(11-28-2016, 11:41 PM)Hawkeye Wrote: Since my X2 CNC mill is finally rising from the ashes, as it were, I'm realizing that there are certain fittings that did not return to my custody after the fire. Today, I made up a bunch of T-nuts in both 1/4" and 3/8" for all of the necessary workholding tasks.


In the near future, I'll be making a pair of low-profile toe clamps and a clamping bar, as well as a replacement for my hot-wire attachment. I will likely use the attachment mainly for making forms to use in lost-foam casing.

(11-29-2016, 07:31 AM)rleete Wrote: Simply a case of the number of posts.  Has nothing to do with anything except how verbose one is.

(11-30-2016, 12:03 AM)Hawkeye Wrote: As it happens, aRM, I got the low profile clamps and accompanying bar done today. The T-nuts that form the base of the clamps had to be limited to 15/16" long so that they could fit in through the end trays on the table. The block that acts to clamp the unit to the table has a 15* slope to one side. When the clamping bar is tightened down, the end slides down this slope, causing the bar to move tighter into the work as it is being pulled down to the table. There is a sharp ridge on the work end of the bar that digs into the work, in this case, a block of plastic.


Meanwhile, at the other end of the work piece, the anchor bar has a sharp edge that bites into the work as it is pushed by the clamp bar.


This block will be used on the CNC mill to make ten water sensors when I get all of the G-code steps tweaked out. (And a few more design issues sorted out.)


Some day, I'll probably make a pair of new clamp bars out of tool steel and heat treat them to work with steel. For now, these ones will do fine for the plastic and possibly aluminum.

(12-02-2016, 01:19 AM)Hawkeye Wrote: Okay. Here's the breakdown on the low profile clamps. The main body is a T-nut with threaded holes at both ends. It is locked to the table slot by tightening the upper block. Then the clamping bar is forced down and outward by tightening the second screw.


The clamping bar has a 15* slope at one end, to slide down the matching slope on the upper block. At the other end, the bar is undercut toward the bottom, with an angle ground on the top edge to form a sharp edge to bite into the end of the work piece. This one is mild steel, but I may make new ones out of tool steel and heat treat them later on.