Incredible Budget Alternative to Festool Vacuum Clamping System 

Cheers Andrew. Channel has been doing well recently with lots of new folk signing up😀. Great to see and hopefully will continue to grow. Best wishes, Leo 😀

Thanks Ron, glad you enjoyed the video. Took a while for my head to get over the end bit😂😂

Thanks R Wind. It’s great when you find something that is of great help to you, but is also at the budget end of the market 😀😀. I’ll just be glad if some other folk look at them and think they’d be of great help to them as well! Take care, Leo 😀

Thanks Seamus for your kind feedback😀😀. Let me know how you get on with the clamps. I’ve been using them for a couple of weeks now since making the video and am so impressed. For their price they are a great piece of kit! 😀😀. Best wishes, Leo

Thanks Shane, very kind of you and good luck with your making adventures 😀👍

Cheers Mandy, less said about the hair the better😂. You can connect the clamps together no problem for longer pieces. My tiny compressor struggles a bit with it tbh, but that will be rectified when I finally get the workshop built. As you say though, they are an absolute game changer for me!

😂😂😂Cheers pal, ordered some of those torx screws and they arrived the other day so will be trying them out soon. Cheers for the tip😀

😂😂Cheers Pistol. Yeah the clamps have worked out great, the haircut not so much😂😂

😀Cheers humble. I’ve just taken delivery of an MFT top and I’m undecided whether to just get stuck straight into it or leave it until I’ve built my workshop🤷‍♂️. I do know it’ll be a big help in a time saving capacity, in addition to these new vacuum clamps 😀😀. Have upgraded to some premium tools over my budget ones, I’ve got a nice balance at the mo between decent budget stuff supplemented by some quality premium ones😀

Cheers Rocketman for your kind feedback 😀. These will definitely make a big difference, been in thee again today trying a few more bits out with them and they are excellent! Hope you are managing to keep ok, take care, Leo 😀

Nice one, thanks Joe for such a lovely comment. I’ll look into the dog clamp you’ve suggested there as it is a whole new world to me😀. Hope you get the chance to get making stuff again, if there’s anything I can do to help then please just get in touch. Best wishes, Leo the Hairless😀

@@Hand-i-Craft thank you for taking the time to reply and also for offer. Armor seem to do some really good products they also have a really useful pocket hole jig which auto adjusts. I look forward to your further builds and adventures. All the best Joe.

Thanks EM. The clamps are 👍😀, the hair is😳😂

Thank you Angela, that's what the first lockdown did to me. Imagine how things are now😂

Cheers Denis. Yeah I don’t want to end up overusing the term ‘game changer’ but these do fall in that category. The clamping force is excellent, but by far the biggest benefit is the time saving aspect. It just eliminates that stop / start approach to me previously working having to continually adjust clamps. Will see how it goes with them, but can see me using them in virtually every project! 😀 Take care, Leo 😀

😂Thanks David. Yeah bit of a nightmare but thank goodness for Amazon Prime😂😂

Thanks Karl😀. Good luck with the business, I hope it works out well for you. Fascinating the world of detailing, almost an OCD level of excellence 😀😀

Thanks Andrew for your very kind feedback and much appreciated 😀. They really are great and I’m very surprised they aren’t more widely available 🤷‍♂️.

@@Hand-i-Craft you are most welcome. Sadly the cheapest I can find then for is £89.95:(

It really is a cracking bit of kit John and really good value at that price. The clamping power of it is incredible! I’ve had a couple of companies get in touch regarding sponsorship etc. It’s something I may seriously consider in the future, but it’d have to be right for me so to speak. I’m aware certain sponsors, once they sign you up, then start dictating as to what they expect from you and I’m not having any of that malarkey. We’ll see pal😀

Thank you pcproff for your kind comment, much appreciated 😀😀👍

Cheers Colin and you’re right, at that price they aren’t much more than a decent hand clamp. I think once I’ve built the workshop I can easily see myself buying some more and securing them to worktops 😀

Cheers McCarter. I’ve been working with it the last two days since making the video and the time saved is just incredible 😀

Thanks Ray for your kind message. I’ve been fortunate enough recently to upgrade some of my budget tools to more premium brands, but I always look for a bargain, and most importantly recently, something that can save me time and hassle. These clamps are fantastic for me. Used them for three days since making the video and the time they save me is incredible 😀. Take care, Leo 😀

