Shopsmith Forums

In early February I purchased a set of 4 corner clamps via a special Shopsmith was offering. I got 4 for the price of 3, and with handling and shipping, I paid $70.00. They work fine. However, yesterday I was in Harbor Freight. The photo at the left is one of my Shopsmith clamps hanging in my workshop. The photo on the right (with the price above it) is one that I saw at Harbor Freight. Shopsmith has some great tools, but not always the best deals.

May have to take a look see!

Get a 20% coupon and it is even better. They surely can't be the same thing. Maybe a better quality. Were they ShopSmith packaged?

Thanks, RW!!!! I almost bit on the latest e-mail special from Shopsmith.

I've picked up a few good deals from Harbor Freight myself -- the dial indicator and magnetic base come to mind immediately. But I do think it bears mentioning that Harbor Freight is not paying Admin's salary to make all the bits & bytes fly in formation to provide us with this nice forum. That money has to come from somewhere, folks. I'm happy to pay an extra few bucks on occasion in order to support a company that still cares about, and invests in, customer service.

Ever try to buy a replacement part for a Harbor Freight product?

I did not mean to put down Shopsmith (the company). Believe me, when it comes to parts and accessories for my Shopsmith, I'd never think of looking anywhere other that Shopsmith (the company). I got my 500 back in 1980, have upgraded it along the way, and recently did a PowerPro DIY installation. I have never regretted buying the original or upgrades and accessories that I've gotten for it. But sometimes on wood working items that aren't related directly to the Shopsmith, there may be good deals other places.

Ever try to buy a replacement part for a Harbor Freight product?

No, I usually return it for another. Almost always breaks under warranty! Sometimes I get lucky and it doesn't break...

ChrisNeilan wrote:Ever try to buy a replacement part for a Harbor Freight product?

No, I usually return it for another. Almost always breaks under warranty! Sometimes I get lucky and it doesn't break...

If it breaks under warranty, why on earth would you want another?

Quite a few years ago I picked up a clamp like the ones pictured. It was made by Bessey and it is a heavy aluminum design that weighs more then you would expect. If memory serves me they went of about $30 and I was happy to find it on sale for $20.

But happiness is short lived as it was just an OK tool and to be honest it has sat unused for years now. I did remember where I left it so I was able to pull it out for a couple of pictures.
The trip down memory lane also landed me on a tool that I used with the clamp, a nail spinner. Much to my surprise I also knew where that was. It is pictured here sitting on the clamp. It is chucked in a drill and the a finishing nail is "drilled" in and then a hammer is use to finish it flush and a nail set to well, set it.
As it turned out the o-ring had broken and it fell apart while I was looking at it. There are three ball bearings and two of the three fell out. I was able to find them and get a new o-ring installed. In this last picture you can see the finishing nail being held and ready to be mounted in a drill and spun in.
I would be interested in those that have them how well do you think they work? As I mentioned I was a little disappointed with mine especially for miter joints, for joints like the one pictured it worked fine. Looking forward to some responses.

Ed

I bought a few Bessey corner clamps when Lowe's was getting rid of that line. $7 each if I remember correctly. Personally I think I bought them because 1) they were significantly on sale and 2) at times when making cabinet carcasses I want to lay them on their side and these allowed me to attach them to the bench and still have a stable corner clamp.

The nicest I have used were some by Joregenson which had 5 threaded bolts. One was at the back of the peak similar to the Bessey and HF, 2 pressed the work pieces into the jig, I presume to help,if there was a warp in either board and the last two were outboard of the jig tapped with a slight angle towards the peak. These pushed the boards toward the peak rather than allow the boards to squirm out of the vise when the center screw was tightened.

However I've not seen once since and no one else seems to have heard about it. I never did write to Jorgenson to find a model number (and frankly it has been such along time it may not have been built by Jorgenson, but that is what the dust bowl between my ears remembers). As I think about this, the fences may have set on a board or platform that had multiple positions for one fence to locate at 45, 60 and 90 to the other?? Maybe I should try and make something from Baltic Birch!!, A new jig!!, - oops back to topic.

Back to the current time frame , I was thinking that the Bessey etal would benefit from some adhesive backed sandpaper on the fences to keep pieces from sliding as the handle is turned, but not certain of the benefit since the wedge being driven towards the peak might be actually trying to push pieces apart???

A friend likes the Kreg 90 clamps because they offer wider surfaces. Not used one myself.

Frankly I'm not convinced that any of these single rod clamps are any more effective than a few Strong Tie concrete form brackets with a few hand clamps.

I do like gizmos, but maybe in this case simpler is just as good as anything else.?

Be well,
Ben