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Harbor Freight has launched new 24″ and 48″ parallel clamps underneath their Bremen model.
Parallel clamps are generally utilized in woodworking purposes, resembling for gluing up wider boards, assembling cabinetry parts, and some other duties the place you want sturdy and even stress.
The Bremen parallel clamps function resin clamping our bodies and jaws, a 3-3/4″ throat depth, and might ship as much as 1300 lbs of clamping power.
The adjustable jaw may be eliminated and reversed to make use of the clamp as a spreader.
The Bremen clamps are priced on-par with some manufacturers’ value-oriented parallel clamps, however the design additionally seems cheaper.
For example, Bessey, Jet, Jorgensen, and Bora Portamate parallel clamps have two pins positioned by way of their mounted jaws, presumably straight by way of their metal bars. The pins are staggered, I’d suppose to assist resist rotation underneath clamping stress.
Parallel clamps can exert an amazing quantity of power, and good clamps should stay true, with jaw parallel to one another and perpendicular to the clamp bar.
Bessey, Jet, Jorgensen, and bora clamps all have their mounted jaws secured in related manners, with two pins or related {hardware}.
Bora Portamate’s budget-friendlier parallel clamps even have two pins to safe the mounted jaw to the clamping bar.
Right here’s a take a look at the Bessey Ok Physique Revo clamp head from the facet. I haven’t taken aside my Bessey clamps, however they certain really feel just like the mounted jaw is secured straight by way of their metal clamping bar.
Harbor Freight’s new Bremen parallel clamps seem to have one pin, and it doesn’t look to go by way of the metal bar.
It’s potential that Harbor Freight’s clamps have hidden fixturing pins, or related, however I’m undecided how doubtless that’s.
on-line wholesale marketplaces, I discovered a similar-looking Take pleasure in Works parallel clamp. This clamp seems almost similar to the Harbor Freight Bremen clamp, other than branding, shade, and extra logical placement of a single pin securing the mounted jaw to the clamp bar.
Perhaps this implies the Bremen pin placement is just a Photoshopping or rendering slip-up that no one caught? However, all of Harbor Freight’s product pictures, together with of the instance glue-ups, present the mounted jaw pin in the identical place. I’m undecided what the implication is, however it’s not less than uncommon.
Both method, there’s one pin right here, when different name-brand parallel clamp makers all use two.
With parallel clamps, software manufacturers can comply with time-tested designs and nonetheless get issues flawed. When all main and competing software manufacturers have parallel clamps with twin fixture pins, that’s what manufacturers coming into the market ought to begin off with if the aim is to supply a competing product.
That mentioned, the Bremen clamps are solely out there in two sizes proper now, 24″ and 48″. I’d 100% steer clear of the 48″ clamp.
Most manufacturers’ longer clamps are 50″ for a motive – for simpler working, and so to that you could glue up 48″ panels or cupboard components. In my view, 48″ clamps on 48″ lengthy wooden panels or assemblies are normally going to be a trouble, as there’s normally too little wiggle room.
Should you ever plan to work with 48″ panels or wooden constructions, go along with 50″ clamps (or related).
In my experiences to date, even handsome parallel clamps can carry out poorly.
Harbor Freight advertises a lifetime guarantee on these Bremen clamps, saying that they assure the software to be free from defects in materials and workmanship.
These clamps could possibly be respectable, regardless of my hesitation. Even when not, not less than Harbor Freight stands behind them. Strive them in retailer, and see what you suppose.
Worth: $34.99 for twenty-four″, $39.99 for 48″
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