All in One Clamp A-50 50-Inch Grip Clamp Guide w/T-track
by E. Emerson Tool Co
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List Price: Our Price: $29.76 You Save: $15.23 (34%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of All in One Clamp A-50 50-Inch Grip Clamp Guide w/T-track
Customer Review: I like the Tru-Grip stuff a bit better
Summary: 3 Stars
Decent design, but it doesn't always clamp very straight. Therefore, you end up with a less that squarecut. I wouldn't use this for cutting down the length of a door if you're going for square. Decent for the price, though I'd rather pay more for the Tru-grip models.Customer Review: Best Guide I Ever Bought
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been thinking about getting one of these for a long time. I finally ordered the 50" & 24" the 50" came today & it is the best guide I have ever bought. I will definitly get the 99" & 36".
Customer Review: Good for ripping
Summary: 4 Stars
This is great for ripping 4'x8' sheets of plywood. Ignore any of the recommended accessories except for the wide jaws. The saw and router guides are really cheap and you really don't need them anyway.Customer Review: Flexing and other issues
Summary: 3 Stars
The product is useful, and speeds up panel cuts (etc), but it is far from perfect.
When cutting a sheet of 4-foot-wide 3/4" plywood, it clamps securely, but the guide can flex significantly if you push too hard in the middle, resulting in a cut that is not straight. The less wide the wood, the less of an issue this is.
I was able to push mine more than the reported 1/16" in the middle when used across a sheet of plywood (4'). To me, ANY amount of flexing is a problem, because it is inevitable that I have to push the tool against the edge while cutting. However, use of the optional tool guides presumably reduces the problem, because when using them you don't have to push against the guide.
Another reviewer suggested clamping a piece of the wood to support the middle of the straight-edge. A good solution, but it takes away from the instant-setup convenience this tool is said to offer.
Years ago I bought an aluminum straight edge called Cutters Edge II. I can't find it in google so I assume it is no longer available. It was substantially more rigid than this one, and it came in two 4' lengths which could be joined together. However, its clamping system was much less convenient than this one.
I have not tried it yet, but I suspect this guide would not work well for very thin sheets, such as plywood less than 1/4". Because the clamps rely on edge-to-edge force, thin sheets have the potential to bow with this kind of clamping force applied.
The All-in-One Clamp Guide seems to be best suited to 90-degree cuts, yet they do not have any means of ensuring that the cut will be square. There is a squaring attachment (wide jaws), but measuring and/or checking with a square will still be required.
I only just learned about the "Ultra" model that is 100 inches long. That's the tool I really need (for ripping sheets), and I wish I had bought it instead. Being wider, it should flex less, however with its longer span, it is more subject to flexing. But it's expensive, and I could easily build my own jig, albeit using clamps that are not as quick to use, but with immeasurable flexing.
Customer Review: E. Emerson Tool Customer Service?????
Summary: 1 Stars
6/22/08 Ordered this item on April 24th 2008 and it was promptly received. Upon examination I noticed that it would not work. Returning the item was not an option, so I looked up e emerson tool online and was happy to find a useful website with exploded views of their tools. It was obvious that the tool was missing a part. An e-mail was sent and I waited.... On may 22nd I received a reply stating that they were short handed and they were sorry that it took so long to get back to me. I was assured that the part was now in the mail.... As of 6/22/08 no part has arrived, I have sent a couple of e-mails to emerson in the last few weeks and have received no reply. Most small companies I deal with try to ensure that customer service is taken care of quickly. I have no problem allowing for a company being "short handed". But, this low level of service is unusual, especially during difficult times. A satisfied customer will tell a couple of people, an unsatisfied customer will tell everyone they meet! The tool looks like it might work well, I have no way of knowing. And do not plan to try their other items.