Warning: wasted $200 on those cheap corner clamps from that online deal site

I bought a 4-pack of those aluminum corner clamps for $50 off some flash sale and they bent on the second use when I was building a set of cabinet doors. The jaws were so misaligned I got gaps in every joint and ruined $80 worth of maple. Anybody got a recommendation for clamp brands that actually hold up for cabinet work?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron_webb10d ago

Buddy of mine bought the same kind of clamps from a random Amazon seller and tried to glue up a nightstand. First clamp snapped right at the joint where the screw meets the aluminum, sent the whole piece flying off his bench. He spent the next hour trying to get glue out of his hair. He just uses Bessey clamps now for anything that needs real pressure.

blake_cooper10d ago

Ngl that's a rough loss, especially with maple being as pricey as it is. Honestly, were you using them for 90 degree clamping or for something like edge banding or miters? Because those cheap aluminum ones flex like crazy on anything that isn't perfectly flat and even, and cabinet doors need serious pressure. I'd want to know exactly what you were trying to hold together so I can steer you right on what actually works.