Hi, I just viewed a video from a woodworking E-mail, on the new Bessey I-beam clamps. I cannot find these clamps on their website.

 

Anyway, I wanted to ask a question about this. The video showed the man made a mortise and tenon joint and the tenon was just a bit too big for the mortise. So, he was able to clamp down on the wood planks to make it fit. These clamps are supposed to have 7K pound pressure.

 

I was told to consider moisture when making projects and really don't know too much about it. Never sure how much leeway for the swelling/expansion and when I really need it.

 

So, my real question is this:  If this mortise and tenon are that tight, should one even be forcing it in like that, because of the moisture issue?

Edited November 22, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
tags added

I was taught to make them a slip fit. I do admit that some of mine sometimes need a little nudge from a mallet but never a tight as you described.

 

I haven't seen the new clamps, yet.

Like Lew stated, as is with most if not all joinery, the two joints should slide together with little effort our just a few taps of a mallet.

On rare occasions I have been known though to start WWIII with two pieces of wood after my patience ran out. It's not the preferred method, more often than not something will go wrong when working with exaughsted patience. That's when you step away, and join a Yoga group.

I'm not sure I would worry as much about the moisture issue as the fact that it's just wrong to assemble a joint that way. Hope he never needs to get it apart.....you don't do dry-fits (easily) with joints that tight. I usually worry about moisture on parts with larger dimensions than tenons, etc.

If you properly acclimate the wood and build a snug fit, you should never/rarely have to worry. Beating a tenon into a mortise should be a real warning sign, if you have to more then tap it in something is really wrong...

Recent tip on FWW site shows peening the tenon with a flat hammer or a machinist vise jaws as method for M&Ts that nearly fit.

Hmmmm.......Maybe a wood file or sanding block would work better for me. That sounds scary to use all those strong arm  methods.

Herb

3 hours ago, scarletjim said:

Recent tip on FWW site shows peening the tenon with a flat hammer or a machinist vise jaws as method for M&Ts that nearly fit.

Such things is one reason why I'm really questioning whether to renew.

When ever you make the joints either in lots of moisture in the air or dry as a bone , they should fit as designed. If you make the joints in really dry climate then wait a couple weeks and after a long raining spell then try to fit them, no they won't fit and you will do lots of damage if you try to force the issue.

  This is the same kinda , say your design calls for a thin solid board and not having one you do the band saw thing and slice a 3/4" down the middle and use only one side of that half of that 3/4" board. The one you need you prepare and attach to your project and go on with you build... But if you leave that other half of the 3/4" piece sitting there in a few days it will warp so bad it won't be usable.  Why, cause you still have one side which was already accumulated to its surroundings and the other side which was in the middle would be wet. The wet side will start drying up more that the dry side. You do need to clamp the unused boards up to keep them straight and flat while the new side starts to dry.

Always wondered about that, now know it is not the blade.Thanks .

Herb

Thanks for the advice everyone. I just felt like that was under so much pressure that it could do damage in the future. On another note, I do like these clamps, though.

 

The part I am questioning is around the 1:01 mark or so-just seems like extreme pressure the wood would be under in such instances; thought I completely deleted the E-mail, but I happen to still have it :

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 20178 yr by DerBengel
forgot to reference the part I am asking about.

These clamps are like driving a dump truck around a golf course instead of a golf cart.

 

These are some, "Oh, my God" clamps. Never mind what they cost...7000# of PRESSURE! How often will you need to use these? If you were building butcher block counter tops or tops for woodworking benches, they would be great. I just don't see the need (or expense) for the average woodworking hobby shop.

 

Someone, please, tell me why I would ever need something this heavy.

1 hour ago, schnewj said:

Someone, please, tell me why I would ever need something this heavy.

Because you don't have any, now? 

Agreed. They're over kill for most shops, though. 

Still.....

I suppose they are, but the design is what caught my eye. I like the i-beam shape, realizing some types of clamps can buckle under pressure. And I like the flatness against the wood. But yeah, I only looked at them because one of the woodworking companies sent the E-mail and I got curious to see what they were showing off.

 

I am actually looking to get some 36" F-clamps that have the easy release, then I can do something that's 4" or 2.5' and this way I have almost everything covered.

8 hours ago, schnewj said:

Someone, please, tell me why I would ever need something this heavy.

 

status???

bragging rights???

1 hour ago, DerBengel said:

I am actually looking to get some 36" F-clamps that have the easy release,

 

go w/ pipe clamps..

3 hours ago, Stick486 said:

 

go w/ pipe clamps..

Yep. 

5 hours ago, DerBengel said:

I am actually looking to get some 36" F-clamps that have the easy release, then I can do something that's 4" or 2.5' and this way I have almost everything covered.

The Bessey F-Clamps are great tools DerBengel, I have a few.

Ditto on the pipe clamps...

 

If used within their limitation they will do everything you need to do. They are fairly cheap, expandable, and solid. 1/2" are great up to around 4', after that, 3/4" are preferable. If you go with 36" "F-clamps" make sure that they are, at a minimum, medium duty. The light duty ones will flex too much with certain operations. The heavy duty Bessey's have the same basic beam configuration as the ones that are in the video.

I agree 4' F style will bow. I prefer K body type clamps as in Bessey. Yes I have some long F style and my pipe clamps are all 3/4. Have not used a long F style in years