* Mixing them up....
When clamping up the set up in the left photo below I start out with the Jet's on either end, and then slip in the older Bessey's.
Because the Jet's are thicker in height it allows for easy access for the older Bessey's. My assumption is that the Revos would act in the same way.
At present I only have 4 of the 82 inch Revos.
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Jet's & the older K body's The UniCllamps from Bessey (more manageable on certain types of work)
* My "go to clamp" when using the "bowclamps"
When using the bowclamps in certain situations it's important when putting on the second clamp to cinch down firmly before starting the twisting action.
For this action the Jet's are definitely hands down my "go to clamp." It's the ratcheting gripping action I'm referring to.
Allow me to explain, when you apply the second clamp on a bowclamp set up it's crucial to push down firmly before twisting the handle close.
You do this because you don't want to use up the travel of the acme thread before you finish up the clamping action.
On the Jet's you do this in conjunction with the quick release. Te Revos & the older Bessey's just don't have the same ratcheting, gripping action.
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* The systematic approach using the Bessey's (old & new)
The Bessey's have the unique features of modifying the clamps beyond the individual potential of each clamp.
They allow themselves to become transformed, they do this in a couple of ways......
1.
K body extenders http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/12497
2.
KR-AS Adapter http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/section/7921/sn/BESKRAS
(great click on pictures showing full range of these adaptors on site above)
Adapter with tilting clamping jaws with a tilt range of -15? to +15?lengthen
I'll talk about the extenders only since I've not yet used the Angle Adaptors. The extenders allow you lengthen the clamps by removing the tail stock and arranging the elements as I have
in the photos below. You can use the extenders with any of the K body clamps including the older models. You could add an older model to an Revo clamp and go beyond 12 feet, as I have
in these photos. The extender could be flipped around to accommodate your work at hand.
(note the machine screws & nuts in the extender need only be hand tightened.)
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* Final thoughts......
When looking at the big picture including the versatility of the Revos along with your older k-bodys my vote would be to go with the Revos, hands down.
I'm not dismissing the Jet's, in fact I'd like to get a few more of the smaller ranges. But as a workable system in the way that I work the Revos would be the way to go.
hope this helps,
cheers,
Roger
ps. in the coming weeks I should be adding to the content as well as to the pictures.
