Bessey Auto-Adjust Toggle Clamps & Mounting Plates

To eliminate the need for frequent adjustment, these toggle clamps from Bessey are designed to automatically accommodate material thickness changes of up to 1" without altering the clamping force.

The high-profile and low-profile horizontal clamps have capacities of 2 3/4" and 2" thick respectively and the vertical clamp has a 1 9/16" capacity; the in-line clamp has a center height of 7/8" and a 1" throw. Each has a knurled screw to adjust the clamping force to a maximum of 550 lb. The clamps are 0.100" (just over 3/32") thick plated steel with generously sized handles for easy operation. The swivel feet have non-marring caps. Convenient and versatile, these clamps expedite production and jig and fixture work.

The mounting plate (paired with a clamp here, but also available separately) lets you easily position the clamp in a drilled hole instead of permanently attaching it to a surface. The thickness of the aluminum plate adds 3/8" to the maximum capacity of the horizontal clamps, but doesn't affect their minimum; you can still adjust the clamps to hold materials as thin as a sheet of paper against a surface. The center height of the in-line clamp is increased to 1 1/4". Bolts for mounting a clamp are included.

You have the option of a 3/4" or 20mm diameter steel post. The 3/4" version has a 5" long post that is easy to insert, but cants slightly when clamping force is applied so that barb-shaped ridges along its length prevent upward movement. The 20mm version, developed for the Festool MFT/3 multifunction table, has a shorter 11/16" long post, just less than the table top's 3/4" thickness. The post is threaded internally for use with an MFT accessory clamping knob; while most MFT owners have a few kicking around, an inexpensive star-shaped knob can also be purchased separately.