GRR-RIP CLAMPS
The next product we’ll be looking at is one from MicroJig. Last year we looked at another set of dovetail clamps from MicroJig, which clamped down using a ratcheting cam system. The ones you see here are a typical quick-grip design, and I must admit, I prefer this style of quick clamp.
As dovetail clamps, Grr-Rips need an accompanying dovetail track, but these are easy to make with just a 14°, ½" dovetail bit and a sheet of ¾" plywood (as you can see in the photo below). Once you have a dovetailed board, it can be clamped down to your workbench while you use the dovetail clamps on the workpiece above.
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| The dovetailed end of this clamp fits easily into a routed dovetail slot. The V-shaped clamping pad provides a solid, two-point grip on boards and dowels alike. |
The bar keep these clamps aligned, which for a quick-grip clamp means a lot less fussing over your position during that last trigger pull. The quick setup of these makes them ideal for tasks like routing dadoes in case joinery, drilling pocket holes, or making a taper jig.
As I mentioned earlier, I prefer a quick-grip style clamp to a ratcheting one. While neither is going to provide the kind of strength that an F-style clamp offers, the quick-grip provides a firm grasp with less work than the ratcheting kind, as if you run out of “ratchet” then you need to reposition the clamp head, defeating the purpose of a quick clamp like this one.
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| A classic, ratcheting quick-clamp design makes these clamps easy to use on the fly when you have a dovetail track setup. |
Additionally, compared to other quick clamping options, I found that the V-shaped clamping pad provides a good deal more “grip.” In short, if you use dovetail tracks in your shop (or if you’re interested in incorporating them), then these will be a great choice, and superior to your typical quick-grip clamps.
