Festool Quick Clamp issues

[Wood_Slice]

As the title says I have some Festool Quick Clamps that came with my Installer set just don't seem to work. I have used my identical (red) Bessey quick clamps for years (GERMANY print) and they are amazing. Then about 6 months ago or so felt the urge and both another Bessey pair of same (NO germany print) and also the Installer set Festool quick clamp (NO Germany print).

I have used them for years and I know the proper way of using the clamp but for some odd reason they come lose on their own. I would use them with a triangle square plywood piece like that of Fastcap to hold panels square and I would tighten and ratchet them down and I would go do something else and come back to lose clamp. Not sure what is going on. The GERMANY stamp Besseys have never loosened if clamped correctly but these new (no Germany ones) have come lose all the time. I cant tell if there is a difference besides the fact that the clamp moves up and down much loser on NO Germany stamp ones.

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

 

[afish]

I have 4 of the festool quick clamps and never had any loosen up on me.  Only thing that comes to mind is the pad isnt bearing evenly on the narrow wooden triangle and is slipping off.

 

[squall_line]

Sedge did a Festool Live on clamps one week.  It included a tip about sanding/roughing up the surface of the shaft so that the clamp could bite and not come loose.  I don't remember what grit he mentioned, but I need to look it up myself when I'm back home, as I got a used clamp for cheap that comes loose just by breathing on it, and I'm pretty sure that's all it needs.

 

[Wood_Slice]

Sedge did a Festool Live on clamps one week.  It included a tip about sanding/roughing up the surface of the shaft so that the clamp could bite and not come loose.  I don't remember what grit he mentioned, but I need to look it up myself when I'm back home, as I got a used clamp for cheap that comes loose just by breathing on it, and I'm pretty sure that's all it needs.

I think you might be remembering the sanding of the shaft of the clamping elements with 220 grit I believe becauce the cam action dug into the shaft and it wasnt moving as smoothly.

 

[GoingMyWay]

Sedge used the sandpaper to remove the knurling that can develop on the bar:=1607.  Here's his Instagram post as well:https://www.instagram.com/p/CMP2YU1pLoU/ where he says he uses 180 grit. 

 

[squall_line]

Just as a follow-up, I mentioned that I had a clamp that I bought second-hand that wouldn't stay tight.

Tonight, I hit the shaft lightly with some cheap 100-grit, parallel to the bar, and it clamps and holds like a champ now.

I'm guessing that, compared to the Clamping ElemenTS that gathered knurling and wouldn't run smoothly, these shafts will flatten and shine up to a polish over time and need a bit of roughing up to be able to bite against the ring around the shaft.