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Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

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Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby SamQ aka Ah! Q! » 02 Mar 2018, 23:43

Hokay Peeps*, I'm casting down a gauntlet here:

Doug (of Instagram fame) posted an absolutely gorgeous way of storing conventional 'F' cramps via a pice of aluminium angle. I am going to shamelessly plagiarize the idea, but, I've got more than enough ally angle, so...HOW do you store those bright orange, one handed clamps, usually marketed as 'Solo'?? I would like to be able to reach up, single-handed and 'latch' them back into place, no matter what their extension and without 'pumping' them shut onto a shelf edge - as I presently do.

C'mon, bodgers, sheddies, Heath Robinsons and Chicken Shack Engineers, amaze me!

Sam

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Rod » 03 Mar 2018, 00:51

I hang mine from a horizontal piece of rope but a metal rod or a length of suitable sized timber mounted on brackets would work.

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Mike G » 03 Mar 2018, 08:14

These things are quite good at gripping onto a piece of wood. I shamelessly exploit this talent of theirs, by providing a piece of wood for them to grip onto . Not just any old piece of wood. Oh no. A spaced-off-the-wall horizontal piece of wood if you please. Cunning, hey? :lol:
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby RogerS » 03 Mar 2018, 09:22

Why workrate is so phenomenal that they are continually in use and so storage is not a problem. :eusa-whistle:

Seriously, a heads-up on these clamps, especially if you're looking at secondhand ones. There was a variation on the basic design - sold by the defunct Focus DIY stores IIRC - but thankfully withdrawn from sale. I'd like to think that my complaint to Trading Standards had something to do with it but I very much doubt it.

The bar had notches down one side and as you squeezed the lever, the bar advanced past a detente. So Duff Design point 1 - you could only apply pressure in increments and not linearly like the ones referred to in the OP.

It gets better. To release the bar, you twisted the detente that freed up the notch so releasing the clamp. But invariably the next time you used it, you didn't quite get the detente lined up fully and so it would catch on just a small portion of the notch. And said notch being made of particularly naff and nasty soft metal would shear, ensuring that the squeezing pressure you were exerting on the handle now crushed your fingers. Duff Design point 2.

As I said, thankfully, they no longer appear for sale but you might find some secondhand ones being offered.
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Andyp » 03 Mar 2018, 10:52

I don't have any of those metal lever clamps. The only true single handed lever clamps worth buying IMHO are the wolfcraft ones.

This is how I store mine.
IMG_20180303_101059551.jpg
(298.85 KiB)


A bit cramped for space (pun intended) but works just fine. I need an extra foots of so to make it a bit easier.

The wooden shelf was actually a kitchen plate rack and mug hanger years ago.
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Rod » 03 Mar 2018, 11:51

I’ve got two of those cheap ones somewhere but most of mine are QuickGrips and Bessey Duo Clamps bought when on special offer.

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Coley » 03 Mar 2018, 12:11

This was my effort from many years ago.
Image
Mdf back with some 25mm steel bar bolted to it. I'm a fan of quirky things.

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby RogerS » 03 Mar 2018, 13:38

Coley, is that saucepan for soup or hide glue ?
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Coley » 03 Mar 2018, 13:43

RogerS wrote:Coley, is that saucepan for soup or hide glue ?
It's a dustpan Roger

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby oddsocks » 03 Mar 2018, 14:13

Coley wrote:This was my effort from many years ago.
Image
Mdf back with some 25mm steel bar bolted to it. I'm a fan of quirky things.

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Now the shape of that MDF back qualifies as art!

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Doug » 03 Mar 2018, 16:22

Not sure which brand of solo clamp you have but I made a similar rack for my Bessey Kli-Klamps in wood to the ones I made in aluminium for my F clamps, these just lift straight off for ease of access.


4C7A2BE1-9C0C-4780-AEF8-C9E16C21478F.jpeg
(169.52 KiB)


You’d be able to do something similar in aluminium or wood for the Bessey one handed clamps, any chance of a photo of the clamps you are looking to store?
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Coley » 03 Mar 2018, 19:09

oddsocks wrote:
Coley wrote:This was my effort from many years ago.
Image
Mdf back with some 25mm steel bar bolted to it. I'm a fan of quirky things.

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Now the shape of that MDF back qualifies as art!

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Thanks Dave. It brightens up that wall a little bit.

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby SamQ aka Ah! Q! » 17 Mar 2018, 19:39

Thank you kindly Gents.

