4-1/4'' Reach Hold-Down Clamp

These hold down clamps have been working well for me for over a year now and I have no complaints. I haven't had any issues with paint chipping or breakage and it took all of 2-3 minutes with a hand file to take off the casting ridge. These are simple tools that represent a very good value.

This is a solid product at a low price. Check around all you want. I have not seen a better price. Quality: It works as intended and because it is so simple, it will continue to work perfectly for centuries without any maintenance. One reviewer complains about a ridge or "line" in the middle of the so-called "pad." He is trying to describe the parting-seam that ALL such tools have. You can easily grind this parting seam down with a file or bench-grinder. It is much easier to just glue a piece of leather or cork to the face. I have been using similar hold downs for fifty years. My father used them since he was a boy in the early 1900's. They still work. I know MANY woodworkers who use these and absolutely ALL of them glue some kind of pad to the business end or "face" of the clamp. Therefore, the parting-seam "ridge" is absolutely no problem. I sincerely appreciate the fact that Rockler has this customer review section and allows negative reviews. In this case, all the negative comments I've read are either niggling details that do not affect quality i.e. "paint chipping" or non-issues caused by user-ignorance. The only way I know to get this quality for less money is to make them yourself, and that requires blacksmithing equipment and skills. Even if you have the equipment and know-how as I do, it is still more cost effective to buy these rather than make them. This is an example of a great simple tool that has remained unchanged for eons. It does not have to be pretty to do its job perfectly. You DO have to be smarter than the iron it's made of to use it. Great tool. Low price. Highly recommended.

As soon as I took it out of the package, I could see it's CAST. So of course it's going to be a lot more brittle and less flexible than a properly made forged one. I then looked at the reviews, as I should have done BEFORE ordering, and of course people are complaining about them snapping, as I expected. Others are complaining about the casting seams. While in and of itself not a problem, it indicates the tool is cast and thus will not work well and will be much more likely to break. The way the tool works is by flexible tension, so one that is cast and thus won't flex without breaking, is of no value. I'll probably be returning this. If not, it's only because of the trouble and expense of mailing a rather heavy steel  item, not because the tool is acceptable.