Bessey’s Timber Framing Clamp
By Benjamen Johnson
If you’re building fine furniture, you probably won’t want Bessey’s timber framing clamp — unless you’re really into the distressed look. See, in place of a fixed jaw these clamps have a spike you drive into the wood. They’re definitely meant for framing applications where a few gashes won’t be noticed.
You drive the point into a timber by striking the anvil with a hammer. The flared depth-stop makes sure you set the appropriate depth and also makes the point easy to remove with a claw hammer. You can then tighten the clamp, with either the high-strength tommy bar or a wrench on the hex bolt if you really need to apply the screws.
Bessey makes the clamp with a 4-3/4″ deep throat and a 24″ clamping capacity. The sturdy components — rolled, work-hardened, ACME threaded spindle; drop-forged steel jaws; and cold-drawn galvanized rail — allow you to apply up to 2,660 pounds of clamping force. A swivel-mounted pressure plate tilts up to 35° to accommodate standard framing angles.
One timber framing clamp will cost you about $70 to $80.
Timber Framing Clamp [Bessey]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
November 6th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
We use a German tool :
http://www.timbertools.com/Products/Accessories-come-along.html
November 6th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
This is awsome….. I need one of these for my new deck project…. Thank you for posting this……….
I am all a tingle now….
bad sign for my pocket book when i get the tool tingle
November 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Cripes, I hope that tool is a bit more than it appears. For $80, I’d expect something better than a bar clamp with one end sharpened.
November 6th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Actually, I had similar thoughts to BC on this one — though mine were more along the lines of “Hey! I could rig up something VERY similar with a little creative modification of a bar clamp!!”
November 6th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I’d guess that the price reflects how beefy it is and how much you can reef on it–timbers ain’t two-bys!
November 7th, 2008 at 4:12 am
No thanks. I’d rather just use joist hangers for the piddling amount they cost, the ease of placement, and the added strength. Not to mention you can carry a bunch of them in your pouch.
November 7th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Re Brau Says:
The picture misses the mark. Like the Hazet tool (over $250)that we use - this is meant for timber framing - not pulling up dressed lumber.
November 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
We’re almost finished putting up a log house (a friend’s, not mine). This would have been very handy in moving over logs “just a little’ to tighten up the joints.
November 7th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I like the wood ratchet, like a ratcheting chain binder that’s used in trucking, but with different ends.
http://woodratchet.com/
A little home brew fabrication, could reward the more frugal.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Expensive? I doubt this is any more expensive than a comparable Bessey bar clamp.