Tackleberry Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Having scratched my head for ages about getting the 2 fuse halves together for ages I was reading Marks book again last night and saw he used something called Berna clamps I thought I'd try and search for them in Hobbycraft today..... I bought 2 pairs as a trial, and dry fitting an A340 fuse, I wondering why I never found them before.....!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Vor!!! Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 So ggod buy i?? looked but never bought any Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tackleberry Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 So ggod buy i?? looked but never bought any Yep, definitely a good buy!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 I have been using them for years after getting them from the horses mouth (so to speak) when the company was at the nationals one year. They also do (or used to) another version with a longer bar between the clamps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 They do have their uses, but if you get the jaws misaligned by even a fraction, they can twist and ping off, which is rather annoying. Accurate placement and not too much pressure seems to be the order of the day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amo Aero Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 They do have their uses, but if you get the jaws misaligned by even a fraction, they can twist and ping off, which is rather annoying. Accurate placement and not too much pressure seems to be the order of the day I'll second that! I find myself wishing for something like a Berna clamp, but with a square or rectangular section bar instead of the round rod of the Bernas. Not only would such a clamp be easier to use, it would be more useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Interesting,we had a discussion about these clamps at our last club meeting,to a man we find them unreliable,I find they are prone to slipping and now rarely use them,just goes to show different horses different courses. Malcolm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phberna Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014   On 06 August 2013, Malcolm wrote about the berna clamps: "Interesting,we had a discussion about these clamps at our last club meeting,to a man we find them unreliable,I find they are prone to slipping and now rarely use them,just goes to show different horses different courses." It must be underlined that the berna clamps have only been designed for the real makers of plastic or balsa models, solely for the people who feel at the tip of their fingers or in the palm of theirs hands how much they can press upon these models without damaging them, exactly like good electronics engineers know how gradually they ought to turn control knobs to get the best tuning. People who get upfront berna clamps jaws twisting or slipping by pressing with their fingers or the palm of theirs hands on jaw backs are betraying themselves. They cannot be real makers of plastic or balsa models. If they would press directly these models with the force they are exerting on berna clamps jaw backs, they would smash these models. Berna clamps have been made so as to transmit exactly to the clamped object(s) the force that is exerted on its jaw backs (demonstration is in the brochure) and the stiffness of the jaws has been adjusted so that they twist if a force over 5 kgs (about 22 pounds) is exerted on their back when jaws are facing each other. This has been made on purpose for protecting plastic or balsa models from any force excess. It has been estimated that at the maximum a plastic or balsa model resists to a 5 kgs force. And if the twisting (or slipping) guys would tell that they are pressing this way because they are used to press so much the handle of the handle clamps for clamping the plastic or balsa models and that these models are then not smashed, they would be consummate liars. Handle clamps are considerably amplifying the force that is exerted upon the handle through either a screw or a lever effect. Berna clamps have no handle. There would be only a case where a force over 5 kgs might be needed with a balsa (or other wood) model. This is when this model is an aircraft or a boat. That would be for shaping its skin side but not for any other component of this kind of models. This is where the unique capability of the berna clamps to be turned into a bench clamp by simply removing a stop and a jaw appears to be so valuable. In the bench clamp configuration, the remaining jaw do not twist even if the applied force on its back exceeds 5 kgs. With the bench clamp beam inserted in a selected slanting hole, the skin side of an aircraft or a boat can be shaped easily. Dr. Philippe Berna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy wood Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I agree with Malcolm, and chucked mine away. But then again, according to Dr Berna, I clearly am not real maker of models. If Dr Berna is reading this, I find that remark insulting, trying to blame the customer for his products failings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phberna Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Addendum: If sincere, the twisting (or slipping) guys might be modellers of steel, concrete, bricks or stone objects or someting of the kind, but not once again modellers of plastic or balsa objects. Dr. Philippe Berna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy wood Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 There he goes again! What's wrong with you? Are you trolling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 How very rude of him. He, if he exists, is trying to 'blind by science' where his 'explanation' leads nowhere but informing the modeller he is not a modeller. Definately a troll of the first order. By the way 'Berna' clamps are not a unique invention. Their style has been in use for centuries by cabinet makers. I have a set of clamps in my collection which are over 200 years old and look the same as the 'Berna', excepting size and material of construction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinnerboy Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Think he is! I bought some & never liked them, but no matter coz as I'm obviously not a proper modeller I just use a bench vice now for clamping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spruecutter96 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 EHHHH??? This can't be serious, surely.