[txcncman]

The stuff I do is a few at a time, not production work, so a bit of overhead beats expensive fixturing.... Back to the shop to try out some of these ideas... where do I get little screw jacks?

Use some of your clamping studs and nuts.

[dertsap]

. where do I get little screw jacks?

make em , clamp studs and nuts as tx stated , or bolts that are threaded into some stock . The #1 thing to remember is to not not loose the parts position while jacking or clamping , so a dial indicator is handy for this type of thing . Let the jack raise the part a few thou , and the clamp should pull it back into place

[rlockwood]

PS, was going to do 3d toolpaths originally, but don't have the software for it... using HSMexpress which is 2d. Hmmm.. just tried "trace" which seems to do it, but would I use a ball end cutter for that or would a flat one work?

Trace wont (directly) give you the toolpath you're looking for. It doesn't compensate for tangential inaccuracies, and simply places the tool tip on the edge you're selecting.

You could, however, build an offset surface that compensates for the tangential inaccuracy, and use trace on THAT surface.

[Spinnetti]

I think I'm going to do the problem cut first, keeping the most mass available for damping... Ordering stock again next week.

[BAMCNC.COM]

Good choice