Cross-over from Cooks talk – go easy 🙂
I just shipped myself a dozen 3/4 inch Pony pipe clamps out of storage (but no pipes.)
Would anyone suggest their favorite (most useful) lengths for the pipe lengths I cut for these?
I will be building a kitchen from scratch, so there will be a number of base cabinets 30H x 48W x 24D, if that helps.
I noticed a fair amount of grooves in my black pipe caused by clamping pressure. Would galvanized be a better choice?
Who is Luke?
and
Why is his warm water
better than any other brand?
Replies
I like 12 feet myself, maybe a 14 and a 18 be great
the galv's surface is shofter and you'll get even more groves...
some times the galved pipe's dia isn't consistent and sliding the clamp gets to be a problem...
since the clamp uses about 6 to 8" og the pipe I use odd foot lenghts,,
36 and 60" seem to be the ones I use the most often...
also keep some random lenghts of pipe on hand and couplings and go infinite lenght....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Jorgensen reccommends black pipe. The clutches will do the same to galvanized.
Probably best to have at least pairs of any given length. If I could only have a dozen and my widest face frame was 4', and assuming I'd be clamping face frames, and assuming I'd be clamping face frames to carcases (many assumtions, huh?) I'd probably do;
8 - 30" or maybe 36"
2 - 48"
2 - 60"
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Have both ends threaded, and buy couplings. When you need longer lengths, just add on pipe.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
>>"...so there will be a number of base cabinets 30H x 48W x 24D, if that helps...."
Sound to me like you'll want some that are 40" and some that are 60".
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And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
I'd get what ever length I could easily store. The longest I have are 6', if I need longer, I just swivel the tails and clamp a couple together.18" are my shortest, they get a fair amount of use.http://www.tvwsolar.com
We'll have a kid
Or maybe we'll rent one
He's got to be straight
We don't want a bent one
He'll drink his baby brew
From a big brass cup
Someday he may be president
If things loosen up
I suggest assembling the clamps so you can later take them apart, and couple the pipes together for long spans. Onle I add one refinement: use ELECTRICAL threaded couplings.
Electrical couplings are straight pipe thread - not tapered. The will assemble / disassemble easier.
Galvanized pipe is 'slicker,' and the clamps don't work so well. Black pipe is better, and slightly rusted pipe best!
Wow!
Thanks to all for the great responses to jog my ancient memory.
It's been two decades since I built my last kitchen.
Looks like pairs of 36" & 60" will rule the day along with couplers to extend the reach.
Having cooked in a number of friends dysfunctional kitchens, I realize what a joy it is to work in a space designed exactly for the way I work.
Happy trails!
Who is Luke?
and
Why is his warm water
better than any other brand?
Assuming you're going to buy 21 foot lengths of pipe, I would cut a couple of sticks in quarters and a couple into (2) 7' and (2) 3.5' pieces. When you're in the shop you can almost always accommodate a longer clamp than necessary. In the field, extra length sometimes stops you from using a clamp.
Pipe clamp lengths aside, I would use confirmat screws to assemble cabinets if possible.
I'd never heard of confirmat screws, so 'googled' them, Looks well worth having on hand.
I have a decent biscuit joiner, that will likely be my main joinery.
I just prefer plywood to MDF even if it is not as true, so lots of checking diagonals & pin nailing sacrificial braces 'til stuff sets.
Who is Luke?andWhy is his warm waterbetter than any other brand?
With confirmats you need to buy a step drill bit. Tack your carcase together with 15ga 2" finish gun nails, drill and drive confirmats... done.
you have to go and buy a kreg jig. cost about 125. for the best kit.come back here and ask all the uses for one building cabinets,it's a long list.
building cabinets without it,is like cooking on a coleman camp stove.
the older i get ,
the more people tick me off
Pony's are OK, but they don't clamp as square as Bessies. I use the Pony's for carcases, and the Bessies for face frames.
What Tom said.If you are tackling an entire kitchen by yourself, you must be serious. If you're serious, you should be thinking beyond the pony clamps (which are OK, but just OK). I have many pony clamps, but wouldn't use them for carcass work.Bessey's are the clamp of choice for cab work, especially the new ones.Scott.
I find that the pipe is always either 6" too long or 6" too short.
I have a pretty serious collection in lengths ranging from ~18" to ~72". The dozen 36" clamps I have get used more than any of the others. They're perfect for clamping faceframes onto base cab carcasses.
Use pocket screws and forget the clamps.
I have a whole lot of pipe clamps and they just gather dust
When I'm building kitchens the only time I use clamps are for gluing up the doors and drawers. If your widest cab is 48", your largest door would be 24", so maybe 3' clamps. Remember always use odd numbers of clamps so you can alternate clamps over and under the glue-up, it helps keep the pressure even.
Vern.
I definitely appreciate all the tips & ideas everyone has shared.For the record, I am no stranger to woodworking, having built my own house. (Sold 2 years ago in Hawaii.)
The kitchen was designed on a cocktail napkin & turned out remarkably true to the original concept. It was built from oaks that I personally felled, brought to the sawmill, dried for two years, shipped to Hawaii, & did all machining in my own woodshop.
(Pics attached - I hope)
If I was starting fresh, I'd be sorely tempted to do serious tool upgrades, but I have relatively few large projects yet to do, so have no problem using 'old school' tried & true tools & techniques.My main focus with this kitchen is tight design since I have about half the space to work with than my last one had. (But our needs are less too.)
Who is Luke?andWhy is his warm waterbetter than any other brand?
I have actually stopped building my own boxes. I buy the boxes from Top Drawer Components, Inc.
http://www.topdrwr.com/
They have a dovetail joint and can build a box any size upto 5' wide, 5' long and 24" deep. I get the baltic birch and let them fab them at their shop.
For example. A 36" wide 24" deep base cabinet is about $77, assembled and prefinished with a pretty and strong dovetail joint with 1/2" baltic birch back. I cannot even by the plywood for that price.
Something to think about. I call them on monday and they are at my shop on Friday. I have ordered over 200 boxes and drawers from these guys and every box I have ordered thus far has been spot on dimensions wise and perfectly square.
Bruce
What are you using them for?
I bought lengths up to 10 feet long because I was clamping SIP panels together.
I've also bought shorter lengths of pipe for work on butcherblock. I have dozens of clamps and it seems like I could use a dozen more..