Gecko Suction Handle Clamps

[lablover27]

Anyone use the Gecko clamps?  Wonder how good they work on Laminate or Melamine?  How about bare plywood (oak, Maple etc)  These should would make my life easier for a few things.  Want to get some opinions before I buy them

Joe

 

[peter halle]

Joe,

I haven't used them, but we did talk abut them at the training class in August.  They are designed for non porous material.  Smooth laminate and melamine should be no problem.  Pre-finished plywood - no problem.  Regular plywood ?

Peter

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Joe, the Gecko works great on any non-porous material, such as melamine.  It doesn't work so well on bare wood.  But, glass, solid surface, painted surfaces, etc. would be good to go.  They are pretty awesome, and have very strong suction and adherence.

 

[arbfincarp]

    I use a pair of the Gecko's almost every day.

    As a kitchen installer I work with finished panels & doors all of the time .

    The panels are heavy & slippery. Most are 3/4" - 1 5/8" thick.

    Some of my panel are 27' wide & 8' long.

    They are usually MDF . They may be painted with high gloss lacquer finish, veneered or lamanited in plastic or metal

    They scratch easily with regular tools unless you protect them with tape.

    The Geckos work. They hold my guide rails in place & protect my work.

    I have also used them on glass counter tops, backsplashes & solid surface.

    Aaron

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Aaron, was that supposed to be 27" or was 27' correct?  [eek]

Not sure if it was entirely evident from my post but these can also be used for transporting these types of materials.  Do you use them in that way as well, Aaron?  Suction them to a piece of material as handles for carrying or only for cutting operations?

 

[arbfincarp]

      Yes I use them to carry materials & hold them in place while i attache them with screws from the inside.

      I have even put them across from each other at a glue seam & ran a clamp squeezing the handles together to tighten  the seam.

      Yes 27" deep panels are  correct . Typically kitchen base cabinets are 24" + or - deep then 1" + or - for drawer or doors.

    Then of course you have counter top overhangs.

    The 27" gives me 1" -1 1/4" for scribing to the walls.

    I cut most of the scribe off with my TS 75.

    Then I have been using my new RAS that I learned about at the cabinet training course to finish the irregularities.

    It work' faster & with less dust.

      I usually rabbet the material  down to 3/8" so that i don't have to back cut it so much.

 

   

 

[lablover27]

By the way - how many lab kids do you have?

Oh dear..! Did I really nominate this joker as moderator...?

I have 3 labs  Every flavor...Choc, yellow, black  The oldest is 10  youngest 6  Love em big time 

 

[rwdawson]

As long as personal aspects of our lives are coming to the fore, I don't have any lab kids, and my vote wasn't influenced in any way by that fact.

 

[woodshopdemos]

I have used the Gecko extensively. For it to work you really have to p ress down on it while pumping the two cups. Your surface has to be free of dust and it doesnt work on a lot of material...like raw plywood.
  The weight of the Gecko and the rubber cups even when not clamped helps hold it in place. It is fixed on our crosscut rail.

 

[paul_david_thomas]

I went and bought one...

Well, I had three jobs I used it for even before attaching it too my guide rail... Then I used it to attach to some Minerelle... Very nice, very stable.

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