Issue Date: Issue
218, Posted On: 3/10/2009
Excerpts from Alpha Clamp:
The Big Dog of Clamps
by Michael Dresdner
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The
Alpha JackClamp,
was invented
about five years ago out of
necessity by inventor, Lowell Thomas.
Lowell was putting a holding
tank in a sailboat and was trying to
level it. He assumed he could buy a
quick grip clamp, take the handle
off and turn it around to make a
jack. When it turned out he could
not, he researched the patent and found
there was a patentable improvement
that
could be made. Thus, the Alpha
JackClamp
was designed and patented, but it
took about three years until he
started manufacturing and selling
them.
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"We build the entire clamp right
here in Bozeman, Montana. We make
the molds, stamp the steel, harden
it, mill it". The
company itself is small; the whole
shop where we do our machining is
only 2,000 square feet and houses
only seven employees, but we can
produce about 200 units a day. By
expanding our space and employee
numbers, we could easily make 10
times as many.
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"When people look at our clamp,
their first comment is often how
burly it is. The clamp weighs three
pounds, about three times the weight
of a normal clamp this size, is
guaranteed for life and frankly, is
really tough. In fact, if at any
point you decide you don't want this
clamp, for any reason, we will buy
it back from you. How's that for a
guarantee? So far, we have never
gotten one back".
"I call the Alpha Clamp the
intelligent tool for intelligent
people. Alpha is the name of the
intelligence test given by the
military, the brightest star in the
visible universe, and of course, the
first letter of the Greek alphabet.
I thought it was an appropriate name
for a clamp that does what other bar
clamps are unable to do".
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"The biggest difference is the
adjustable top bar. There are no
other bar clamps on the market with
a throat deeper than thee inches.
Ours is adjustable up to 13 inches,
and that means you can use it to
clamp around L stock, inside
cabinets, and in any place where you
need part of the clamp to go inside
a recess. You can even assemble it
around a project and take it apart
after the glue-up. That allows you
to remove it in places where a
normal clamp would be permanently
captured in the piece".
"The bottom bar contains a ruler
with standard units on one side and
metric on the other, and because it
is square to its attached head, can
be used as a marking square. The
head contains both horizontal and
vertical levels. Slide the handle
off and turn it around, and you have
a cabinet jack capable of spreading,
or a lift capable of hoisting about
250 pounds. There are four internal
brakes as opposed to the more common
two, so that the handle, unlike many
bar clamps, simply will not slip.
The clamp is modular so that you can
add more than one handle to the
bottom bar, thus allowing you to
clamp and spread with the same
clamp. You can even use it as a
come-along or a hoist, since it
gives you the ability to slowly
release under tension as well as
slowly increasing compression".
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"We will soon be releasing several
accessories, one of which is an
oversized foot. Take off one of the
pads, put the clamp in spreader
mode, and the foot makes it a
freestanding jack. Another option on
the way is a fitting for clamping
corners with just one clamp. There
will also be jaws for clamping pipes
and other round stock, welding jaws
and even thin spreader fingers that
will allow you to slip in between
and accurately space the boards on
decking or tightly spaced slats".
"At present, except for a few local
hardware stores, the only place you
can buy the Alpha Clamp is online.
That may change, of course, but for
now, your best bet is our website".
"I know your readers do not have
anything like this tool," Lowell
assured me, "because there is
nothing else like this in the world.
In a sense, it is six tools in one:
buy it, and you will save yourself
not only a lot of money, but a lot
of headaches as well. Once you
figure it out, you will be surprised
at what it can do. It almost has to
been seen to be believed, because it
does things no other clamp does. The
Alpha Clamp is not just another
clamp; it is a unique tool."
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