Brady's Wood Glue Hold Down Trick

[Brady Watson]

Most of you guys know that hold down is a challenge you face every day, especially if you run a custom/job shop. There are a myriad of hold down methods out there including DS tape, vacuum, screws and clamps. There are times however, where none of these solutions fit and you just don't have time to engineer an elaborate jig or contraption to get the job done.

If your material happens to be wood or a wood composite (MDF et al), you can put a few drops of glue on the back of the part and mount it to the spoilboard. It isn't necessary to clamp it, but I would definitely put some weight on it until the glue sets (usually an hour if the shop is warm). Then just machine your part to your heart's content. When you are done, take a rubber mallet and a smart quick blow will free the piece from the spoilboard.

This can also be used with hot glue, as someone mentioned during TJ's presentation yesterday, but the type of hot glue matters. You want to take care that it is thin enough not to skew the material or angle it up. This is why I like wood glue because it is thin and you can get the piece nice and flat.

I did say a few drops of wood glue...don't slather it all over the place or you'll have to mill it off...Regular old white glue works too.

Give it a try & let us know how you make out.

-B

[Davo]

Wish I knew of this months ago

I purchased the raptor plastic nail gun

[Bob Eustace]

Great trick Brady. We do a similar thing. We make little car wheels out of cypress pine pickets but these are only 2.5 wide. We like to cam clamp but this is dangerous as the wheels are 2.25 diameter. All we do is a few drops of super glue down each long side and add a bit of ripped pine 7/16 wide. Works a treat and no waiting. Even works with the junk glue thats 50 cents a tube or less.

[srwtlc]

Did this a few weeks ago, but wanted a bit more assurance than a couple of drops so I used a sheet of paper between a fully glued surface. When finished, a little wedge and a good wack with a mallet from the side released it. Only part of the jig was glued down, leaving the other half to float so that after cutting the pockets for some aluminum rod and cutting the jig in two (two halves of ply with precut slots guled together ahead of time), some inserted countertop bolts held the eight 1.25" diameter 1.5" long rod pieces in place very secure and accurately for pocketing and drilling through for a threaded hole. As you can see, my spoilboard needs replacing anyway so a little tearout from removing it was no big deal.

[tlempicke]

A couple of months ago I treated myself to an Omer nailer and some Raptor nails. What a neat deal. To start with I just use two in places that obviously are not in the piece I am cutting. Then bring up the piece in Aspire and put .260 circles everywhere I can put a nail that will not be a problem later on. Run the file making those circles .020 deep and bang the piece down. Works like an absolute charm. One good whack with a mallet to the side and the piece is free.

Another great gadget that I bought is a holder for a sharpie pen. It was cheap and one of the handiest gadgets going. I just mount it up (for petes sake don't forget to pull the power plug on the router!) and draw the outline of the material on my spoilboard. Doing this I have been routinely cutting pieces out to within 1/4" of the edges of the material.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

[Brady Watson]

Nice pics & examples guys!

-B

[knight_toolworks]

I have used spray adhesive on thin plastic when I just need a bit more grab. now this I cut with a 1/16" bit and no hold down at all I jsut staple the sheet around the edge to keep it down http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/20150917_152828_zpspqk6rvmb.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/posting/20150917_152828_zpspqk6rvmb.jpg.html)

[Regnar]

If you don't want to wait for wood glue to set you could always use 2P-10. 10 seconds later you can start machining.

http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=48