General Tools #846 EZ Jointer Clamps, 2-Pack

by General Tools

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

This is a simple, inexpensive solution to precisely put a straight edge on any warped or crooked stock, in one pass or on your table saw without a jointer. Will also do shallow taper cuts with positive control of the stock.

Product Description

General's E-Z Jointer Clamp Kit is the long-awaited alternative to expensive jointers. Now, you can straight-line rip crooked boards using your table saw! Just attach your crooked board to a piece of straight stock using the Jointer Clamps and run the stock along the rip fence to rip the crooked board. The Jointer Clamp works in two easy passes and is great for use with long stock. Additionally, our patented swing arm design allows you to accurately rip wide boards with ease.

Product Details

• Item Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000223V5
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 12100
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,283 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #96 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tool Accessories > Jigs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm throwing mine out..., April 3, 2002

By 

"mikes1659" (Hopkinton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: General Tools #846 EZ Jointer Clamps, 2-Pack (Tools & Home Improvement)

The big problem with this that the straight edge does not reliably lie flat because the bottom of these clamp things surround the straightedge. This causes two things to happen. One, if you are jointing wide boards, the jig can rock, which can cause either a bad cut, or worse, binding and kickback.

The second problem is that the second clamp will catch on the edge of your table saw as you feed it through unless you are really careful - again, a bad cut or binding and kickback.

I'm chucking mine before I get hurt and am going to build a simple jig with surface mounted toggle clamps.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Effective if you know how to use them., February 3, 2006

By 

Daniel J. Balboni (Springfield, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: General Tools #846 EZ Jointer Clamps, 2-Pack (Tools & Home Improvement)

I am writing this review in response to the negative reviews. It seems to me that if used properly, it can be very effective.
I have pictures of glued up panels to prove it.

The main purpose of the clamps are to remove crooks from the lumber. The second function is to put a "straight" edge on the board.

To achieve either of the objectives, one must use a true straight edge as the guide board. Longer stock will require more than 2 clamps. 2 clamps will be good up to about 4 feet. Additonal clamps should be used about every foot after that (my estimation. (i.e up to 5 feet, 3 clamps). This means you would need to get another set. The technique I use is the make an initial pass. Then remove the board from the clamps, place the side you just ripped against the fence and rip again. Lastly, flipped the board over and rip the first side again. That should give you stock that should be adequat for glue-up.

Some additional tips, invest in a good saw blade (Freud Diablo), this will help minimize vibration and give a nice cut. Check the guide board periodically to make sure it is straight and true. Always cut you stock over size and then trim it to fit.

The clamps are not as good as an actual jointer and require a bit more work, but it is cheaper. Infact, I have used these in conjuction with my bench top jointer. And a little more advice, if you are looking to get a bench top jointer, go the extra $200 dollars and get yourself a bigger one (6" x 47") if you have the space.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste the $15.00, April 16, 2005

By 

Richard H. (Boise, ID) - See all my reviews

This review is from: General Tools #846 EZ Jointer Clamps, 2-Pack (Tools & Home Improvement)

Holy cow, what a piece of garbage. One of the previous reviewers explained it perfectly. The board you're straight lining can not be held flat on the saw. Not only that, but if you're doing a board, say, six feet long, then as you slide this along, the bottom of the clamp comes off your saw and then the piece sits flat. This causes the cut NOT to be true. You would need to put a clamp every 15" inches or so down the length of your board to keep it consistant. And even if you do that, it's still not lying flat.

What a piece of garbage. I tried it once and threw it in the trash (after smashing it with a hammer since it screwed up my cherry). Luckily, I took my cherry back to my wood store and they straight lined it for me so I didn't lose any.