Cheers Bob for the tip. I’m in the process of building my own workshop and will be moving and setting up a more permanent fixture for the clamps. Will look into this foot pedal business as well👍👍😀😀

Thanks again Pete. Thankfully the hair situation has resolved itself now, but when it happened I had to wait a couple of days for new clippers to arrive😂😂. These clamps are great. Still set up in a temporary fashion, but looking forward to installing them in the new space when it is (if ever) completed😳😀

Cheers John, glad you enjoyed the video😀, and particularly the ending 😂

😀😀👍👍Cheers Carl 😂👍

Cheers Nixy😀😀😂

Cheers 94 and totally agree about the stealth mask. Best mask and most comfortable I’ve ever bought 👍👍😀😀

Cheers dixy😀😀

Nice one, thanks Jeff. The convenience of these clamps are fantastic. The clamping force is excellent. I’ve been working with them all day today and the amount of time they save me is incredible 😀. Hope you’re keeping well, take care, Leo 😀

😂Cheers pal, I think testament to how good these are will be reflected in how many future videos you’ll see them in. Can’t comment on reliability yet, but to be honest, there’s not too much to them, no moving parts etc. Don’t want to curse myself though so I’ll leave it there and see how it goes😀

😂😂Cheers Frank, though it might raise a few chuckles 😀😀. Spent a couple of days working with the vacuum clamps since making the video and they are spot on. Save me so much time it’s incredible. Take care pal😀

😀😀Cheers Kevin. Take care, Leo 😀

Thanks Francis, very kind of you and much appreciated 😀👍

😂😂😂That would be nice. Cheers for the message and yes it’s a great piece of kit. Comes in so handy for me being able to sand five sides without the obstruction of a traditional clamp 👍👍

Thank you Esko for your very kind comments here and greetings from Liverpool, England😀. I love the look of that Festool vac but unfortunately I just cannot justify the financial outlay to buy one. My little Rutlands vacuum clamps do work really well though and I’m looking forward to getting them set up in my new workshop (once it’s finally finished 😂). Take care and best wishes, Leo 👍

I have warm memory's from Liverpool from -93. I was in the crew and as a carpenter when the S/Y Tradewind was bought to Finland but that's a long story to be told here 😄 Oh yes the vac is fantastic. I bought it because it is rated to keep harmful dust like leed asbestos fungi inside the bag since my main job is restoring old houses. It was expensive with a four digit price tag. I'm interesting in seeing your new shop. I have the same in front of me...moving from 64m² to 120-140m². Lucyli it's on the other side of the yard. Keep up that good spirit 👌

Cheers dipseadiver for your feedback. I’ve actually got an MFT top now, but I’m currently in the process of building my own garden room which has been delayed for reasons beyond my control. Fingers crossed it’ll be back up and running soon so I’m saving the MFT for once it’s completed and can be installed in a permanent position 😀👍

Cheers Karl, I know you appreciated the ‘inverse Mohawk’ video which made me think a wider audience may enjoy it😀. I’ve been in the garage for a lot of today testing them out again and they really are the business. Obviously you’ve got the noise of the compressor but if you’re using a sander / router anyway it makes no difference, plus with some tunes on in the headphones and it’s all good. Pretty sure the proof will be in the pudding so can imagine these clamps will appear on many future videos😀😀

Compressor clippers🤔🤔, now there’s a thought 😂. Thanks Rasmo and thanks for the recommendation. I’ve looked at a few RU-vid makers I follow in regards to what compressor they use and they seem to have more complaints about them than compliments. I’ll get by fine with the small Rutlands one I have now, but that is mainly for the brad nail gun, so when / if I get the workshop built, I’ll have more space to accommodate a more substantial compressor. Cheers, Leo

Thanks Hans. I’ve used Rutlands a lot and have frequently recommended them, although not yet to overseas folk. Apologies I can’t comment on the weight of the clamps as they were part of a larger order, but I could check their individual weight if you’d like me to? What I would recommend is signing up to Rutlands email offer service as most of their best selling products are discounted periodically for a short period of time. In regards to the clamps themselves, on the underside they don’t vacuum clamp down to a workbench (like the Festool vacuum clamp does). They do have holes on the corners though for them to be applied to a surface by a fixing. To be honest for the price they are retailing at I think it is a sacrifice worth making. The top vacuum clamping is very strong, considering the price again I was so impressed by this. Since making this video I’ve been constantly using them and I am very happy with my purchase up to now😀. Take care Hans and thanks for the message, Leo 😀

@@Hand-i-Craft Thanks for you answer and advice, Leo. Stay safe.

