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A few Mondays back, Popular Woodworking Editor Christopher Schwarz stopped by my cube on the way to his desk and asked what was going on with Bessey K Body clamps. I hadn’t heard anything in particular so I’m sure I looked a bit confused. Chris told me that everyone in his class at Kelly Mehler’s School of Woodworking was talking about K Bodies disappearing from the market.
Immediately, I sent out the Bat Signal to my contact at Bessey Tools. Sure enough, Bessey is doing away with the K Body clamp. That’s a shocker. But relax. The company is releasing a new K Body design , not just doing away with the clamp altogether. The new clamp is called K Body REVO. (I’m going out on a limb here and say that REVO is short for revolution but that’s my assumption.)
The REVO clamp is different. The major difference is that it has a larger clamp surface , some 30 percent larger. But when you glue up panels that are 3/4″ thick does that larger area mean much? I think it does and here’s how. When I assemble 3/4″ panels using this type of clamp, I lay the clamp head over it to gain as much use of the clamp’s face as I can. The new REVO is 3/8″ longer when measuring from the bar up the clamp head. That’s not much, but it translates into better clamping action.
The handle is also different from earlier versions of the clamp (the new handle was actually introduced during the fourth quarter of 2007). I shied away from earlier-model K Bodies due to their slippery wooden handles; it felt like I couldn’t tighten them enough to get adequate pressure with my glue-ups. The new handle is user-friendly. The grip is softer and I can get a firm hold on the handle and apply all the clamping pressure I need.
Also, the REVO comes with three pressure caps that can be interchanged with any of the REVO clamping surfaces. The company feels these pads are going to be popular in the marketplace because the cape are glue and paint resistant.
Finally, two rail protectors, made of an impact-resistant polyamide, elevate the workpiece off the rails. That’s less glue making contact with the ridges in the bars and that keeps the clamps easy to use.
In addition, Bessey also tells us about a new clamp coming out, called VARIO. But I’m told we have to wait to see it at the International Woodworking Fair (IWF) in Atlanta. You can bet we’ll stop by the Bessey Tools booth.
I teach at a couple Woodworks shows around the country and I always see woodworkers carrying those super-long K Body clamps at the show. Seldom do I need clamps with more than a 36″ opening. What length clamps are best for your woodworking? And, what type of clamps do you use? Leave a comment and let us know.
