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Old 09-22-2011, 12:10 PM
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Default Panel Clamps, where to buy

I know Eastwood sells them but $29.99 for 4 seems pretty pricey. Any other sources out there?
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Old 09-22-2011, 12:26 PM
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Harbor Freight has 8 for 5 bucks
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Old 09-22-2011, 05:58 PM
Irrational Metalworks Irrational Metalworks is offline
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Dagger Tools sells them for a lot less than $30!
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Old 09-22-2011, 10:15 PM
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Here is a link for them at harbor freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece...mps-44751.html
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Old 09-23-2011, 01:09 AM
David Gardiner David Gardiner is offline
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Save your money, you don't need them. I do this every day and I have never used clamps like that. When the repair section is made clamp it so it overlaps the old panel scribe off the edge, scribe a datum line then once it is is trimmed you hold the panel with one hand and tack with the other. I show a little of this on my you tube footage. This works no mater what welding method you use.

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Old 09-23-2011, 09:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Gardiner View Post
Save your money, you don't need them. I do this every day and I have never used clamps like that. When the repair section is made clamp it so it overlaps the old panel scribe off the edge, scribe a datum line then once it is is trimmed you hold the panel with one hand and tack with the other. I show a little of this on my you tube footage. This works no mater what welding method you use.

David
Thanks David, I have always held it by hand in the past. I thought they looked handy though.
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Old 09-23-2011, 02:18 PM
ShawnMarsh ShawnMarsh is offline
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Thanks David, I have always held it by hand in the past. I thought they looked handy though.
I thought the same thing until I tried them once. It's much harder for me to cut an accurate 1/16" gap in the panel to use those things, and if you don't have good access to the back side there's no way to put them on. After using David's method, I have never gone back to clamping simple patch panels.
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Old 09-23-2011, 03:48 PM
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I agree about David's method method of welding, but I do own a bunch of panel clamps that I use for holding panels to check arraingement and shape when working on more freeform projects, or when I want to hold a bunch of panels together at once to step back and get an overall view.
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Old 09-23-2011, 05:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShawnMarsh View Post
I thought the same thing until I tried them once. It's much harder for me to cut an accurate 1/16" gap in the panel to use those things, and if you don't have good access to the back side there's no way to put them on. After using David's method, I have never gone back to clamping simple patch panels.
I didn't think about having to perfect the gap. That would add some time. I know nothing I have done so far has had a perfect gap all the way around.
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Old 09-23-2011, 06:53 PM
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its preferable to have no gap when you use these clamps. file a notch where they would go in a panel or seam, that way the resulting shrinkage wont pinch them and make it a bear for them to be removed.

I am not a proponent of clampless welding, but I rarely use these. However, the few times I have, they were absoutley invaluable.

I would order them online from harbor freight if at all possible.

Marty
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