Thanks for the heads up, much appreciated 😀😀👍👍

Thank goodness for Amazon Prime Josef, still was a couple of days though before the hair situation was sorted😂😂. Very happy with this clamps for many reasons, mainly though the budget cost and positive impact they have on my workshop. I bet they would have come in handy for your one handed makers challenge!!😀😀 Take care Josef, Leo

Cheers James. Another guy commented about this and said something like a ball valve so I’ll investigate this as that would be a help. As for the hair, an inverse Mohawk maybe?😂😂

@@Hand-i-Craft I've found out they are called air pipe quick release pliers 👍

Thanks Hope Holzwurm, doing ok. Cheers👍😀

😀😀Cheers Hgw😀😀😂

@@Hand-i-Craft had to show wife as well :)

Cheers David, I’m well impressed with them, incredible clamping power! I’m not going to do a proper set up for them yet as I’m planning on building a workshop this summer, so the temporary set up I’ve got now (plus a couple more hinges) will do fine. Great for me, but could imagine lots of folk finding a good use for them😀

😂😂. Cheers for the comment, yes the Festool system is phenomenal, but couldn’t agree more, one for the dream shop😀

Hello William, I’ll keep an eye out for the bench cookies, cheers for that. I actually bought the mini compressor that Rutlands sell. I got it as part of the brad nail gun package when it was on offer. I decided to try a compressor nail gun as my cordless Ferrex one kept jamming so was returned. The other reason I went with this compressor is it’s tiny! It copes fine with the one clamp, but seems to be struggling a bit when both are engaged. It’s only a short term problem though. I didn’t get a large compressor because I simply haven’t got the room in the garage for anything else, but I am building a workshop in the summer so will invest in a larger unit and just have the small compressor for the nail gun. Cheers, Leo 😀

Thanks Markos, thankfully I managed to get it sorted and it grew back😂😂😂. Best wishes from Liverpool, Leo 😀👍

Initial impressions certainly are impressive apm. Been working with it all day today and what a great piece of kit. Absolutely locks the piece solid and saves me loads of time! 😀

Cheers LilNitroGreg. This does sound very interesting. I understand what you mean, however compressor based air stuff etc is completely new to me. Where could I get these and are they standard sizes or do I need to measure the pipe thickness etc? Cheers , Leo 😀

@@Hand-i-Craft I have just checked on rutlands website, they use standard 6mm push fit fittings, 263351681977 that is an item number from the famous auction website, 2.90 each plus 1.20 postage. they are standard fittings so should be easy to find elsewhere.

LilNitroGreg Brilliant, thank you so much! I’ll get onto that as it’ll be a big help. Nice one, Leo 😀😀

@@Hand-i-Craft no Problem, hope it works out well for you!

Cheers Geoff, thank goodness for Amazon Prime on the hair front😂. I’ve been experimenting again today in the garage, clamps are spot on. It’s a little bit fiddly moving those rubber seals, but nothing bad. Pretty much decided to have them set up like in the video, one for larger pieces and one for thinner strips. Can only see myself changing that when working on a side table / coffee table top. Very happy with them up to now 😀

Nice one, thanks John. I’ll have a butchers at that. Sounds like he was once in the A-Team😂

Sorry I can’t help you with this question. I know the probability is these were manufactured in China and Rutlands is just a distributor for them in the UK. I’d assume there would be equivalent distributors in the US but can’t tell you who they are. Thanks for the feedback on the video😀. Best wishes, Leo 👍

Hello Audioventura, cheers for the message. I understand what you’re saying about the noise. I have the small compressor from Rutlands. I bought it as part of a kit with a brad nail gun. It’s capacity is only around 10lt so it kicks in very quickly but it is very very quiet. What I would suggest is what ear protection are you using in the workshop to help combat the noise? I have a pair of in ear isotunes headphones that are excellent at noise cancellation and also to listen to music / podcasts radio etc 👍👍😀😀

@@Hand-i-Craft good point about the ear protection - however I am already wearing a mask and eye protection (for some reason I tend to get stuff into my eyes really easily ^^) which means I would really like to avoid plugging my ears too. However you make a good point so maybe I just need to man up and get decent ear plugs.