Mike...you are describing a shelf are'n't you? That's where I'm at too. But, you have to spend time squeezing the handle enough times to have the clamp SECURELY latch onto the shelf? Mine is above head height...once or twice, they have worked loose... :eusa-doh: Secondly, there are times when you just want to reach out and 'drop' a clamp onto a secure roost, so that you can carry on with summat fast-moving/urgent?

Coley's excellent whatcha-callit has one great disadvantage - I have several clamps with STRAIGHT ends to their clamp bar.

I'm back to cerebral callistenics on this one. Let you know if I have a Euraka moment.

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Woodbloke » 17 Mar 2018, 19:58

Had a few of those orange things once upon a time, many moons ago. Useless bloody objects :twisted: - Rob
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby RogerS » 18 Mar 2018, 09:30

Woodbloke wrote:Had a few of those orange things once upon a time, many moons ago. Useless bloody objects :twisted: - Rob


I disagree...they are brilliant and very handy.
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Woodbloke » 18 Mar 2018, 13:06

RogerS wrote:
Woodbloke wrote:Had a few of those orange things once upon a time, many moons ago. Useless bloody objects :twisted: - Rob


I disagree...they are brilliant and very handy.

There are much better single handed cramps around, such as these bad boys which I can pick up in town - Rob
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby RogerS » 18 Mar 2018, 13:12

Woodbloke wrote:
RogerS wrote:
Woodbloke wrote:Had a few of those orange things once upon a time, many moons ago. Useless bloody objects :twisted: - Rob


I disagree...they are brilliant and very handy.

There are much better single handed cramps around, such as these bad boys which I can pick up in town - Rob


If the clamping action is anything like these from Axminster

Image

then you're very welcome to them ;)
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby 9fingers » 18 Mar 2018, 16:23

Lots of those sorts of clamps are ok -ish for dry fit or temporary light holding but if there is any glue involved anything less than a precision clamp tends to induce a sideways slide.

I have successfully used a FEW grains of salt on the glue in the region of the clamping points on hard wood or sand on softwood. The salt dissolves under pressure with hard wood and does not open the glueline and soft softwood the sand becomes embedded in the wood even with modest clamp pressure.
Of course Norm would shoot a few brads to avoid the problem. :lol:

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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Woodbloke » 18 Mar 2018, 17:47

9fingers wrote:Lots of those sorts of clamps are ok -ish for dry fit or temporary light holding but if there is any glue involved anything less than a precision clamp tends to induce a sideways slide.

Bob

That's one issue, the other is that the plastic or nylon pads break off which renders the entire clamp about as useful as a chocolate teapot :cry: - Rob
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby RogerS » 18 Mar 2018, 18:21

Woodbloke wrote:
9fingers wrote:Lots of those sorts of clamps are ok -ish for dry fit or temporary light holding but if there is any glue involved anything less than a precision clamp tends to induce a sideways slide.

Bob

That's one issue, the other is that the plastic or nylon pads break off which renders the entire clamp about as useful as a chocolate teapot :cry: - Rob


When that happens I stick some ply on. The thing I also found about those Axi clamps was that the pads leached into the wood leaving a stain behind.
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby SamQ aka Ah! Q! » 19 Mar 2018, 10:17

I disagree...they are brilliant and very handy.


Thank you RogerS, I utterly concur.

Also had the Kamakhasi plastic pads throwing themselves off the clamps. Found Gripfill - just a dab - puts them back for years.

For some reason, can't see image of Axi clamps.


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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby RogerS » 19 Mar 2018, 10:57

SamQ aka Ah! Q! wrote:
I disagree...they are brilliant and very handy.


Thank you RogerS, I utterly concur.

Also had the Kamakhasi plastic pads throwing themselves off the clamps. Found Gripfill - just a dab - puts them back for years.

For some reason, can't see image of Axi clamps.


Sam


Nor me now. Reckon it must be some dynamic link ..I'll poke around and get a better image.
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby RogerS » 19 Mar 2018, 11:00

Here you go...

axminster clamps.png
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby Woodbloke » 19 Mar 2018, 13:33

Yep, got a pair of those. Wonderful things, but not as handy as the Bessey's - Rob
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Re: Can YOU store 'Solo' clamps neatly?

Postby MattS » 21 Mar 2018, 11:42

Maybe straying a bit off topic but general opinion those one handed clamps aren’t good for glue ups? I have very few clamps and 4 are quick clamps and I have struggled with glueing.
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