bowclamps

[j123j]

Hi

I've wanting to get a set of bowclamps. The problem is I cant find them anywhere in EU.
Are they really sold only in the US?

If anyone has bought them in Europe, i'd appreciate a tip on where I can buy them!

Thanks in advance!

 

[peter halle]

If I remember correctly, Craig will ship internationally.  I would send him an email thru his website:  Bowclamps.

 

[nickao]

You know I was going to get these and I just don't buy that you need CNC to make these yourself. Also the T slot really is not required either, at least not through the entire span. Most of my clamps are not that style anyway and I would have to change the ends.

 

[j123j]

If I remember correctly, Craig will ship internationally.  I would send him an email thru his website:  Bowclamps.

Yeah I noticed that I could order them from the www.bowclamp.com site to Finland.
But I would have to pay customs duties... I'd like to avoid that by bying inside the EU.

 

[nickao]

If they did have them in the Eu you would not avoid anything as they would have to cost more initially anyway(you guys really pay a lot for tools).

 

[Jesse Cloud]

You know I was going to get these and I just don't buy that you need CNC to make these yourself. Also the T slot really is not required either, at least not through the entire span. Most of my clamps are not that style anyway and I would have to change the ends.

I'm with Nickao.  I have been putting a bow on my panel clamp cauls for decades.  I'm sure the bowclamps are an excellent product, and I usually opt to buy rather than make simply to save time, but if you can't find these at a reasonable price, you can certainly make serviceable cauls with a swipe or two on the jointer or a flush trim router run against a template.

 

[craig feuerzeig]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your interest.  I'd love to get some bowclamps in your shops.  I'll price the cost of shipping the set to Finland for you today... hopefully it's not a deal breaker.  Some countries however do not allow the shipment of any package over 42 inches long (through the post office anyway, UPS will ship it but the cost is about the cost of the set itself. [eek]).

As far as making your own... I always assumed that you already did (and I think many of my best customers are those that have).  The difference (I think) will be in their usefulness.  If you plan on only using them to help align panels in a glue-up, you'll likely be pleased... But more than likely, you won't trust them to apply edge-banding, or for use in laying up veneers in a press.  Unfortunately, your buying vacuum pumps, or avoiding veneer work altogether.  The more accurately you can make them, the more jobs you'll find yourself using them for.  I have many store bought squares and straight edges.  That doesn't mean my table saw doesn't cut straight, or square... When precision counts you reach for a tool.  This is simply another case of the same thing...In my opinion, of course.

And the t-slot is handy, but certainly not a deal breaker either... but you won't have to change clamps in order to use bowclamps.  Pipe clamps and k-bodies fit right over the back and work equally well.  The only thing you give up is the ability to attach the clamps to the cauls.  But that's something you might find really handy as the pressure starts coming on and everything wants to go "boom".  [blink]

Anyway thanks for looking and for your continued support. [big grin] 

 

[nickao]

Craig I may try these but money is very tight these days. When the wife sees these she may wonder with an entire shop why I would spend so much.

Do you ever have sales or free ship, anything like that I can justify to her saying "hey they were on sale"?

 

[craig feuerzeig]

I'd go with something like this Nick, works every time... "Less clamps to buy is like money in the bank, honey... and less time setting those clamps means we can spend more time together."  [wink]

And I offer a running 10% discount for forum members.  [smile]