One Time Tool - ClampZilla 4-Way Panel Clamp - 2019 - Retired July 29, 2019
UPDATE: Optional 50" Capacity Extended Rails can now be added to your ClampZILLA!
Woodworkers have been trying different ways to keep boards flat while gluing panels since glue was invented. Most clamps introduce a bow in the panel because they are clamping from one side (the one with the bar). Even the best designs pull a certain amount and most could be used to make boomerangs. Savvy woodworkers try to overcome this by alternating clamps top and bottom, but getting the pressure perfectly even never happens. Woodpeckers newest OneTIME Tool, the ClampZILLA 4-Way Panel Clamp, places a bar on both sides of your stock with centering devices that direct the pressure to the exact center of your stock. Not only does ClampZILLA focus the lateral pressure on the center of your panel, it also puts vertical pressure on the boards, helping to hold them in alignment to each other.
ClampZilla 4-Way Panel Clamp
In addition to keeping your panels flatter, ClampZILLA saves you both time and money. Using parallel jaw clamps, you would need 2 clamps across your panel plus 2 clamps and clamping cauls providing vertical pressure to replace one ClampZILLA 4-Way Panel Clamp. That’s four screws that you have to adjust on the parallel jaw clamps, while ClampZILLA applies vertical and horizontal pressure simultaneously by simply turning one screw. Your boards fall into proper alignment as the edges come together. No more anxiety-filled gluing sessions worrying about the glue starting to set before you get just the right amount of pressure on each clamp.
Glue-ups go fast and easy with ClampZILLA. First, lay out as many as you need for your panel size. Now, pull the quick-release locking pins on the tailpiece and open up the clamp completely. Load your stock and bring the top bars back over. Pop in the pins and start clamping. lt takes just seconds.
ClampZILLA’s normal range is from 5/8" to 2". For stock thinner than 5/8", just add a piece of 3/4" scrap above and below your stock. For stock thicker than 2", add a 2x2 to the edges. Maximum stock width is 38". Clamp length is 47". With these simple extra steps, ClampZILLA’s range exceeds that of almost every other clamp on the market.
ClampZILLA earned its unusual name when we ran it through some torture testing. It took a three-foot long cheater bar and all of the product developer’s strength to break the Acme-threaded clamping screw. Just before failure, ClampZILLA was exerting over 6,500 pounds of clamping pressure. And to be honest, it was still exerting that much pressure after failure…the screw broke at the handle.
We designed ClampZILLA for the long haul. The steel bars and clamping pads are powder-coated for a tough, long-lasting finish. Most of the clamping mechanism components are machined from stainless steel, except the clamp screw pivot, which is machined from brass. All machining is done on state-of-the-art CNC equipment right here in our Strongsville facility.
Sales of the ClampZILLA 4-Way Panel Clamp have been amazing. In addition to the enthusiastic response, some woodworkers requested an even bigger clamp, something they can use on 4-foot wide table tops and panels. It took a bit of scrambling but we came up with a solution; super heavy-duty replacement rails. These two-inch-deep powder-coated steel bars will do the job effortlessly when you want to glue up super-wide panels. So, if your project exceeds the 38” capacity of the standard rails, consider adding a set of the Extended Rails to bump your ClampZILLA capacity all the way to 50". It takes less than a minute to change from one set of rails to the other. With both the standard and extended rails you’ll have just the right clamp whether your project is small or “monstrous”.
Like all our OneTIME Tools, ClampZILLA is only made to order, precisely built and carefully inspected in our Strongsville, Ohio factory. The deadline to order yours is Monday, July 29, 2019. Once orders are filled, these tools will be retired from our product line. Delivery is scheduled for November, 2019.
Let Us Know If there's enough demand, we may re-run some of these tools. If you're interested, please click here to leave us your comments. Thanks
Country of Manufacture | United States |
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