MFT: Cam clamps

[Ned]

Cam Clamps​

As soon as I added the router insert to my MFT, I started thinking about guards
and fences. For a quick-release guard over a pattern bit, I made the clamps
this way:

A rubber sanding drum (www.mcmaster.com, 3/4"x3/4", 4650A52, 2.70 USD each)
supplies the expansion plug and its washers.

Add a Rockler 5/16" Cam Clamp (www.rockler.com, 58252, 6.79 USD for 2) and a
5/16" bolt.

[Added October 3, 2007] Similar cam clamps (photo below) are available from Lee Valley (05J51.05, 4.95USD for one).

[Added October 4, 2007] Similar cam clamps (tiny photo below) are available from Woodcraft (145630, 5.99USD for one).

The plug (3/4" = 19mm) expands to get a good grip on the 20mm holes of the MFT.

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Lee Valley clamp:

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Woodcraft clamp:

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[Les]

Ned,

Lots of possibilites for the cam clamps. Thanks for posting.

 

[Dan Clark]

Hmmm... LOTS of possiblities.  A piece or three of wood, a couple of holes, and you have a custom jig.  Making sacrificial jigs quick and easy.

Question: When cammed, how well do they hold? 

Dan.

 

[Ned]

Question: When cammed, how well do they hold? 

Surprisingly well.  Provided the thing you're attaching is firmly on the table, I don't see any wiggle at all.

Thank you for not mentioning the photo.  I've got a few bugs to work out in my process.  Will replace it soon.

Ned

 

[Dan Clark]

Ned,

It looks like the color density is a bit low.  That said...

The focus looks looks dead on to me, depth of field is very good and appropriate, color balance looks great, and the framing is almost perfect.  What's more, the shot layout is excellent - you can see the raw component, the combined subassembly, and the component in use in one shot.    It even has a nice flow.

Overall I give you a grade of A!  Change the color density and we'll bump that to an A+!    ;D

Dan.

 

[mysterium]

Dan,

From my perspective with a 26k line speed via dial up.....

I'd give him a A+ because the picture loaded really fast....  ;D

jim

 

[Dan Clark]

Quality of the pic.  Nice, but who cares?!?  Quality of the idea?  A+++

Thanks for posting it.

Dan.

 

[Corwin]

Quality of the pic.   Nice, but who cares?!? 

Feeling okay today, Dan?  

 

[Dan Clark]

Quality of the pic.   Nice, but who cares?!? 

Feeling okay today, Dan?  

Gettin' soft in my old age!  8)

Dan.

p.s. And I really think the idea is primo! 

 

[Cary Swoveland]

Great idea.  I could imagine several uses with the MFT.  In fact, it's a perfect solution for one part of some shop-made clamps I've been meaning to build.  Thanks also for including the sources and part numbers.  (Lee Valley is another source for the cam clamps: part 05J51.05 .)

Cary

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Question: Would a 3/4" OD by 1" long rubber sanding drum grip the MFT top better than a 3/4" long unit?  A longer drum would allow the bottom to extend slightly below the bottom surface of the MFT top would enable the rubber to expand preferentially down there when the bolt is drawn upward by the cam, thus providing an even more postive lock to the MFT.  Has anyone tried this?  I note that McMasters-Carr offers a set of sanding drums that includes 3/4" OD x 1" long unit under catalogue Number 4648A12 and individual drums under catalogue Number 4650A23 at $1.56 each.

Dave R.

 

[Dave Rudy]

(Lee Valley is another source for the cam clamps: part 05J51.05 .)

Cary

So is (my) Woodcraft.  I think via Woodpeckers.

Dave

 

[Ned]

So is (my) Woodcraft.  I think via Woodpeckers.

Dave,

I checked both the Woodcraft and Woodpeckers websites and couldn't find them.

I'd be happy to add the info.  Can you nail it down?

Ned

 

[Dan Clark]

Here's a link to some hardware at Woodcraft that might fit the bill:http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1774.  I'm heading down to Seattle Woodcraft this weekend.  I'll check it out.

Dan.

 

[Ned]

Dan, Dave,

Thanks.  Got the Woodcraft product and added it to the head post.

Ned

 

[neoshed]

Cool idea Ned

I don't have a mft yet but I was already thinking about the possibility of adding a router fence to it.

BTW I seem to recall reading in Jerry's mft guide that conduit couplers fit nicely into the holes so maybe they'd wrk for a fence as well

 

[Ned]

See also gasman's MFT.