Wood Clamps. My Design.

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4DThinker
Posts: 951
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:00 am

Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by 4DThinker »

My aluminum clamps have war wounds from many encounters with spinning bits. Some were my fault, and some were from the machine deciding to go somewhere it wasn't supposed to go. I've cut notches into narrow scraps to make temporary/disposable clamps. Some had the extra step of a slot in the middle, but most I just held down with the Rockler aluminum clamps safely outside the project.

These are a "fancy" Shark cut version that solved a couple of problems. They are cut as mirrored halves then glued together, allowing the slot to be half-cut from the face rather than cut later after rotating the clamp. The rounded ends keep a tangent point on the table and on the work no matter how tall the part is.
OakClamps.jpg
These are from red oak. Any hardwood should work if the grain is fairly straight. My halves were 5/8" thick for 1.25" final width. They should work just as well from 1/2" material (for 1" width") or even 3/8" material for 3/4" width. The slot allows for 5/16" bolts.

Feel free to copy, revise, make your own.
FlatClamps.crv
(817.5 KiB) Downloaded 2240 times
Last edited by 4DThinker on Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

rungemach
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:24 am
Location: Sarasota, Florida

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by rungemach »

4D

That is a nice clamp design.
It holds the workpiece from the sides as well as top, which makes much more sense than higher profile Rockler aluminum clamps.
After all, the majority of cutting force is sideways, so why press down to try and stop sideways motion.

4DThinker
Posts: 951
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:00 am

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by 4DThinker »

Thanks, Rungemach. Very true about the value of the clamps keeping the work from moving sideways.

I've been testing these clamps, and with the long bolts from the rockler clamps they do fine with material up to about 2.5" thick.

One moral(?) conflict I have is that if the clamps are too "pretty" then a run-in with the router bit will seem worse than if is happens to a notched scrap stick. These are available for sacrifice, and it doesn't take much time to cut one or more replacements if you have the file and a piece of hardwood big enough.

KarenW
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:42 pm

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by KarenW »

I like these, 4D and will probably cut a set for our machine.
Thanks for uploading the file.

We've got some small wooden clamps we whipped up for the same reason... battle scars. LOL!
But I like these a lot better.
We also made 2 sets of long clamps with overlays for .5" and .75" material. Square the clamp to the table on the Y axis, slide in the board and tighten down then slide in the second one on the x axis and tighten down. Don't think I have a picture but I'll try to get one over the weekend.

Thanks again for the file. ;)
Karen

4DThinker
Posts: 951
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:00 am

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by 4DThinker »

Thanks Karen, and you are quite welcome. I'd love to see the clamps you came up with as well.

4D

baby15
Posts: 199
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:48 pm
Location: lockport ny

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by baby15 »

4DThinker wrote:My aluminum clamps have war wounds from many encounters with spinning bits. Some were my fault, and some were from the machine deciding to go somewhere it wasn't supposed to go. I've cut notches into narrow scraps to make temporary/disposable clamps. Some had the extra step of a slot in the middle, but most I just held down with the Rockler aluminum clamps safely outside the project.

These are a "fancy" Shark cut version that solved a couple of problems. They are cut as mirrored halves then glued together, allowing the slot to be half-cut from the face rather than cut later after rotating the clamp. The rounded ends keep a tangent point on the table and on the work no matter how tall the parts is.
OakClamps.jpg
These are from red oak. Any hardwood should work if the grain is fairly straight. My halves were 5/8" thick for 1.25" final width. They should work just as well from 1/2" material (for 1" width") or even 3/8" material for 3/4" width. The slot allows for 5/16" bolts.

Feel free to copy, revise, make your own.
FlatClamps.crv
thanks will try

drueth
Posts: 208
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:09 am

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by drueth »

4DThinker

Thanks for another great idea.
drueth
Shark Pro Plus HD
new to CNC 12/2012

4DThinker
Posts: 951
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:00 am

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by 4DThinker »

Quite welcome, Drueth.

I've learned so much from this forum I don't mind giving back one bit.

4D

4DThinker
Posts: 951
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:00 am

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by 4DThinker »

I made another out of 1/2" baltic birch plywood. It seems to be plenty strong enough. Rounded over the edges with a 1/8" roundover bit in my router table.
BB Clamp.jpg
I also realized I was running out of handles, so I drew up and cut one from a walnut scrap in this shot. Uses a 5/16" t-nut.
Walnut Handle.jpg
1/16" end mill to cut the t-nut flange area out, and a 1/32" bit to cut slots for the t-nut teeth. I left 1/32" on the profile cut, bandsawed it out and trimmed with a flush trim bit on my router table. Didn't want to use bridges. Pressed the t-nut in with my drill press table vise. Enjoy!
Attachments
T-nut Handle.crv
(254.5 KiB) Downloaded 1188 times

KarenW
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:42 pm

Re: Wood Clamps. My Design.

Post by KarenW »

Our portrait clamps.
Along with an *ouch* than happened with a software change.
Hey, I'm not too proud to show it. :lol:
The left has simple holes. The right has elongated holes for adjustment. Depending on what I'm doing, the right can be used on X or Y axis but these are great for flattening something that has a (very slight) twist to it.
Got a set for half inch material too but that's just a piece of maple with a .5 x .5 rabbet cut into each side. Same set up with the holes.
Attachments
008.JPG
(lol)
(lol)
012.JPG
Karen

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