In November, you’ll be able to buy two new clamping products from Kreg: a new inline clamp, and a new base for your existing bench clamps. Let’s talk about the inline clamp first.
The plastic low-profile inline clamp fits into 3/4″ dog holes on your bench, and applies up to 250 lbs of pressure to the side of your work piece, giving you access to the entire top side. Its 1/2″ tall jaw can apply pressure either to an edge or corner.
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The clamp can swivel 360° in the dog hole, and the clamping distance can be adjusted up to 4-3/4″ by twisting the large knob on top of the clamp.
Price: $20
ETA: November 2017
Bench Clamp Base
Unlike their other bench clamp mounting methods, which are permanent, the Kreg bench clamp base allows you to use one of their bench clamps on any surface with hole large enough to for a 1/2″ bolt, including bench dog holes.
Furthermore, you don’t need any tools, simply place the base into the top of the hole and thread the knob onto the bolt from the underside of the hole.
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Any Kreg bench clamp can be attached to the base via the keyhole slot. With the clamp inserted, the cast aluminum base can swivel 360°.
The Kreg bench clamp base will be available by itself for $20 or paired with a 3″ bench clamp for $50.
Price: $20
ETA: November 2017
First Thoughts
I saw the Kreg clamping plate on clearance several places last year, and while it doesn’t appear they are getting rid of it, I’m not sure it was a huge seller in stores. To install the plate, you needed to recess it into your bench — a rather permanent solution. With this new base, you can simply use existing dog holes.
At first, the plastic construction of the in-line clamp made me a little nervous, but then I thought about it. Plastic usually connotes that something is made cheaply, but there are plenty of very strong and rigid plastics that can hold up to the claimed 250lbs of clamping force. We’re just not used to seeing plastic in this role.
Does this mean this clamp will live up to its stated performance? Not necessarily, but rather than dismissing it outright because it is plastic, we can at least say it’s possible. Plus, an advantage of being made of plastic is that it won’t dull your tools if you run into the clamp — like if you accidental hit the clamp with a plane or chisel.
My biggest problem with inline clamps is that they tend to lift whatever is being clamped off the table. I have even seen this in clamps that are themselves firmly secured to a workbench or table. Even if the clamp itself doesn’t move, they might sometimes still lift the work piece off the table surface.
Ideally there would be a downward component of force that would press the object against the work surface, but with over 4″ of adjustment I can’t see how they could slope the clamp to provide that downward force.
Lack
I think the plastic material is ‘social engineering’ solution to the lifting problem. If people perceive it as fragile then they wont apply so much force = wont lift the material.
Keeping the cost down doesn’t hurt either.
Bit worried about the bench clamp though, they have some oomph to them.
Nathan
I was thinking similar and it also goes with the other kreg branding items. Many of their other stuff is plastic made – with metal parts were needed. Like the pocket hole jigs themselves.
I mostly like the idea – I would have never bought their plate system.
fred
My take is that Kreg has done a lot of “value engineering” with their products to make them utilitarian without being over the top expensive.
Some of their saw guides, decking jigs and measuring tools look a bit too “plasticy” and flimsy to me – but others may like them. If you ever watched Scott Phillips on his PBS America Woodworker Show – you would think that Kreg (one of his sponsors) is the end all and be all of what they make. He works pocket hole joinery, their clamps and measuring tools into nearly every project.
Don’t get me wrong, I like some of what Kreg makes – and think that pocket hole joinery has its place.
Nathan S
I last watched Scott Phillips a couple years ago and generally enjoyed his show (have just not had the time for a long while). My last impression at that time was that he was overusing his lathe for everything, of which I couldn’t care less about. I generally like Kreg’s stuff and have the pocket hole jig and a couple other items. Some of their other tools make me scratch my head, probably since I’m more of a novice woodworker… maybe I should watch Scott again to figure out if they’re useful to me or not!
fred
Apart from Kreg sponsoring him, I can see another reason he promotes pocket hole joinery. With most other joints (mortise and tenon, dovetails, lap joints etc. you need to measure and cut your wood figuring in the joint dimensions. Then you need to take the time to craft the elements of the joint. With pocket holes – which essentially use butt-joints – the measuring and assembling is simpler – and the angled screws make the butt joint much stronger than just a just a glue-up. This may make his project ideas more within the reach of beginning woodworkers or those who wish to complete projects a bit more quickly.
Koko the Talking Ape
I had a plastic hold-down clamp (fiberglass-reinforced nylon, actually.) It was plenty strong enough, but when I was stowing my folding worktable with the clamp attached, I knocked it against a door frame and sheared the clamp head clean off the threaded rod (also FRN). That wouldn’t have happened with even a flimsy steel clamp.
Veritas makes some inline bench clamps of steel and brass called Wonder Dogs (and Wonder Pups.) They are built with an angle to counteract that lifting force. (The threaded hole drilled into the steel shaft that plugs into the bench is angled downward slightly.) But they cost more. I quite like mine, though they are a little slow. They make a cam-action one that should be faster to adjust, but I haven’t tried it.
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=74622&cat=1,41637
CG
One word: Holdfast
Bolt
Yup. Faster stronger and cheaper.
Ktash
I agree, But not low profile.
firefly
Wow, I never knew about this… It’s really neat. So simple yet so effective. Does it eventually destroy the hole on the workbench though?
CH
No, as long as you don’t use one with a ridged, textured or knurled post. I use the Gramercy holdfasts from “Tools for Working Wood”. $39 for a pair, bombproof, and I use them more than I ever thought I would.
Pete
My kreg auto adjusting clamp with they pocket hole jig died on me. It will no longer auto adjust. I have to adjust it everytime i clamp with it because everytime i clamp with it something goes wonky.
Then their second gen auto clamp works(so far) but it was sent with a janky rubber cover for the release bar. And of course that cover slid off the first use and is now lost.
Thats my experience with kreg clamps- Hopefully these clamps will be better.
Chad Brink
I have a couple plates embedded in my workbench and use them plus the Kreg clamp to hold faceframes flat and flush when connecting them with pocket screws. Love the system. When installing the plates drill a 1/2″ hole all the way through the bench under the plates locking hole to clear any debris that falls into the plate.
I’ve always preferred a “working” workbench instead of a “look only” pretty work bench so embedding plates into the bench is not a big deal for me if it gets the job done.
Ktash
Kreg clamp base looks like a good idea. I have a few of those clamps that I rigged to work with a different system. They worked OK but not perfectly. I never wanted to embed the aluminum base. So now I’m going to try one of these and see how well it works. I do like the kreg clamps that I use with the pocket hole jig especially the right angle clamps.
I’ve used rockler in line clamps when routing . The main reason being that they are low profile and don’t interfere with the router at the edges. I don’t love them though. I’m not planning on getting these. But if I were getting some I’d probably go with the Lee valley. I do think kreg makes too many things that are plastic. Pocket hole jig serves me well, though. Sometimes solving odd or tricky problems, the pocket hole jig has saved the day.