Router Bits & Woodworking Products

Average Customer Rating: (14 reviews)
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By Rick Dixon (Nashville TN )

I've been using a cloth based strap clamp for years. This metal band clamp provides more force. It's very versatile. I love it.

By Nicholas Krisa (Lincoln CA US)

Used for the first time to make jewelry boxes and inside trays. Excellent results. Much easier to use than many traditional clamps. Very inventive design and relatively inexpensive.
Con: Agree, band reel is clumsy, but usable.

By Douglas Hawkins (Dayton OH US)

I bought the set of four with extra jaws. These are excellent clamps, but plan on an hour or two learning before you do a glue up.
The jaws are one inch wide, and if your project is narrower, (my outside edge was 3/8th inch), you will need spacers under the project to raise it to the middle of the jaws. Otherwise, the band WILL tilt the pieces during glue up, resulting in a messed up project.
The clamp worked extremely well for glueing a raised panel door with rubber space balls to keep the panel from rattling. The clamp forced the sides together with ease.

By Jim H (Ottawa On CA)

Used these to edge 1/2" Baltic Birch with 1/2" x 1/2" Mahogany. Very impressed, clamped well with no slippage.

By Vernon Lee (Mattapan Ma US)

Tell me something how are do you reel in the band without all that spring action other then that I think it's a good product.

By Robert Daisher (Lake Placid Fl US)

I owned 4 of these clamps for a long, long time. They are great to use, you will not be disappointed with them.

By Richard Gray (Golconda IL US)

When I first used this clamp I thought what a waste of money. It has a learning curve to it and after countless uses on portrait frames and display cases, I have to say this was one of the best purchases that I have ever made for my woodworking shop. It is incredible. I just finished a 52"x17" rifle display case with perfectly square corners. I have messed with many framing clamps, but none like this. Once you solve that minor learning curve, it's fantastic.

By M Hoover (Berrysburg PA US)

This is the best band clamp I have ever used. It gives equal clamp pressure at all joints and squares your project at the same time. This will never happen with nylon strap clamps.
It took a couple trial runs to get the hang of how it works, now it's a breeze.
I will be buying more as the need arises.
Thanks MLCS for all the great products

By Bill (Inwood WV US)

Excellent Clamp! Will buy more. Easy to use and achieves even pressure on all four corners as advertised.

By Leonard Budny (Depew NY US)

I used to hate making frames of any kind. It was never easy to get them clamped up to produce good, tight joints. When I needed to make a frame for an antique leaded glass window I decided to try the Merle Clamp. My original expectation was "just another band clamp" but I was surprised at the results this clamp produced. Great, tight joints. As long as your miters are true you'll always get a strong, square frame. I'm still not a fan of making frames, but with the Merle Clamp I get the results I'm looking for. Highly recommended.

By John Schaben (La Crosse KS US)

I have had this thing for a few months and it is excellent for what it was designed for; Clamping large, multi-sided projects. If you are looking for something to clamp small projects like clocks, picture frames or the like, keep shopping. This will just be an exercise in frustration and futility.
For larger projects, from boxes up it works very well. The steel band seems a bit cumbersome at first, but once you get the hang of it is an advantage. Admittedly, there is a bit of a learning curve associated with dealing with the rigidity of the steel but with a little practice it becomes a real advantage. There is a bit of an issue at first with rolling the band up also as it doesn't like to slide along itself very well, at first. But some use and a few judicious applications of graphite alleviate this problem.
Overall a reasonably good acquisition and I will probably get another to make a set.

By Sean Bell (Burlington Ne US)

I have 18 and I love them. They square your product for you I need ten more but I will buy 3 four packs....much better deal. They are the BEST band clamps out there by far.

By Art Maki (Buhl Mi US)

Not worth a crap if your material is thinner. Bought it because of the video With mitered doors, but wasn't happy with it.

By H Wilson (West Jefferson Oh US)

Works like a charm.

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Average Customer Rating: (4 reviews)
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By Edward Hollingworth (Tijeras Ne US)

I purchased these some time ago and have used steel banding to extend them and they work fine, as they don’t go slack on u and they hold there shape [no fraying] one of the main reasons I chose them is they wrap up well.

By Richard Castor (Perkasie Pe US)

The Merle band clamp is one of the best of its kind on the market.
The metal strap does not stretch under tension and ensures equal pressure at all contact points.

It's only major deficiency is the locking lever which becomes an appendage that gets in the way and interferes with laying a frame out flat on a bench without raising the workpiece or positioning at the bench corner.

Replacing this lever with a cam jaw locking mechanism would be a major improvement.

By joe d leach (Ridgeland MI US)

great demo

By Dennis Curtis (Myrtle Point OR US)

I have a cabinet/furniture shop. These are the best band clamps I have ever used. Fast, easy and square up every time. My drawer boxes are dovetailed. I have 8 of these and I am ordering 4 more. I only wish they offered a longer band. Being a custom shop I could use longer than 21 foot at times.

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