'Can never have too many clamps...CNC version...

[Jim Becker]

Instead of watching finish dry, I let the yellow monster turn out a few more clamps to play with. There's method to my madness, however...a little 3D modeling on the knobs as part of the learning process since I recently upgraded to Aspire. Initially, I cut the knobs in plywood to see how things worked, but recut them in solid cherry scrap. They are much cleaner and a little thicker...a better idea for sure. Nice "hammer fit" for the nuts; no glue required. These lower profile clamps will be handy to have and if I happen to nick one badly because of a mental mistake, it takes a whole four minutes to cut four more, not including zeroing and fastening the material to the machine.

IMG_3554.jpg IMG_3559.jpg IMG_3561.jpg

[David Falkner]

Very nice, Jim! My next batch will be coming up soon and I'll use some cutoff pieces of Walnut, Cherry, and Maple. The last ones were MDF and surprisingly they have lasted over a year.

One thing you might consider on your next batch is to cut a relief in the bottom. Seems easier to grip and work than an entire flat bottom. It's an extra step to flip them over but I cut a holder to contain them and it worked just fine.

001 - MDF hold down knobs, underside.jpg

David

[Jim Becker]

David, can you show me what you mean by the "relief" in the bottom? I cut them bottom-up already, so I'd like to understand what you are adding. It's also been suggested to me by a fellow on Camheads to have some longer ones available and I plan on executing on that, too, but using some scraps of oak flooring instead of the plywood. The issue with plywood is that when you really crank them down, they can start to protest and separate at the laminations.

[dan nelson]

You may want to change out the steel tee bolts to nylon. Ive seen sparks fly. Not pretty when you jog your machine a little too low.

[David Falkner]

David, can you show me what you mean by the "relief" in the bottom? I cut them bottom-up already, so I'd like to understand what you are adding.

I guess a better term is a 'shoulder', Jim. That lets your fingers get slightly under the knob when tightening and loosening.

002 - MDF hold down knobs, underside shoulder.jpg

004 - Fixture, coin holder.jpg

David

[Jim Becker]

Thanks, Dave.

Dan, I do have some nylon for certain tasks.

[Gary Edwards]

Instead of watching finish dry, I let the yellow monster turn out a few more clamps to play with. There's method to my madness, however...a little 3D modeling on the knobs as part of the learning process since I recently upgraded to Aspire. Initially, I cut the knobs in plywood to see how things worked, but recut them in solid cherry scrap. They are much cleaner and a little thicker...a better idea for sure. Nice "hammer fit" for the nuts; no glue required. These lower profile clamps will be handy to have and if I happen to nick one badly because of a mental mistake, it takes a whole four minutes to cut four more, not including zeroing and fastening the material to the machine.

IMG_3554.jpg IMG_3559.jpg IMG_3561.jpg

FWIW, you might want to consider embedding the nuts in the top of your knobs. That way, when you tighten, the nut is drawn down and the knob cannot accidentally be knocked off.

Gary

[Mark Bolton]

I like the knobs. I know it would limit the travel of the stud but I always wonder about a bolt/T nut arrangement that could be mortised into the nut so that virtually anything above the top of the material would be "not steel". I can definitely see the fear of the nut pulling out of the knob. I know a lot of people are concerned about steel on the bed. I dont work about this too much as we mount machining style vises fairly regularly.

Id think a bolt in the knob and a T nut in the table slot would be nifty