Customer Reviews

Jorgensen 3712 12-Inch Steel Bar Clamp

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No woodshop is complete without several good bar clamps. Thatis what Jorgensen has here. I have several from 12" to30"(+) and use them all the time. I do prefer bar to pipe clamps, but that may not be the popular opinion. You can practically squeeze a glue joint dry with these clamps so why would one want to use heavier, pipe clamps? Jorgensen makes a high quality product here. Go for it.

Of course, you get what you pay for, but the Bessey version of this clamp (at about $3 more) has a much larger bar and can apply a great deal more pressure. The bar on this clamp bends considerably, but if you are doing primarily light clamping it should not be a problem. I've used this clamp (among others) for several years without permanently bending the bar.

You can't beat these clamps for the money. Enough pressure can be applied for glued joints without excessive flexing. Also, you can accumulate a good collection without going broke.

Jorgensen 3712 12" Steel Bar Clamp

I've been using the Jorgensen 12", 24", and 30" clamps, for 20 years. They are good quality and have not rusted or otherwise deteriorated.. The 12" has been the most useful to me. The shorter length is easier to deal with (when it fits the work), and they seem to clamp with greater force than the longer clamps. The bar on the 24" and up size bends quite a bit towards the work if you really tighten the screw handle. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you realize these are not heavy duty; e.g., for my drawer construction, these are strong enough. Light duty also means a lot less weight to deal with than heavier bar clamps.

The principle feature of these clamps is that when the movable end is slid into position, it stays there on its own; because of the metal disk clutch design. This allows for one handed operation, whereas clamp designs without the clutch are more difficult to set with one hand. For woodworking, the rubber tip protectors provide some protection against denting the wood, although dents are still possible on some woods if excessive force is used. (Ensure that the pads are grease-free on first use.) One issue is the pads sometimes slip off the clamp ends. I also use these clamps in construction jobs (where those protective pads aren't really needed), and they have worked well. A well-equipped shop should have a wide variety of clamp types, weights, and lengths; and this model fills an important need. E.g., my shop has about 60 clamps, with 16 of them being various sizes of this model.

If these clamps are used as their design is intended (gluing up cabinet, drawer, etc joints), they perform adequately. The thumbscrew works just fine for applying the desired pressure. The adjustable head moves freely and effortlessly IF the bar is clean. Be sure to immediately remove any glue drippings that finds its way to the bar or the next time you go to move the head it will hang up. I used these clamps in gluing up a 2x4 laminated workbench top. This operation stretched them (and then some) to the maximum of their capability. Multiple clamps spaced closely together were required to press the bow out of some of my pieces. In retrospect, a heavier duty ¾" Pony clamp would have been better fitted for this particular job. But if you use these within their limits, they will perform for a long time.

I have four of these clamps and I need about eight more. When it comes to achieving a strong solid glue joint, good clamping is absolutely essential. These clamps are easy to use with the sliding clamp head and can apply a strong pressure to the piece you're gluing. You can put a wood shim under the jaws to avoid marring the wood surface. The bar will rust if not oiled or waxed but a little steel wool will clean it up. The 36" will handle most clamping needs and the price is low enough to allow buying enough for uniform clamping.

I just bought a pair of these (why does Amazon ship them each in their own huge box?), but already have a pair of these clamps in the 12" size that I have used extensively over the last 15 years or so and would not be without. Sure, they're great for clamping wood for gluing (I 'pad' with wood scraps), but they're also wonderful for larger jobs like building fences and decks, where you don't have a helper but need the board held or sitting in a certain place vertically (you don't have to actually clamp -- just clamp to a post and set the board on top of the handle side of the clamp until you can level and screw -- do you know what I mean?).

Anyway, I have a Heavy Duty version of the Jorgensen bar clamp and it would make a great weapon for pounding on an intruder, but it doesn't seem to have any better clamping ability than the 3700 series -- doesn't get any tighter to pull warped deck boards into place for example. In fact, I dislike the rubber pad thing, which is why I don't buy Bessey clamps, although many people like them.

Oh, I went to the local Chinese tool store at the flea market and bought several cheap bar clamps in various sizes. Never again! Tighten them just a bit too much and they make a 'tink' sound and are worthless from then on.

For the money you just can't beat the Jorgensen 3700 series clamps.

This is a great tool, and it does the job that it was designed to do.

I would just recommend that if you are considering buying this to consider the 12, 24 or 36 inch versions instead. I purchased this along with the others, and then realized that if I have one of the larger clamps that I have no need for the 6" clamp.

The larger clamps can do the same job as this one plus more.

I generally do a lot of research and digging before I make a tool purchase. This has allowed me to build a collection of tools which I am extremely happy with. This clamp is the exception. I bought a pair of these based on the makers name and price. I shouldn't have. The "bar" on these bar clamps is flimsy. I bent one of mine the very first time I used it. I would never buy another one of these.

I disagree with...negative review on this product. These clamps are strong enough for most lightweight to medium duty work. Use pipe clamp if you need heavy duty work. This is a lightweight clamp and is much easier to use compared to heavy pipe clamps. Every tool has its limitation. I am happy with my purchase....