New Bessey UniKlamps - NOT remotely parallel?

[ModJoinery]

Hi folks, this is my first post, but I've been lurking for years!

This morning I had a set of four Bessey UniKlamps delivered. When I went to check the squareness of the fixed clamp face, I noticed that, well, all four clamps are far from square.

Has anyone else got these clamps? Are yours square? Think I should return them?

Thanks all,

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

[TSO_Products]

[member=72791]ModJoinery[/member] - welcome to the FOG - one of the most helpful and best moderated woodworking forums.

Glad you took the leap from lurking to posting. From my perspective, if a product is not what I expected I would ask the supplier to explain and ultimately decide if it meets MY needs or not.

Let us know what response you get from BESSEY.

Hans

 

[semenza]

Welcome  ----------------  or ............  happy first post.  [smile]

                I don't have that clamp but I suggest that you clamp it to something and check for square / parallel. It may be designed to be parallel when in use. Even if the fixed end doesn't move or wiggle the other end does. It is quite possible that it isn't supposed to be square to the bar, but instead only the jaws may be parallel to each other.

Seth

 

[Michael Kellough]

If a bar clamp is longer than one foot the squareness of the head to the bar is of little relevance. The bar will bend as the clamp is tightened. In this case it will become more square. You always have to consider exactly what will be squeezed by a clamp. With long heads like this clamp you have the opportunity to add a shim to direct the pressure where you want it.

 

[ModJoinery]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

For comparison's sake, here is the heavier duty K-body clamp.

Still not perfectly square, leading me to suspect that, as mentioned above, they are supposed to be pushed square under pressure?

Hmmmmm...

 

[RussellS]

Your post got me to wondering.  I have Bessey K-Body 25, 40, 50 inch clamps.  The old style.  I took my Starrett square and an India engineer square to the clamps.  The fixed head of the bar clamps is not square to the bar on any of the samples I tried.  They are all out of square a similar amount as your picture.  I'm sure its as others mentioned.  When in use, the bar flexes, the movable head moves, and everything more or less ends up parallel.  So the out of square fixed head is likely designed to be out of square.