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Vor!!! Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Nope not a modelller Don't know what I am assembler ?? Masking tape plus mini clamps or super glue and hold the parts is the usual method I employ Just think of the years ive been doing it wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caution Wake Turbulence Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I find a hammer usually does the trick... Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Vor!!! Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I find a hammer usually does the trick... Andrew On the model or the berna clamp?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caution Wake Turbulence Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 The model..... am I doing something wrong....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Gordon Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 For my sins I prefer to use Vinyl Insulating Tape.Berna clamps have their uses I'm sure but not for joining major components together. If the truth be known their use in the world if woodwork is a bit limited too.Splendid for task,just understand what the tool can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phberna Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Obsessed Member wrote a few minutes ago: I agree with Malcolm, and chucked mine away. But then again, according to Dr Berna, I clearly am not real maker of models. If Dr Berna is reading this, I find that remark insulting, trying to blame the customer for his products failings. Sorry if this member felt to have been insulted. There were no insult at all. Instead of having thrown away her berna clamps, she should have returned them for being fully refunded. Other model makers would have been happy to get her clamps. Anyway, she is kindly invited to read carefully again what I posted. There is no failing at all. If she would be figuring for example that with a square or rectangular section beam, there would have been no twisting, sorry, there would have been twisting anyway if too much force is applied on jaw back. Only some jaw suppleness allows this twisting. But only circular section of the beam allows the very useful bench clamp configuration. This member is invited to build a model of our clamps with some suppleness in the jaws, whatever the beam section is, circular or not, and verify herself what I explained. By the way, what of kind of models this obsessed member is aiming at building? Anyway, with kind regards to this member. If a day she happen to try again the berna clamps, all she would have to do is to press a bit less strongly. Increasing the pressing force gradually is a good way to achieve that. If for some reason, she absolutely needs a stronger pressure, the bench clamp or the spreader configurations of the berna clamps allow to get it, as it is described in the brochure. Dr. Philippe Berna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Gordon Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 (edited) Dr Berna, Please do not be offended by the findings of those who have chosen to use "Those Wonderful Berna Clamps". Tools are tools.If the correct tool is applied for a certain job then that will provide the correct result.All tools have a secondary use,it is up to the user to find this use and make it work to the users need. If the tool isn't performing adequately then either the method should change to suit the tool or the tool should change to suit the method. I am certain that Berna Clamps are a splendid tool,their application is at the discretion of the user.Don't be upset when someone says that it should be binned,they just haven't found out how to use them yet. I don't own a pair,I never will.I don't need to.I have access to identical woodworking tools.Not that I will ever use these for this,I have my own methods that work more than adequately that I have developed over 37 years of bashing plastic. Would you mind awfully clearing up which obsessed member that you addressed in your last post please,there are rather a lot of us and if you look a little further up your screen you will find a user name with whom you may take issue. All the best,Alex Gordon. Edited July 26, 2014 by Alex Gordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phberna Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Black Knight wrote some minutes ago: By the way 'Berna' clamps are not a unique invention. Their style has been in use for centuries by cabinet makers. I have a set of clamps in my collection which are over 200 years old and look the same as the 'Berna', excepting size and material of construction. He is right. But there were some differences which make all the difference. First of all, most often the beam of the ancestor was a flat and narrow bar (no possibility of bench clamping). Secondly, one jaw was captive (no possibility of spreading). Thirdly, the whole was heavy (no compatibility with plastic or balsa models). Fourthly and chiefly, for contacting the objects at the jaw ends there were thin pads, generally made of leather or hard rubber, that cannot be compared with the springy and thick silicone buffers of which the berna clamps jaws are equipped. These buffers play the role of both springs and orientable swivels. They prevent the jaws from slipping on relief and allow them to be slightly misaligned when clamping, provided once again that not too much pressure would be applied upon the jaw backs. With kindest regards, Dr. Philippe Berna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phberna Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Many thanks for your message Mr. Alex Gordon. It is full savvy. Plenty of apologies to Andy Wood. Dr. Philippe Berna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Gordon Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 (edited) No worries old chum,we all have our view on things.Good of you to come back in. Now then,how do we get you to Obsessed Member status? Edited July 26, 2014 by Alex Gordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy wood Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Funny side to this is that he has mistaken me for a she . Must be my avatar of my wifey that threw him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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