Why Quick-Grip Clamps ? // Clamp Week day 4

Day 4 looking at some of the clamps in my shop... // WnW 245
👇👇 Click “Show More” for Stuff you probably want to know! 👇👇

These Quick-Grip // Pistol-Grip style clamps are really good at what they do. NO, you don't want these as the ONLY clamps in your shop, but I think you'll want some as a supplemental clamp.

Here is a Playlist of the other videos in this 5-day clamp series
(plus a couple more)

YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED:

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(AND/OR other tools and jigs that I use and recommend.
Most of these are affiliate links. If you buy through these
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MORE MORE MORE:

Music: Upsetter - YouTube Audio Library

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🙏🙏Thank-you! 🙏🙏

Index
00:00 Intro
00:15 How They Work
01:50 Different Kinds
03:08 Reversable!
04:08 Not My Primary Clamps
04:30 Wrap-Up

[bobt]

I am enjoying the clamp videos. They are short, entertaining, and share your perspective.
I have four of the older style clamps (two have the Quick-Grip brand and two have the Craftsman brand). I haven't felt a need for more of the type. I tend to use them to hold a board to my bench to make a cut with a handsaw.

On my clamps that use a screw to tighten them, I try to remember to retract the screw most of the way before I before I hang them up. I also try to remember to hang them up instead of just setting them down somewhere.

[petercollin]

I was waiting for you to demonstrate my favorite trick with squeeze clamps - If you hold it vertically, with the bottom jaw being the one by the trigger, you can press the release and the top jaw will fall right into place, so you only need a squeeze or two to get your piece clamped.

[meawayfromhome]

Hi Art good series. I used the spreader function of the clamps to remove an old wall air conditioner out of its frame. For the life of me I couldn’t get it out, put the spreaders on and out she popped.

[andrewzanto]

I like quick grips because the’er easy to use one handed, but they don’t have the clamping force of an F style clamp. For that reason I often use them to get a glue up started when I need my other hand free, then backfill with F clamps.

The blue and silver Irwin clam has some kind of mechanism inside that multiplies the clamping force unlike the black clamp you showed so that’s a nice advantage.

It’s been my experience that only the quick grips that have the larger style grips and bars longer than 18” have the reversible jaws.

[FearsomeWarrior]

I think of quick grips as the most useful for third hand operations. Short term clamping, a minute or two. Times when I could or should clamp but taking the time for a sturdier Clamp isn’t required.

[MyGrowthRings]

Well done, "Mr. Robertson". Love the shirt! And I believe that Irwin was the assignee on the original patent in 1988, so that original design is now in the public domain. Scott

[sunduncestudios]

I love mine. They have become more versatile the longer I own them.

[oakridgeboy]

Thanks for another good video.It's always interesting to see someone else's take on a tool.Personally I love my quick-grips. I have a bunch of them close to my assembly table(read table saw!) and always reach for them first to hold something until I can get a larger clamp into place.I think I tend to use them more as a hold down or hold fast than I do as an actual project clamp.!

[PMichaels]

Great series, Art! I love the Irwin Quick Grip clamps. I use them more for holding things to do other things (like sacrificial fences or dust hoses) than I do for clamping wood, but they are invaluable in any shop. People will find any number of uses for them. Also, as an employer at Rockler once said: “They are great at easily clamping wood together so you have time to set up a better clamp.” 😄

[mp]

131 thumbs up and not a single one down - yay!! Well deserved. Thx!

[robertsmith]

Yep. I have 10 of the quick grips in various sizes. I find then very useful.

[AppalachianLife]

I use Irwin quick grip clamps on the farm all the time as a third hand. Used several last week building a new chicken coop to hold one end of joists while I screw the other end. Also was handy to force warped boards into place to be screwed.

[BTimmer]

Nice clamping coverage as to features and options.

[SteifWood]

My absolutely favorite clamps (I always bring them wherever I use tools) are the *Bessey 8" KliKlamp* (lever clamps): light, quick, fast, one-handed, high clamping pressure.

[rafvdp]

Of course you deserve a👍. Fun fact about the quick grips I have ( brand wolfcraft) with the release handle you can move the clamp backwards. So if the clamp is to ” closed ’ and you can only use 1hand because your holding something you can open it with 1 hand. Very useful feature sometimes. The dollar ones become a ’quick’ garbage.

[frankblack]

Quick-Grip are my favorites. Couple of points:

1) The skinny small ones can be more useful than the big huge ones as they fit into tight spaces and won’t ‘pull’ on the workpiece
2) The Bessey ones are reversible by simply turning a dial. Witchcraft. They also offer the ‘DuoKlamp’ which is similar style but completely different. Peter Millard’s Channel ‘10 Minute Workshop’ is where you can see them a lot.

Love this series. Thank you!

[Tinkery]

I am also a parallel clamp fan but I have to admit that quick grip or squeeze clamps are great. If I had to choose one, I would pick the parallel clamps first but I will admit they the squeeze clamps are better for certain applications such as smaller projects, when you need to tighten the clamp one-handed, or when clamping onto an awkward work piece.

I have a couple of 6” and 12” Irwin squeeze clamps and was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a set of 12” and 24” Bremen squeeze clamps from Harbor Freight. I got burned by cheap HF squeeze clamps that fell apart but the new Bremen ones appear to be on par with my Irwin’s in terms of the build quality. Hopefully they will hold up over time. 🤞🤞🤞

[simonpunter]

i fit aluminium windows. I've just bought the 450 or 18" as your American and i myself am English. I'm currently coupling together a ribbon run of ali windows so I've gone for the Irwin's. I'm hoping between this and my 1200mm Stanley fatmax xl clamp i can do the job. what length are yours ?

[dannywilsher]

I have to retreat and eat crow.... I went out and saw that the clamps that I was referring to as being junk were in fact Kobalt claps, not Irwin. All my Irwin clamps are fine but the Kobalt's are broke and all of them are junk. Only reason I kept them is I was going to get my money back but then I figured I could use the metal part for some project and throw away the plastic. Thanks Art!!!

[moomoopuppy]

What is the purpose of the "thumb screw/wheel" ...oh its to switch to spreader "mode". Thanks!