Neander solution to hold down clamps

[harry strasil]

As a former machinist, I was used to the benefits of a plate with many drilled and tapped holes for placing hold downs when milling material. My import drillpress has a small round table that I mosty used visegrips with the swivel pads for holding. The reinforcement ridges on the under side were always a problem and the really large aftermarket auxilary table tops with slotted channels doesn't really appeal to me.

So I used a scrap piece of construction 3/4 plywood a little bit larger than the table and drilled recesses and holes every 2.5 inches for 1/4 inch T nuts and bolted the auxilary top to the table with 2 carriage bolts.

I made these hold downs from laminated oak with short dowels glued and bradded into the ends, and use quick release knobs for the clamping.

[Sam Yerardi]

Great idea! I had a thought (rare for a Monday morning :)) but I was wondering if you could epoxy a dowel to the end of the threaded rod. Size the dowel to fit into a dog hole. You could then use the same principle but it might work with friction (like a dog) instead of needing to be threaded. Another advantage would be that the dowel would protect the edge of the wood piece you're working on. Does the threaded rod go through a threaded hole in the clamp or is it a thru-hole with no threads? I think it would need to be threaded for what I'm talking about. I've got a metal clamp almost identical to what you made and I use it regularly but the problem I have is the threads pushing into the sides of the wood when I'm planing, etc.

[harry strasil]

the clamp is laminated Sam, with a V opening for the rod to go thru for different angles.