. <P>Terry Farrell</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P>-- <BR>Greg Newell <BR><A href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net">mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net</A> = <BR>  </P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>