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Author Topic: Screw Clamps  (Read 1877 times)

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Offline Mini Me

  • Posts: 503
Screw Clamps
« on: October 23, 2022, 08:34 AM »
I have two Festool quick clamps, the screw type that Microjig copied and I notice they no longer appear on Festools website in Oz. They have been widely criticised because they lose clamping pressure and I wonder if anyone here has worked out a fix for the problem.
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Offline Crazyraceguy

  • Posts: 3293
Re: Screw Clamps
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2022, 09:43 AM »
I have never experienced this loss of clamping pressure. Are you saying the clamp head slips on the main shaft? I feel like the lever style do/can generate more pressure than the screw type, but I have never had any of them loosen up. The limitation of the lever ones seems to be travel.  They only move a slight amount once engaged. If it is not tight enough, you have to loosen and re-adjust, before tightening again.
I use both, because I see advantages to each. There are times when the lever will not fit because of something vertical in its range of movement. The screw-type work better there.
I'm still not sure why they don't make the longer version in the lever-style?

Does the OZ site still have the lever ones?
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Offline Peter Kelly

  • Posts: 264
Re: Screw Clamps
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2022, 09:53 AM »
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Offline sirhc

  • Posts: 22
Re: Screw Clamps
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2022, 12:09 PM »
They are rebranded Bessey GTR and GTRH clamps, you could also look for those.
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Offline Michael Kellough

  • Posts: 6375
Re: Screw Clamps
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2022, 12:51 PM »
Quote from: Mini Me on October 23, 2022, 08:34 AM
I have two Festool quick clamps, the screw type that Microjig copied and I notice they no longer appear on Festools website in Oz. They have been widely criticised because they lose clamping pressure and I wonder if anyone here has worked out a fix for the problem.

I have about a dozen of the Festool screw clamps. About a quarter of them do loosen over time. I put black marks on the handles of those that loosen and only use them for short duration clamping jobs.

The clamps that loosen have smoother shanks than the good ones.

I also have knock-offs of the same style from Axminster and another company. (Maybe made in the same factory) The knock-off shanks have much rougher surfaces and never loosen in their own.
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Offline Mini Me

  • Posts: 503
Re: Screw Clamps
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2022, 08:32 PM »
Quote from: Peter Kelly on October 23, 2022, 09:53 AM
(Attachment Link)
https://www.festool.com.au/products/accessories-consumables/clamping.html

https://www.carbatec.com.au/fastening-clamp-fsz-120-pair

Currently out of stock but not discontinued in Oz.

Thanks Peter, I must have entered the website another way as they definitely did not appear under the main clamping menu and there were only three items which I found strange. I will try roughing them up on the top surface of the bar with a flap wheel and if I damage them I am not worse off and they will go into the bin. I wouldn't buy them again for a bet.
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Offline squall_line

  • Posts: 2260
Re: Screw Clamps
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2022, 02:28 PM »
Quote from: Michael Kellough on October 23, 2022, 12:51 PM
Quote from: Mini Me on October 23, 2022, 08:34 AM
I have two Festool quick clamps, the screw type that Microjig copied and I notice they no longer appear on Festools website in Oz. They have been widely criticised because they lose clamping pressure and I wonder if anyone here has worked out a fix for the problem.

I have about a dozen of the Festool screw clamps. About a quarter of them do loosen over time. I put black marks on the handles of those that loosen and only use them for short duration clamping jobs.

The clamps that loosen have smoother shanks than the good ones.

I also have knock-offs of the same style from Axminster and another company. (Maybe made in the same factory) The knock-off shanks have much rougher surfaces and never loosen in their own.

I've picked up a half-dozen or so of the Bessey version of the ratchet and screw clamps that were returned to Amazon.  Almost to a tee, each of them refused to hold when tightened, so that explained why they were returned.

I roughed up the shaft by hand with some 80-grit paper (almost like erasing a pencil mark, not much rubbing at all), and they were all restored to proper function and no longer slip.
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Offline Laminator

  • Posts: 391
Re: Screw Clamps
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2022, 08:39 PM »
If it losing friction on the bar, could it be some kind of lubricant has got on it?  I once sprayed the threads of my hand screw clamps with teflon and the clamps would not stay tight at all. I had to scrub them with a brush a carburetor cleaner.  All my festool screw clamps hold tight and I have never noticed them  loosening although I really don't use them much.
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