Bar clamps...the "bar" being PVC

[tearapin]

I am thinking of buying these clamp ends/sets. See link below.

They come in 3/4 or 1/2 inch variety. Instead of heavy black pipe, I am wondering if I could use Outdoor ridgid pvc. They gray stiff stuff. Schedule 80? It seems robust enough.

I do not use bar clamps often. Maybe 10 times a year. It is way cheaper and the coupling would be easier.

Has anyone done this? Or is this a bad idea?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BESSEY-...e-Set-for-3-4-in-Black-Pipe-BPC-H34/204986131

 

[Technologyteacher]

PVC Kills

 

[CJM8515]

it will snap..dont even try it.

 

[Mecha]

Use heavy black pipe or better. Unless you like your clamps flexing, breaking, or not really clamping.

 

[Mecha]

The easiest ones to use are the Irwin ones at Lowe's. No threading needed.

 

[ARFLY]

Those are good clamps, but not for PVC which has already been said. Black pipe shouldn't be much more than PVC.

 

[tearapin]

..Dupe

 

[neophyte]

I am thinking of buying these clamp ends/sets. See link below.

They come in 3/4 or 1/2 inch variety. Instead of heavy black pipe, I am wondering if I could use Outdoor ridgid pvc. They gray stiff stuff. Schedule 80? It seems robust enough.

I do not use bar clamps often. Maybe 10 times a year. It is way cheaper and the coupling would be easier.

Has anyone done this? Or is this a bad idea?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BESSEY-...e-Set-for-3-4-in-Black-Pipe-BPC-H34/204986131

I used to break stuff down made from PVC pipe.
The easy way was to wack the PVC a few times with a hammer, at which point the apVC pipe would usually shatter into sharp pieces.
I doubt PVC would have enough strength and stiffness to be worth a dang for clamping anything but the lightest lowest pressure necessary clamping jobs.

 

[tearapin]

Thanks guys I will not use PVC.

 

[rlitman]

PVC is as bendy as a wet noodle. How anyone can imagine it will serve as the backbone for a clamp is beyond me.

 

[jimreed2160]

OK. No to the plastic pipe. But lets go deeper. I am a woodworker and have a garage full of clamps. The pipe clamps are my least used. My I beam clamps are my go to clamps for big table tops, etc. Four of them do the trick.

"only use them 10 times a year..." I use mine about once a year. What are your projects? Ten times a year should justify a set of good clamps. Depending on your projects that might not be many clamps. My experience is that many people use too many clamps and clamp them too tightly. Well fitted boards should not need much clamping. But all projects vary and it is hard to make simple rules.

 

[6PTsocket]

PVC is as bendy as a wet noodle. How anyone can imagine it will serve as the backbone for a clamp is beyond me.

I tried aluminum conduit and it bowed badly. PVC: fagedaboutit !!!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[driftpin]

I almost think this is an early April Fool's joke.

Like, "can I use spaghetti pasta to reinforce a fiberglass piece I want to-make for a motorcycle fender?"

I recommend Ronzoni.

Biggest pipe clamps (note: not a "bar" clamp) I've used are 3/4" X 9 ft galvanized pipe clamps for the base of redwood hot tubs. The stock was tongue & groove 2" X 6".

 

[PoorOwner]

Besides being PVC,

They are sized for a specific diameter of pipe, like the black ones you see in the picture.

Pipes of different materials are different in diameter.

 

[mike93lx]

If you want something lighter than black pipe, you can buy aluminum bar clamps, but they are quite a bit more expensive

 

[mikegt4]

I have a bunch of those pipe clamps some of which I inherited from my Dad. With an array of pipes of various lengths they can be pretty handy. Recently I used some to pull the ends of my bulldozer track together so I could insert the master pin. When I built my house out of SIPs panels I used them to pull the panels together before nailing. When I put the roof panels in place I used 10' sections of pipe to make up extra long clamps. Like everyone has said, use black pipe, galvanized is too slick and the clamp won't dig in firmly. They don't take up much space when not being used and shorter lengths of pipe can be coupled together to make custom length clamps.

 

[driftpin]

I have 40 year-old bought-new pipe clamps, and galvanized 3/4" pipe I used for clamping, and haven't had an issue with slippage, over my time of ownership. I suppose with an inferior mechanism that could be an issue.

 

[L.Cheapo]

While I don't think PVC is the solution to the OP's dilemma, I'm a bit surprised to hear how weak PVC is.

In college, my roommate and I made a bitchin potato cannon out of a 2" PVC pipe. We fired hundreds of shots of potatoes and eventually ice. When we got bored of just Aqua Net, we started using propane. Then we brought oxygen and acetylene into the fray. That made a cool sound. Never exploded. Sent spuds blocks away though!

Maybe thats why I'm so unlucky now--used up all my good luck when I was younger and dumber!