After 3 tries, I finally found the right clamp for my desk edge banding project

I spent a whole weekend trying to use those cheap spring clamps from the hardware store on my birch plywood desk. They kept popping off and the banding would slip before the glue dried. Then I borrowed my neighbor's Pony pipe clamps and oh man, what a difference. They held steady for the full 30 minutes I needed, and the edges came out perfectly flush. Has anyone else made the switch from spring clamps to pipe clamps for edge banding? I'm thinking of grabbing a set from the local restore for $15.

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1 Comment

the_finley15h ago

Those spring clamps are basically useless for anything that needs real pressure. Tried them once on a maple desk and the banding slid right off while I was still positioning it. Picked up some old Jorgensen pipe clamps at a garage sale for ten bucks and they're just in a different league. The even pressure across the whole edge makes a huge difference, no more gaps or uneven spots. Your mileage may vary but for fifteen bucks at the restore, you really can't go wrong.