Clamping

[MogulTx]

Botters

I do a lot of cutting where I start with a large sheet of foam and need to hold on to it while I am cutting. I use the Irwin Quick Grip clamps for this. I kill one every now and then- but that is "just part of the deal" because I do not have enough power to run a vacuum hold down system.

Lately, my local big box store has stopped stocking the 8 clamps to a package for $25. (There are 2 6" quick Grips and 2 12" quick grips or some such, plus four squeeze clamps in this package). They have been out of stock for over two months now. It looks like they may be forcing Irwin out of their line up. Which they do to suppliers from time to time. It appears to me that they do this when they think they can create a look alike tool and push out the supplier and take over that segment. My observation. YMMV.) Do any of you know anything about whether this is an Irwin issue or a Big Orange Store issue?

I may need to figure out another method of holding down flimsy things like foam- so your suggestions on this would be very helpful.

(BTW: I have tried the cheapo clamps from Harbor Freight. DO NOT BOTHER buying these clamps. Trust me.)

Thanks,

MGM

[steve_g]

M...

I don't have a vacuum hold down... yet! This weekend I needed to cut a bunch of letters and numbers out of foam for my wife's school. It was going to be impossible to be sure that my double stick tape was always located in the proper places so I cut them leaving a .020" onionskin on the bottom... Every thing stayed in place and easily popped out of the matrix, I made a .125" pocket for all the numbers/letters to fit into in the project and that easily hid any raggedness my method caused!

SG

[gene]

Could you use tabs to hold the pieces in place and screw the corners and maybe a few screws in the middle

[MogulTx]

Most of this stuff has a plastic vapor barrier on both sides, but not the stuff I am working with. I have been putting in 2" x 1/4" 3D tabs. They pop out with no resistance. However, the .02" layer is a decent idea.

I still need to clamp them at the corners, I think. Screws could work, but they seem the wrong solution for foam which is fairly easy to rip/break. Clamps still make the best sense.

I may have to design / build my own wooden quick clamp design so that, if I hit it with the bit, it will simply cut my clamp- I may be able to make a clamp that is a quick fasten, unfasten with a cam actuator that grabs onto the table edge... If I can't get Irwins for a reasonable sum of money, I will probably be up to that here pretty quick!

Thanks

[steve_g]

On large parts I hold the foam temporarily with tape and run a toolpath that locates safe spots for screws with fender washers... You could also make your own fender washers out of plastic or wood.

If you come up with a good design for a wood "Bot-made" quick clamp please share it!

SG

[gene]

that would be a good challenge for botters . See what kind of hold down clamps could be made on a bot :confused:

[steve_g]

Gene...

That sounds like fun! A quick internet search yielded these old and new designs... The boat lap clamps sound like they might work for Monty.

SG

[MogulTx]

Steve- I think I love you, Man!

Those boat clamps look AWESOME! Those should do a great job !

[gene]

Steve you hit a home run on this one , i like the boat clamps also. For the price of a wing nut and bolt on some scrap wood you cant beat that

[steve_g]

I'm glad I did a search before I tried to reinvent the wheel... I'm likely going to make some of the boat clamps also, but I'm designing some of the cam clamps right now. I wanted to include some clamps in my grandsons toolbox I made last Christmas... I didn't as I was appalled at how much the prices had gone up in the last 30 years!

SG

[chiloquinruss]

I still use screws for foam but I picked up some of those plastic washers they use for roofing nails and use them with my hold down screws. I have NO excuse why I haven't built a vaccuum setup yet, but someday! :D Russ

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/55/558a8f70-dcd0-43ec-9afb-41dae2844b92_300.jpg

[gene]

Russ,
If you quit playing with all them trains maybe you can build a vac system! Then you can build things for them trains faster:eek:

[chiloquinruss]

I even have a binder with all of the vacuum posts printed out with drawings and I made up a bill of materials in Excel and . . . . . . :confused: OK how about, sorry the dog ate my homeowrk! That doesn't work here either ehhhh! :) Russ

[gene]

We'll give you a C+ for good intentions

[myxpykalix]

Gene...I think the saying goes something like this..."The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" so lets not give him that much credit!:rolleyes:

[gene]

jack,
Parts of that road is named after me!:eek:

[myxpykalix]

Yeah i saw that....I passed it last nite...it was "Purgitory Rhode"(s):eek: