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panel clamps

11/16/16       
Greg Jones  Member

Website: http://www.jencofurniture.com

I'm trying to decide between Plano or Frontline panel clamps. Anyone have experience with either or have a better/different approach?

11/16/16       #2: panel clamps ...
Bill

The industry standard is JLT type setup.
The link at the bottom is the smaller units.

You can add a panel flattener
http://www.jamesltaylor.com/180A-M2

There are also glue spreaders.
For intermittent use I like this one.
http://www.jamesltaylor.com/6in_roller_spreader

This stuff all lasts forever and is able to be rebuilt (glue spreader)

If you keep an eye on IRS all this comes up at auction. Hard to buy a bad used clamp of this type, worst case it needs to be cleaned.

Might be more than you are looking for or have room for but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Good luck!

Clamp rack

11/16/16       #3: panel clamps ...
Greg Jones  Member

Website: http://www.jencofurniture.com

Bill, thanks for the info. Actually I have a JLT clamp rack just like the one you provided a link to. I've looked at their flattener but, was unimpressed. Seems pretty awkward and aligns the staves not where they are clamped but between the clamps. I want to minimize passes thru the wide belt to clean the panel up.

11/18/16       #4: panel clamps ...
JR Rutter Member

I had a big set of Plano clamps when I started out years ago. They are not heavy enough or have the right leverage to flatten glue-ups on their own. If you work carefully and work from the center out, you can align things pretty well by leveraging individual boards as you tighten the clamps. I got a used RF panel press and haven't looked back.

http://harmonicdesignworks.com

11/18/16       #5: panel clamps ...
Bill

We use a planer not the widebelt to flatten panels. The flattener does work pretty well. I am guessing you make panels greater than 24" wide?

11/18/16       #6: panel clamps ...
Greg Jones  Member

Website: http://www.jencofurniture.com

JR - thanks - I was afraid of that with the Plano's.

Bill - yes, up to 36"

still hoping someone has experience with Frontline

Frontline

11/18/16       #7: panel clamps ...
Bill

Those clamps look interesting. Who sells them? Maybe you can get a test clamp you can return.

11/18/16       #8: panel clamps ...
Greg Jones  Member

Website: http://www.jencofurniture.com

that's the problem - no US distributor
I can only order them from down under - not cheap! I found a couple of forums where people have them and they get really good reviews. One guy had Plano's and after using the Frontline he said the Frontline is way better than the Plano's.

11/20/16       #9: panel clamps ...
Jason

Anyone else have experience with the JLT panel flattener? I have been consdering one for a while but not pulled the trigger. Hard to tell if it would be strong enough to really pull thicker (1.25-1.75") panels flat -

12/6/16       #10: panel clamps ...
Bruce H

I have a different panel flattener for my JLT clamp but theirs might work better, or at least easier because it flattens against the clamps. I don't think clamping in the middle will be an issue. It will push the ends of the boards into the clamp surface. I'd mount it on a tool balancer though so you don't have to do all the lifting. The Frontline looked like a nice clamp although slow. I bet squeezed out glue clean up will be a bitch.

12/29/16       #11: panel clamps ...
door shop guy

The only tool i have ever found to make panel parts flat is a jointer. Guess i am the odd duck.

1/19/17       #12: panel clamps ...
Joe Calhoon

We have the JLT flattener. They modified it so it would open to 2 1/2" or so. We use it for gluing multiple stave cores. Picture gluing up a butcher block top.
It works pretty well. We run it at our 90 pound shop compressed air. My biggest complaint is it is a bear to handle. Bruce has a great idea about mounting it on a tool balancer.
I do not think it has enough power to pull down 8/4 that is not faced and planed well. It will flatten out glue creep and make handling wide glueups easier.
I looked at Larrys Clamp but it would not open wide enough for our staves. It looks like a good unit though and lighter.

1/20/17       #13: panel clamps ...
Joe Calhoon

One other small issue with the JLT flattener is when you are stacking the opening is pretty small between the clamps making it a little clumsy to slip the unit into place. We find we also have to turn the clamp handles horizontal on the lower row to get the unit in.
Again, a tool balancer would make this easier. I am going to look into that.


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