Hello Jim, cheers for the message. From what I can remember the pipe work definitely came with the clamps and I’m pretty sure (but not 100%) that the valve switch did as well. Might be worth emailing Rutlands to double check 👍👍

Hello Jim, cheers for the message. From what I can remember the pipe work definitely came with the clamps and I’m pretty sure (but not 100%) that the valve switch did as well. Might be worth emailing Rutlands to double check 👍👍

Hello Jim, cheers for the message. From what I can remember the pipe work definitely came with the clamps and I’m pretty sure (but not 100%) that the valve switch did as well. Might be worth emailing Rutlands to double check 👍👍

Cheers David. Been working with the clamps for a couple of days since making the video and they are fantastic. A serious game changer for me. As for the hair, the less said the better😂😂

Thanks Bob. Almost forgot what was at the end of the video and then I started giggling to myself again. Take care, Leo 😀👍

Cheers Woodshop, yeah the hair thing didn’t quite turn out as well as I planned😂😂

Thanks Simon for the comment and I’m glad you enjoyed the video 😀👍. I’ll look into the table you mentioned, cheers for the heads up 😀

@@Hand-i-Craft no problem Leo 👍

Alright Steve, I actually got the mini compressor from Rutlands that came with the brad nail gun they had on offer. Couple of reasons really, it’s tiny and very quiet, plus I decided to buy a nail gun / compressor as my cordless Ferrex nail gun kept jamming so had to be returned. And I just haven’t got the room in the garage for any more ‘stuff’. I’m planning on building a workshop in the summer so will address the larger compressor issue then once it’s completed. I’m the meantime this little one copes fine with one clamp, but struggles a bit with the two connected. It’s not really an issue at the moment as I’ll only be using one at a time, but will probably need something with more capacity in the future😀

@@Hand-i-Craft This is defo something that has been added to my XMAS list - another great Video Leo, keep them coming :)

Apologies for the late reply, it was a few years ago when I bought this so my memory may be failing me. From what I can remember all of the valves / pipes etc came with the pads. I don’t recall having to buy any additional parts. The only thing I had to check I had was a suitable connector to my compressor. You might be better off checking with Rutlands as it may have changed since I bought them 👍

Maybe not on the hairdo Tony😂😂😂, but possibly on the clamps 😀😀

I can thankfully report that it is all of a uniform length now Michael, now it just needs to grow! 😂😂

@@Hand-i-Craft Great news. Patience is usually rewarded

Hi Leo, I was thinking of getting Amazon to send you a set of cordless clippers with guides that make a neat job of a sort of crew cut but after seeing you reply I assume you beat me to it. I remain impressed and humbled by your persistence and courage. I remember the projects that have nearly brought me to tears over the years, you must have been close to this much more often. Keep it up ( as the actress.....) WKR Mike

Yeah not my finest hour Philip 😂😂

😂😂The hair situation was eventually resolved 😂😂

Hello Malcolm, thanks for the kind offer. Tbh, I’ve just acquired an MFT top which will obviously be the subject of future videos. I’m undecided as to fix it to one of my benches now, or wait til I’ve built my workshop 🤔. It only arrived two days ago so plenty time to think on it. Cheers, Leo 😀

😀😀for the clamps John. 😂😂for the hair do

Sorry about that, must admit I haven’t checked it for a while. Try the Rutlands website and search vacuum clamps 👍👍

@@Hand-i-Craft the Rutlan site does not seem to exist, at least at the former address.

@@jhewitt17 here you go 😀👍. www.rutlands.com/products/vacuum-clamp-set?_pos=1&_psq=vacuum&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Nice one, cheers Nick😀. Sure they’ll appreciate it😀😀

The reverse Mohawk 😂😂. Great piece of kit Dave and well worth it at that price 😀

Tbh Polar Bear, I’m not 100% sure myself how they work😂. The air enters a plastic ‘maze’ that has a rubber seal around the outer lining. It also has a little ‘escape’ valve on the side. As you apply the piece, it forms a seal with the rubber lining and locks it in place. And trust me, it locks solid!!😀

@@Hand-i-Craft Thanks, Leo. Keep up the good work mate.

Still using it Sam. Great for sanding 5 sides without having to move a clamp multiple times 👍👍😀😀

@@Hand-i-Craft that's great! Shame it's out of stock at the moment and gone up to £100. Btw are you running it with a vacuum pump or a Venturi value?

I don’t know a lot about them Ysaac, aren’t they very expensive?

They're is no need for a pump. These use air pressure to create a vacuum. The way they are made forces air through a chamber in the tool to create the vacuum.

