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Work piece hold down clamps

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4 comments
Warren Downes

Project by

Warren Downes
Australia

General Information

These clamps grip from the side to hold the workpiece still and also have wedges for added holding pressure.

Like this project Open in Easel®
Material Description Price
MDF Wood

MDF Wood

Dimensions: 12 in × 12 in, Thickness: 3/4 in

1

Open in Easel.com

Open the project in Easel.com and adjust material, bit and machine size if needed.

2

Carve the parts

Place a piece of 300mm x 300mm MDF on your X-Carve and run through the the Easel.com steps to carve the parts out.

Once they have been carved out you can use a sharp knife to cut the tabs holding the pieces in place.

3

Attach the hold downs to the waste board.

There are several main pieces with slots cut that match the width and spacing of the mounting holes on the X-Carve.

Use 5mm machine screws and washers to secure them to the waste board.

The thinnest part goes at the front and is aligned with the graphic on the waste board this can be left permanently in place for quick setup of the workpiece.

The 2 medium thickness pieces go on the left and right of the wast board, the left ones can be permanently left in place and aligned with the marked line on the waste board.

The widest part goes at the back of the workpiece.

The 3 smaller parts are for odd shaped parts and spares.

4

Mounting the Workpiece

You can adjust the right and back parts to apply pressure to your work piece before tightening down.

For added pressure leave about a 3mm gap on the left and right hold downs and then push the wedges in the gaps and give them a slight tap with a small hammer to hold the work piece firmly.

5

Making a through cut

All you need to do is use a thin 3mm piece of MDF under the work piece like in the image shown.

Fotios Karakasis
smart & nice !
Fotios Karakasis
Stephen Lee Wiesenfeld II
10 Print Tools 20 GoTo 10
Stephen Lee Wiesenfeld II
Matt Slaga
Brilliant, been looking for a side-hold clamp design to allow me to place the vac all the way down and collect that dust! My carve is almost done, looking forward to trying it out!
Matt Slaga
Thomas Berryhill
what thickness MDF did you use? Your description says 3/4" MDF, but the plan calls for .354 birch. Can you clarify?
Thomas Berryhill