[Involute]

I'm an occasional, light-duty, CNC milling enthusiast. Until recently, all my clamping needs have been met by the basic set that came with my machine, plus a vice. I now have a job that requires machining across the entire top surface, so I can't clamp vertically, and the piece won't fit in my vice. Based on my research, it looks like I need some low-profile t-slot clamps to clamp the piece horizontally, and Mitee-Bite Products LLC. | Innovator of compact, low-profile edge clamps looks like the place for them. There are so many varieties, though, I thought I'd try to save some time and see if someone here can suggest some basic, general purpose ones, or give me guidelines for how to choose. Thanks for your help.

[l u k e]

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[Involute]

It's a 6" X 8" block of walnut, 1.25" thick. It seems like these would work, but I'm not sure.

[aarggh]

Too easy, line up one side and end with with scraps of timber clamped down, and on the other side and end clamp down so it pushes into the material tight. You could use a waste board clamped down to your table for this part, and screw some scrap into the side, screwing at an angle that will really tighten it against the timber.

Hope what I said is clear enough, I do a great deal of 3D machining and have never had a board move or come loose.

cheers, Ian

[Involute]

Thanks, Ian. My table is only 6" deep, so I'm not able to clamp the sides, only the ends, but I can try what you suggest subject to that limitation.

[aarggh]

Bugle screws are really handy here for side clamping, if you drill a hole a little bigger than the total width of a bugle screw in a piece of scrap, and then line up the screw in the scrap hole closest to the material being held, the curved portion of the screw as you screw it in pushes the scrap really tight into the material. Lining really thin rubber or even masking tape gives enough grip to greatly increase the holding power.

cheers, Ian

[Involute]

I tried a variation your other suggestion and it worked fine. I cut a 4" scrap along its long axis with the bladed at about 75 degrees (i.e. 90 degrees would be vertical). I clamped another piece to the table and placed the workpiece up against it. I then took the two cut pieces and placed them up against the other end of the workpiece so that one of the two halves worked like a wedge against the workpiece and the other half. I clamped down on this wedge while the clamp bolt going into the t-slot was pressed up against the stationary half, immobilizing it. The clamp pressed down on the first half, squeezing it against the workpiece and held it tight.. Thanks.