Pony 50 Pipe Clamp, Fixture for 3/4-Inch Black Pipe

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No woodworking shop is complete without a wide assortment of clamps in different types and sizes. Just about any carpentry or woodworking project that goes beyond merely hammering a couple of boards together requires the use of a clamp. But while all clamps serve the same basic function—holding two or more pieces together temporarily—there are many different types of these handy tools available, each with a slightly different use or benefit. Below are some of the more common types of clamps you’ll want to consider adding to your workshop. Interesting article with interesting images of vintage documents etc. It’s a shame the company apparently couldn’t remain viable another 100 years, but we live in a “if it ain’t broke, it will be soon,” disposable society now. Shame. I’m glad to have 40-50 of their handscrews, I-beam clamps, pipe clamps, & one parallel clamp in my wood shop.”— Harry M., 2019

I am writing with an odd question about old / vintage C-clamps which I believe were manufactured by the former Adjustable Clamp Co. of Chicago, IL. This light-to-moderate duty clamp is 36 inches long and has a 3.5-inch throat, which is the maximum depth of the jaws extending from its bar or frame. It exerts up to 1,100 pounds of clamping pressure, which is more than enough for most DIY projects. The clamp itself weighs 4.5 pounds which is a bit on the heavy side. However, it's a must-have for any carpentry or woodworking shop, whether professional or hobbyist. I have recently come across a pair of old, 1-inch c-clamps. They are both marked at the top of the C shape with the letters “CHCO”. Along the middle is the word “Adjustable”. Another look at the longtime Adjustable Clamp factory at 417-433 N. Ashland Avenue in West Town, circa 1990s. The factory shut down in 2016.] Part II: Finding Adele The company’s chairman, Doug Holman, was actually the great-great grandson of the original founder, Adele V. Holman—a trailblazing woman who presided over a thriving manufacturing business nearly two decades before she had the right to vote. What a story! Maybe there is still hope for the underdog after all . . .Initially, a sales rep at Pony Tools told me they’d be happy to help. But alas, no information was relayed, and no future queries received a response. I felt that perhaps the Holmans had attached clamps around their own hearts, but in retrospect, the impending collapse of the business may have been a distraction. I am writing to inform you that on May 19, 2016, Adjustable Clamp Company d/b/a Pony Tools Inc. informed its Chicago employees that it was suspending operations in Chicago effective immediately.” courier service for the return, so please use the most economical or appropriate method for returning the item(s). That’s the tough thing about making a quality product for 100 years. If the design has been perfected, and the tool itself lasts a very long time, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep selling new ones—even to happy customers. Now, there are certainly more complex explanations for Adjustable Clamp’s eventual demise. Some have suggested that there were serious managerial rifts over recent decisions—including moving much of the parts manufacturing to China. Others blamed union demands, cheaper competition, or failing to keep up with new tech trends. But it seems friendlier to just say “they were too good for their own good”—whatever consolation that might be to the workers now out of a job.

Manufacturing and Wholesale Industries of Chicago assessed it this way: “Special interest attaches to the [Adjustable Clamp Company] by reason of the fact that its executive head, Mrs. Adele V. Holman, has proved fully the resourcefulness and administrative ability which woman may bring to bear in the broad domain of industrial and commercial enterprise. Mrs. Holman is president of the company and virtually the sole owner of the business which is being most ably and progressively conducted under her personal administration.” Circumstances began to change in 1905, however, when her husband Harry W. Holman (a railroad clerk she had married at the ripe old age of 15) suddenly died. At the same time, their lone son, Harry V., was off in Colorado working for a gold mining company. Based on the cultural expectations of the time period, Adele should have assumed the role of the middle-aged lonely widow. She could have spent her days sipping tea at Marshall Field’s or comparing hat sizes with other ladies at various meetings of “enthusiast” groups. But that was never her style. Instead, with the fairly substantial funds at her disposal, Adele decided to take the management experience she’d gained booking shows for her “band” and apply it to a new pursuit. If you want a versatile clamp that works for many different types of projects, is large enough to handle even sizable pieces, and has enough clamping power to keep your project firmly in place for as long as you need, then look no further than the BESSEY 36-Inch Clutch-Style Bar Clamp But if you just want to add a few lightweight bar clamps to your collection without spending a bundle, then the WORKPRO 6-Piece Bar Clamp Set is perfect for your needs. What to Look for in a Woodworking Clamp TypeOnce all of the above has been completed, carefully slot the pony cylinder module into the main cylinder module.

The jaw opening size, which is the maximum distance the jaws can separate. This determines how wide of an object the clamp can hold. Often, it's the same as the overall length, but not always.

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So, since Pony Tools had yet to fold when I started my research, I reached out to them in 2015 with one basic request—I wanted to know more about the Adjustable Clamp Company’s fearless founder. I figured, with the Holman family still in charge and proud of its legacy, there would be plenty of marvelous anecdotes and photos of “Great-Great Grandma Adele” forthcoming, thus crafting an intimate portrait of a great industrial revolutionary—an important Chicagoan long overdue for her proper recognition.

Bar Clamp: Also called an F-clamp, due to its shape, the bar clamp opens much wider than a C-clamp, allowing you to hold much larger workpieces together. There are bar clamps as small as 6 inches, but most woodworkers find that 24 to 36 inches is the most useful for large projects.Clamps come in a wide range of sizes, allowing you to choose which best suits the size of the material you are clamping. There are a few numbers to consider when it comes to size: Some of the other early Adjustable Clamp Co. creations—like the metal Pony and Jorgensen “C” Clamps (patented by Adele’s son Harry V. Holman) were also left mostly unaltered after their 1920s/30s introductions. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, third-generation owner D.V. Holman helped usher in another line of successful clamps, and his son, Daniel, expanded to bench vises and miter saws under the same Pony, Jorgensen, and Adjustable brand names. The arsenal was established, and only the world around the Holmans was ever gonna change. Iconic American Tool Brands Pony, Jorgensen & Goldblatt To Be Relaunched to the North American Market Under the Leadership of Arrow Fastener”– Press Release, May 10, 2018 Corner Clamp: This is a specialty clamp that’s designed to hold pieces together at a 90-degree angle. It’s a very useful clamp if you are building picture frames, drawers, or similar items. To be fair, any small company that lasts this long—through depressions and recessions, world wars, and marketplace shifts—ought to be commended rather than criticized when it reaches the end. There was even some hope among devotees that the business might yet be saved at the 11th hour. After a two-year dormancy, however, the actual revival of the Pony and Jorgensen brands in 2018 proved a tad bittersweet. The new products will be distributed by Arrow Fastener in New Jersey, but they’ll be manufactured entirely by Arrow’s parent company, China’s Hangzhou GreatStar Industrial Co. A once inspiring story of survival is now just another tombstone in the “Made in Chicago” graveyard.