You can also take one end off two clamps and  join the bars end to end to make a long clamp.

JayADee:

Here's an interesting thing I found out about clamps like those with the squeeze handles. You can slide the handle off, put it on in reverse and create a spreader!

larknz: Have you tried Irwin Quick grip clamps. They are cheaper and in stock. I have a number of them and find them to be great.

I have a few of them and like them a lot.  They are my go to clamp for most situations, but I use Craftright F clamps when I need a lot of pressure.  I have four 1000mm Irwin Quck Grip clamps two of which claim 600lB gripping force and two just 300lb.  The heavier clamps have extended pads (you can see in the links I've included).  I would say that even the 300lb clamp really gets hold of what you are clamping, and the 600lb REALLY gets hold of it.  Better that a C clamp even.  The down side is they can be difficult to release — that does not seem top be a problem with the smaller Quick Grips.

I do like Bunnings for clamps.  They have a better selection and better prices than Mitre10 IMO.  Especially those Craftright F clamps.  The 300mm ones are just $12.95, they had a good deep reach and a nice grippy handle.  Rob Cosman has a tip for using hockey tape on wooden clamp handles so you get a better grip.  I tend to look for bundle deals to at least try and keep the cost down.  They say you can never have enough clamps — I remember it costing me $290 when I bought the four 1000mm Quick Grips.  When you look at the rows of 1000mm plus parallel clamps on the walls of some of the YouTube woodworking channels you wonder just how much they will have spent on them.  Thousands of dollars for sure!

How'd you get on with these? I'd love to find a relatively affordable supply for parallel bar clamps - the Pony Jorgensens almost look good, but shipping costs more than the clamps themselves.

yumcimil:

 

How'd you get on with these? I'd love to find a relatively affordable supply for parallel bar clamps - the Pony Jorgensens almost look good, but shipping costs more than the clamps themselves.

 

There are very few days I don't use one or more clamps, and I find that I pick up the Irwin Quick Grips first.  They grip tightly without slipping, and they don't tend to distort like cheaper F clamps.  They mostly release without too much pressure, but the 1000mm ones need one heck of a squeeze to make them let go.  I bet the big ones are not far behind bar and sash clamps for clamping pressure.  If I really think hard about it, there have been times when I was not sure the 1000m Quick Grips were applying equal force the length of the jaw.  I'll try and test that tomorrow, but it will only be with a square to see if they are distorting.  It will be bugger all if they are though.

I had a closer look at the Irwin 1000mm Quick Grip clamps today, and discovered a trick I didn't know they had. For a start, they are not parallel clamps.  The 600lb version has extended rubber pads which serve zero purpose AFAICT.  You can see I have remove one of them for the sake of clarity in the top left segment.  The orange plastic pads, that doo all the work, pivot so distortion would be irrelevant if it was happening, but it really isn't no matter how tightly I did up the clamp.  While taking these pictures I noticed the 'Push' label on the fixed jaw, and realised you can quickly remove the fixed jaw and reattach it reversed at the other end so you can apply an outward clamping force. 

With the power of the larger 1000mm clamp you'd have a poor-man's Porta Power, albeit with a tiny fraction of even the smallest kit's 4 ton load capability.

These are the clamps I use nowadays.  I have a collection of those cheap black clamps with plastic handles — a good third of mine have had the clamping handles break.  The image insert bottom right are modified 200mm Quick Grips I adapted for my Bosch track saw track.  I stuffed these up by forgetting that the t-slot pads need to align with the sliding jaw, and made the dog leg too low which prevented the sliding jaw closing enough.  So I glued the wooden pad extensions so it will close enough to grip down to about 12mm.  I really need to remake the ends with a single bend rather than the current dog leg design, but's one of those 'round-tuit' type jobs.

Yeah, those Irwin XL ones always seemed kind of flexible. I think I'll try a special order at Bunnings next time I'm there, see how we go. I have a few Jet clamps which are amazing, and some Stekol rip-offs, which rusted to shit :(

Story checks out. Those Pony Jorgensen ones were similar. :(

I was in at Bunnings so I checked out the Irwin Quick Grip clamps.  Nice looking clamps and they had couplers and wider pads as part of the display.  Good supplement and I made sure the B'day fairy took note.

Edit: nice clamp wall Trevor

larknz: Quick Grip clamps have their place, but if you need significant pressure you need a screw type

larknz: Quick Grip clamps have their place, but if you need significant pressure you need a screw type

My Bessey parallel clamps exert 8,000N of clamping pressure.

Enough for most jobs, maybe not for major planking work on a boat or similar.