Easy Low Profile Side Clamps For The Milling Machine
Free E-drawing Link : https://imgur.com/a/dIIQWqd
G’day everyone,
In an upcoming video I will be machining a part directly on the mill table. To do this I will need a way to hold the part down. Traditional strap clamps will not be suitable as they don’t allow you top machine the top surface in one pass.
Toe clamps are a common way to clamp parts on the side, but they require a lot of machining to make. So solve this issue, I have come up with my own simple table clamp design. i hope you enjoy the video.
cheers
Timestamps
0:00 – Design Challenge
1:30 – Machining The Clamp
5:38 – Testing The Clamp
#machining #DIY #millingmachine
source
Almost forgot to add the link to the e-drawing. It is quite simple but should be good enough for you to get started. https://imgur.com/a/dIIQWqd
EDIT: Revised drawing with slightly reduced angles to help prevent the moving jaw from sticking.
Great Idea. I will definitely make a couple of them.
Couldn't yo use a spacer or set of small parallels to lift the part above the clamps??
Good Idea
Why do all your sentences end with an upward inflection? It so annoying to hear it over and over.
Just hold the part in a vice if you have a decent one……can't think why you wouldn't, the thickness of the piece in the video(approx 40mm?) would not be a problem for the Z axis anyway unless you had a really small mill.
Nice simple clamp cheers.
Blow off the hack saw. "Diablo" makes a six inch carbide tip metal cutting circular saw. Use with a 6 inch cutoff (chop saw). Small and compact. They also have a blade for a reciprocal power saw…Also thumbs up…again.
Simple and effective, nice work
Low profile clamps in printing press. Letterpress quoins.
Very nicely done indeed, it’s simple, it’s clever, and supremely strong of all things well done I think I’m going to have to make myself a couple sets of these they’re beautifully made. Only things are I’d harden them and chamfer those sharp edges a lil even just breaking that edge .010 – .015 would do I think 🤔, well we’ll see I suppose.
Great project & tutorial! QUESTION: Does the fact they're not hardened yield a better bite? Seems the softer metal would be "stickier" whereas hardened metal would be more "slippery." So, the un-hardened may actually function better, no? I could be wrong. I'm thinking in terms of woodworking where we want soft-wood or even cork-lined clamp jaw faces for best holding function. Wondering if same principal applies to metal ??? Thank you!
I ……… LIKE IT! Nice job cobb.
Where abouts are you?
Nifty.
such a cool design
Footed springs under front clamp.
Merci
What size vise are you using?
Nice project. I would think that the dovetail isn't actually needed. Just the slot and tang would hold it in place. Not everyone is going to have dovetail cutters.
Make a low profile section into the clamping half that contacts the work piece and perhaps mill in some serations so the clamp can grip better. Consider you make the working piece side with a toe second that is about half the height of the dovetail. You need to make the toe section big enough such that the endmills you are using do not come in contact with the clamp. serations and case harding would help it grip parts better.
So much effort for something that I wouldn’t trust unless I was absolutely stuck for options. I’ve been doing CNC machining for nearly 20yrs now, similar clamps to this are sold to the industry and I’ve had to use them maybe 3 or 4 times, they can be problematic and I would really be taking it easy with my cuts.
The best!
Man your parts have come a really long ways. Nice work brother. Those dovetail clamps look really nice.
I am concerned by potential T-slot damage. The fixed jaw is clamped to the table, with a compressive force applied to the cast iron table – equal and opposite along the T-slot bolt. The moving jaw is pulled down to the T-slot nut, but there is no equal and opposite force applied in the axis of the bolt (there is a gap between the jaw and the table), so there will be a torque and tension in the T-slot. Overtighten the clamp and the T-slot might break.
Simple and effective! 👍
Excellent clamps my friend!
Lovely work, if the piece clamping the work had a step to clear the cutting tool I think that would help as well, nicely done.
I think with the softer metal, it will hold up together better. If it's harder, it easier slip the workpiece.
What's great about This is that I think you can build this even without the dovetails.
Very beautiful! Very simple design and probably really easy to make yourself I'd imagine. I was wondering if you were going to harden it. Do you think you might get a metal hardening station in the future for all the parts you make? And maybe blue them? I know space and money are probably the biggest issues
Good work yet again, and thanks for including the drawings. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum this week 😎
nice, i think it could even be done without the dovetail . Possibly does not need any lateral location, or if so just machine a shallow relief in the static part, or weld "shoulders/wings" on to it. Maybe even mate the two ramps in a vice and drill a hole down the seam, then drop a dowel pin in. Still I think it's the considerable friction that keeps it from moving, so the dovetail or any other guide is not needed.
Side clamps underestimated but very important
Im am going to try to make some of them, the only thing i would add is some serrations on the clamping face & maybe case harden them.
Is it possible to get the drawings in PDF format?
Slots in grip part and case hardened should make it grip better.
Whats with the runout on your mill spindle. Those are the most jank clamps I've ever seen. Since this is a tutorial you should have mentioned the part where you milled down the t nut.
That is so clever!
I´m gonna make myself a set of those I think 😀
Fly cutting and chatter in the end mill oh boy
Take it as a rule. if you are basing a part, then you need to put parallels, linings under the part. This rule will help you save the work table of the machine, or you will be punished by your master, sensei
What's the purpose of the dovetail?
Excelente 👌