# Parallel clamp blocks?



## jtech1 (Dec 15, 2014)

I am looking at a set of parallel clamps for making cabinet doors. I am a novice but I want to get a good set. I am looking at Jet, Jorgensen and Bessey. I am not going to ask which is best, since I have read many, many threads on that... but what I want to know if about the blocks that come with Bessey and Jet kits that appear to make it very easy to set up the four clamps at right angles on your work surface and just set your door on them and clamp. I am leaning toward Jorgensen Cabinet Masters, but I do not see any similar block that will work with them. I know they would be simple to make, but I am just curious if there is any off the shelf block that will work with the Jorgensen Cabinet Masters? Or am I completely missing something here and the blocks are not all that useful?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*a different approach to clamping small doors*

When faced with clamping a lot of bookmatch pieces and keeping them flat without using a bunch of heavy and awkward clamps, I came up with this frame. It's dirt cheap to build and can be made in any size up to 36" square. Drill your holes for the ready rod first, then rabbet right up to the edge of the holes using your table saw with 2 passes. The stock can be 2 x 2's or less, what ever you have. You will need a flat surface to set up off, but one the doors are clamped, you can move them off and stand them up.

Here's some photos, did I mention...dirt cheap?
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/members/woodnthings-7194/albums/bookmatch-clamps/


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Personally I think you would be better off using pipe or I bar clamps for cabinet doors. Not only are you trying to clamp them together flat you need room to get in there with a framing square to make sure you are drawing the door up square. As far as the blocks it's not necessary to put so much pressure on a door you would need a protective pad to keep from damaging the edge of a door. I normally draw a door up and shoot a couple 5/8" brads into each joint on the back side of the door and immediately remove the door from the clamps and go on to the next door. It's only on house doors that both sides have a face size I will clamp until it dries.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I'm assuming you're talking about these?? 

http://www.rockler.com/rockler-parallel-clamp-blocks

I can't say i've seen any specifically marketed to fit the jorgensens, but I have a bunch of jorgensen cabinet masters and I can tell ya that you can make a set of these in no time flat.....plus you can make them fit nice and tight, and perfectly flush with your specific clamps. 

Glue up some 3-4 inch wide boards until you have a block 3 inches tall, and 12-16 inches long. Cut a deep dado down the middle of it to get the first groove, then cut it out into 4 equal blocks, and last but not least, cut each perpendicular dado in each block. 


By the way.....I've been very happy with my jorgensen clamps, and didn't care for the jet clamps I bought last year.


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

jtech1 said:


> I am looking at a set of parallel clamps for making cabinet doors. I am a novice but I want to get a good set. I am looking at Jet, Jorgensen and Bessey. I am not going to ask which is best, since I have read many, many threads on that... but what I want to know if about the blocks that come with Bessey and Jet kits that appear to make it very easy to set up the four clamps at right angles on your work surface and just set your door on them and clamp. I am leaning toward Jorgensen Cabinet Masters, but I do not see any similar block that will work with them. I know they would be simple to make, but I am just curious if there is any off the shelf block that will work with the Jorgensen Cabinet Masters? Or am I completely missing something here and the blocks are not all that useful?


If you have a flat workbench top with a wood square (that is true / square) attached to the top of it in one corner - You should only 'need' 2 clamps to do doors with and they can be regular old pipe clamps without all the extra garbage. (4 clamps if doing mitered doors)

I will try to remember to get a few pics of one of my door building benches for you tomorrow... :smile:


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I have never used any Jorgensen's, I have some jets and they SUCK. I have 12 Bessey's and they are great.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I've used jet, bessey and jorgensons. The bessey and jorgensons are interchangeable for me, bit of equal quality and function. I bought the jorgs because you can get them considerably cheaper if you watch. 

The jets were a pain to use...


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

The jets were a pain to use...[/QUOTE]

Yes they are. I thought about sending my jets back.I bought them on sale for 20 dollars each, so I kept them. I sure wouldn't buy any more.


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

jtech1 said:


> I am looking at a set of parallel clamps for making cabinet doors.?


This is the table I build most doors on. Notice that I have the 'square' firmly attached in the corner and that the two main clamps live below the surface of the table. The long clamps underneath are for clamping the doors width-ways and I have plenty of room above for a few clamps (or cauls) to be easily run across the top but in the other direction (like with mitered doors). 










The top on this table has about 92" x 45" of usable clamping area (if I clean the junk off). If I have say 4 doors that are all 20w x 40t - I can clamp them all up at the same time 'side by side' using the same 2 clamps for squeezing them all together and at most one or two more clamps or cauls run in the other direction to make sure things stay square and flat. 

Made this from Melamine because most Titebond glues that I use will not stick to it for crap. Clean right up with a wet rag after the doors come out and the water does not harm the top at all. Much faster than messing around with wax paper.

The boards that make up my 90deg 'corner' are 3/4" thick (same as most doors I make) and make it very easy to see if part of a door is not sitting flat when pressed into the square. Door styles and rails are supposed to be flush with top of 'corner' boards or something needs attention... :yes: At the other ends / sides of the doors all I have to do is look and see that they are flat against the table to be sure they are correct. The melamine top is fairly flat and more than good enough for most things. 

Very rarely do I ever have the need to shoot nails in doors. I usually just let them sit for a bit before gluing and clamping up another group. I have a bigger table that is similar + a smaller one set up the same and another even smaller, set up the same as well. By the time I get a few doors assembled and clamped up in one table, move to the next and get a few clamped up and then finally get to the tiny table and glue up a drawer front or something small - The stuff glued up on the first table is usually dry and ready to be taken out. No nails needed. :smile:


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Nice table. If I built more doors that would be handy.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

OnealWoodworking said:


> This is the table I build most doors on. Notice that I have the 'square' firmly attached in the corner and that the two main clamps live below the surface of the table. The long clamps underneath are for clamping the doors width-ways and I have plenty of room above for a few clamps (or cauls) to be easily run across the top but in the other direction (like with mitered doors).
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Nice setup. I usually just end up with stacks of glued-up doors in pipe clamp towers all over the place lol


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

BZawat said:


> Nice setup. I usually just end up with stacks of glued-up doors in pipe clamp towers all over the place lol


One thing I have learned about you sir is this...

No matter what tools you have available to you at the time - Your work is always awesome. 

:yes:


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

Thanks man, that's nice of you to say


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