Bar Clamp ALEX — Ernst P's own range in 6 lengths (2026)

Bar Clamp ALEX is Ernst P's own range of bar clamps — designed and manufactured based on feedback from Swedish joiners. Heavy steel construction, flat pressing surface, robust spindle. This guide covers the entire ALEX range, which lengths you need, and how to use bar clamps correctly for perfect glue joints.

The complete ALEX range — 6 lengths

ALEX is available in six lengths to cover everything from narrow joints to wide tabletops:

Model	Reach	Use
ALEX 650	650 mm	Furniture parts, narrow edge gluing
ALEX 800	800 mm	Drawers, frames, small tabletops
ALEX 1000	1 000 mm	Standard furniture building
ALEX 1200	1 200 mm	Wider tabletops, wardrobe doors
ALEX 1500	1 500 mm	Large tabletops, doors
ALEX 2500	2 500 mm	Long edge gluing, wardrobe panels

Construction — what makes ALEX good

Heavy steel rail

The rail is made of cold-drawn steel with a rectangular profile. This provides:

• High stiffness — does not flex under hard clamping
• Long service life — no rust if stored dry
• Flat pressing surface — the glue joint becomes even without bowing

Robust spindle

Trapezoidal thread with a large handle. You clamp it hand-tight — no extra lever is needed. The spindle has an integrated anti-slip mechanism: when you release the pressure, the sliding jaw does not slide back on its own.

Flat pressing surface

The fixed jaw's contact surface is flat (not tapered like some competitors). That means a vertical joint (for example a drawer on edge) gets even pressure across the entire contact surface instead of only the lower edge.

How to use Bar Clamp ALEX

Edge gluing a tabletop

The classic use case. For a 120 cm wide tabletop:

1. Lay out the boards on a flat surface
2. Apply Titebond or Gjöco PVA glue to the glue surfaces
3. Press the boards together hand-tight
4. Place 5 ALEX 1500 above the board with 25-30 cm spacing
5. Place 4 ALEX 1500 below the board, offset between the upper ones
6. Tighten all hand-tight — 1-2 mm squeeze-out along the joint = correct pressure
7. Wait 30 min (unloaded joint) or 24 h (full strength)

See How many bar clamps are needed? for a full calculation per project.

Frame gluing

For frames and four-sided constructions, a band clamp (Bessey BAN700) is usually better. But if you want to use ALEX:

• 4 ALEX 800 (one per side of the frame)
• Tighten diagonally first, then the opposite diagonal
• Check the 90° angle with a try square before curing

Furniture assembly

ALEX 650 and 800 are perfect for drawer parts, side supports and similar small glue joints. The reach is enough for 90 % of furniture-building joints.

Accessories

Wall-mounted holder

For workshops with many bar clamps: a wall-mounted holder saves space and gives quick access. Vertical hanging also prevents the rails from bending over time.

Spare parts

ALEX is designed for lifetime use — we sell spare parts:

• Bar Clamp Pressure Plate + Screw — if the old ones become worn after years of use
• Bar Clamp Screw — separate spare part
• Bar Clamp Alex Sliding Jaw — the moving jaw

This is the difference compared to disposable clamps from the big chains: when your ALEX grows old, replace worn parts — not the whole clamp.

Bar Clamp ALEX vs Bessey TB — what's the difference?

Both are heavy-duty bar clamps for serious use:

Parameter	Bar Clamp ALEX	Bessey TB
Manufacture	Ernst P's own	German industry standard
Clamping force	Heavy-duty category	14 kN verified
Profile	Rectangular steel rail	T-profile 40×40×5 mm
Reach	650-2500 mm	1000-2500 mm
Spare parts	Yes, all parts	Yes, Bessey system
Price	Lower	Higher
Global ecosystem	Ernst P-focused	Bessey accessories across the EU

Choose ALEX if: you are price-conscious, want a Swedish distributor with fast support, and complement with Ernst P accessories.

Choose Bessey TB if: you already run the Bessey system (KliKlamp, K-Body REVO, EZS) and want the German industry standard.

For the best flexibility: combine them. Many joiners have ALEX for edge gluing + Bessey K-Body REVO for parallel clamping + Bessey KliKlamp for one-handed holding.

Rules of thumb for bar clamp use

Spacing

8-12 inches (20-30 cm) between bar clamps along the joint [1]. On narrower boards (under 10 cm), closer spacing is required.

Alternating

When edge gluing: alternate above/below the board so it does not bow.

Clamping pressure

PVA glue (Titebond, Gjöco) requires 0.7-1.7 MPa clamping pressure depending on the wood species [2]. Hand-tight tightening is enough — over-tightening squeezes out the glue and gives a weak joint.

See our deep dive in How many bar clamps are needed? for the maths and worked examples.

Storage and maintenance

Dry and cool

The steel rail does not rust in a normal workshop climate. Avoid:

• Permanent damp (cellars with poor ventilation)
• Direct contact with wood oil or glue during long-term storage

Cleaning

Wipe off glue spills immediately with a damp cloth before they cure. Cured PVA glue on the rail can be removed with hot water + a spatula.

Lubrication

The spindle can be given a drop of machine oil every 6-12 months if it starts to feel stiff. Otherwise maintenance-free.

Starter kit for a Swedish home workshop

For complete coverage:

• 2 × ALEX 650 (narrow joints, furniture parts)
• 2 × ALEX 1000 (general use)
• 2 × ALEX 1500 (edge gluing tabletops)
• 1 × Wall-mounted holder (storage)

Total around 1 500-2 500 SEK. Enough for decades of joinery.

Complement with:

• 2 × Bessey KliKlamp KLI30 for one-handed holding
• 2 × Bessey K-Body REVO for parallel clamping (panels that must stay flat)

Related

• Bar clamp or clamp — the difference
• Bessey clamps — complete guide
• How many bar clamps are needed?
• Titebond wood glue — complete guide
• See the full clamp range

Sources

Last updated 2026-04-18.

1. Woodcraft — Goof-Proof Clamping. Industry standard for bar clamp spacing. woodcraft.com/blog_entries/goof-proof-clamping
2. Franklin International — Titebond III TDS. Clamping pressure recommendations for PVA glue by wood species. titebond.com.au (PDF)
3. Ernst P AB — Bar Clamp ALEX product data (our own specifications for the ALEX range).