Rockler’s been busy lately, developing some new products. Stuart recently covered the Auto-Locking T-Track Clamps and the T-Track Work Stops, but the product that has me scratching my head wondering why didn’t I think of it first? is the new Bandy Clamp (54258).
There are many ways to hold edge banding in place while you’re gluing it to a panel: blue tape, pin nails, specialty clamps, wedging against the back of quick or F-clamps, and the list goes on. What Rockler did was take some higher quality spring clamps, and connected the clamping pads with a big and high tension rubber band.
Now, all you need to do is open the spring clamp and slide the jaws over the edge being banded. When you release the handles, the clamp will go to work and the edge banding will be held in place by the rubber band.
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The Rockler Bandy Clamp jaws open wide, up to 2″, and are 1-5/8″ deep. This allows them to clamp down on some pretty beefy edging. Since the rubber band is what is holding the edging in place, it won’t damage soft or decorative edging like some other types of edging clamps might.
If you are worried that these clamps will sit on the shelf because you don’t do edge banding that often, fear not – the Bandy Clamps can be used for other things, such as cord and hose management, and really just about any other task where you’d use an ordinary spring clamp.
You can pick up a pair of Bandy Clamps at Rockler for $20. On the website, there’s a special offer where you can buy 3 pairs for $50, which breaks down to nearly $17 per pair.
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For some more in-depth information about the Bandy Clamps, check out this review by the New Woodworker. I don’t know what the New Woodworker’s affiliations are, but just to warn you Rockler links to this video from the Bandy Clamp page. Still, they do a great job of showing how these work.
First Thoughts
I visited Rockler to take a look at their new products and to grab the woodturning sanding pack that was on sale. While I was there I played with the Bandy Clamps for a while. My first impression was that they are some pretty nice spring clamps. The over-molding feels pretty good in your hand and distributes the pressure against more of your hand than cheaper spring clamps.
When I first read about these clamps, one of my concerns was that the jaws wouldn’t grip the surface enough to apply any kind of pressure against the edge banding. After trying them out, I found that the jaws didn’t slip when the rubber band was pretty much fully extended, even when attached to Rockler’s smooth and slick laminate shelves. The larger jaws pivot, so they stay parallel when adjusted, and they also have a soft pad of similar consistency to no-slide furniture pads.
fred says
Adjustable Clamp Company (Jorgensen – Pony) had something similar- with their 3261 and 3262 clamps. No rubber bands – but a convex piece of spring steel.
http://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-3-Way-Edging-Spring-Clamp/dp/B0000224BV/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
Doresoom says
Are the rubber band components replaceable, and do they sell the replacement rubber bands separately? I can see problems with them getting brittle over time.
Benjamen says
It does look like the rubber band can be removed from the jaws. I tried pulling it out sideways when I was in the store, but it didn’t come out with moderate pulling force. I didn’t want to break the store’s display model so I didn’t try any harder.
There’s no information that I can find right now about replacement bands, but I’ll keep looking.
Allen says
All right, that is cool.
Innovation lives on.
Kent says
I’d be much more tempted to buy something like this if it was just the band, and worked with any of the 20+ spring clamps I already have.
Not sure I can justify this purchase; it’s not like I’d ever just need two of them.
John says
A great idea, and something I would use a lot. But at $8+/each, that’s pretty steep, and they’re the sort of thing I’d want to have at least a half dozen of. Think I’ll have to pass until price is lower.
Olegpat says
Funny to read – (Rockler’s been busy lately, developing some new products) :)))))
Tell me honestly, stole someone else’s idea – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGfcpXCT6nM
Benjamen says
Seriously…you’re going there? You really think this is a unique solution? There are probably at least 100 woodworkers out there that are slapping their foreheads thinking they should have marketed the idea. But, having an idea and developing a product are completely different.
Anybody can have an idea, ideas in general are worthless. What makes something have value is the time put into developing a salable product. Ask any entrepreneur.
That said, if Rockler decided to make the Bandy Clamps after watching this video, I would be disappointed if they didn’t compensate the guy, but I really doubt that given the video is from August of 2014. They probably had this product in the pipeline well before that.