I bought the small silent compressor from Rutlands Ian. Main reason was I only have a really small amount of space in the garage. Any compressor really will run it fine on single or dual clamps👍😀

@@Hand-i-Craft thank you 👍🏼

Hi again , I am struggling to find couplings to attach compressor which has a euro connector and the 1/4 “ BSP on the clamp push fit connectors. Could you help with my problem what did you use?

@@ianwatson9032 Morning Ian. I’ll have to have a look for you on the attachments etc as I bought the compressor as a set with a nail gun and then bought the vacuum pads. Real world job is mad busy at the mo though so it’ll be the weekend before I get chance to look. Do you want to send me a couple of pics so I can get a better understanding of the issues you’re having. Send them through to 75handicraft@gmail.com if you get chance

@@Hand-i-Craft I do t have the compressor at the moment but ever one I have looked at has a Euro connector on it. So it from that to the clamps is the issue. I have looked into it further and I think I have a solution. Euro quick plug in to male 1/4 bps and then 1/4 female bps to 6 mm quick fit like on the valve supplied with the clamps, that is what I think would do the job. We will see 👍🏻😉

Thanks Matt for your really kind comment. Also thanks for pointing out an issue with the social media links as well. I've checked this morning and there is (was) an issue with the links on most of my videos. I think I have rectified it now. Th problem was, instead of showing the full link, the end of them just had a few ..... I don't know why this is, but I'm pretty sure I've sorted it. Could you do me a favour please and check to see if they are working now? In regards to the strap type clamps, I haven't come across one yet that I'd be happy with. I have on a couple of occasions just used a ratchet strap itself to clamp a piece up and that works ok, but not great. Cheers, Leo

@@Hand-i-Craft well the links are working well now and I'm following you. :) And, you said about the web clamps what I was thinking, but did want to accept haha. The web/strap clamps seem amazing, but more for those with standard issue hands lol. Do you use any of the 90° clamps for joining? (I lack any of the awesome joining tools, and I am simply using a 90° standard joint with screws and 90°corner brackets until I can do better joining systems.) I start building my vacuum pump today for the vacuum clamp style you made. I found some 25mm x 25mm silicone mats that are like the plastic pieces you have mounted to your table, and they have a much better gripping ability from what I've seen... for $3 each. They are really firm and grippy, but it will be trial and error. So thank you as always. Be sound.

Goran Jelenić Hello Goran and thanks for the message. I’m just about to venture into the world of MFT and dogs etc, but I have to say from my perspective as a person who only has one functioning hand currently, this vacuum clamp is a real game changer for me. Even for able bodied folk, it allows you to sand five of six sides of a piece only having to make one adjustment (flip it over) to complete the sixth side. This alone saves me so much time as I don’t have to constantly adjust clamps. I’ll have to disagree with you on this matter unfortunately, I don’t see where the issue is on setting up?

@@Hand-i-Craft do you need vacum pump or air compressor? If regular air compr is enough the cost is not big whit your system, but i dont get how compressor would do it?

Goran Jelenić Just a standard air compressor Goran. The clamp has a rubber seal around the top of it and kind of a ‘bleed type’ valve that lets a tiny amount of air out. As you place the piece onto the clamp it forms a tight seal with the rubber which locks the piece onto the clamp. I don’t fully know myself, but I can tell you it locks it on completely solid

@@Hand-i-Craft it would be good to use your system but build some diy type angle change system like feestol.

Thanks Karl for the feedback. Couple of other folk have suggested separate valves etc and I’m looking into it which should help save a little time. I’ve just taken delivery of an MFT top so it is very new to me😀. Take care and best wishes, Leo 😀

😂😂Maybe a slightly better option than the belt sander😂😂

😀😀😂😀😀

😂😂. Great comment Benedict, cheers😀. And yes, it is a cracking find and will be a massive help to me😀

😂😂😂Great vacuum solution, terrible hair solution😂😂😂

😀😀Cheers Garviel😀😀

I'm guessing you watched it until the end😀

@@Hand-i-Craft I did. I saw a bloke in Tesco with a similar lock down hair cut as yourself. Couldn't help laughing. 👍

😂😂😂😂😂😂Thanks Theo for the message and apologies for the late reply. Been very busy workshop build wise and also my real world job. I still use those vacuum clamps regularly and need to get them installed properly into the new workshop. Great piece of kit and doesn’t break the bank to purchase them either 👍👍