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Thread: Clamp setup

  1. #1
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    Default Clamp setup

    How's this for a dodgy clamping arrangement ?


  2. #2
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    The clamp on the right has more down force than the one on the left, which looks almost parallel, pretty dodgy.TTP.

  3. #3
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    For a one off it worked and that is all that matters.

    Robert

  4. #4
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    Not being a metal machining expert, why is it dodgy

  5. #5
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    Hi Bob,

    Its only a line contact across the bottom of the tube and vise base and the same inside the tube ! Plus any squash from the vise jaws.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  6. #6
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    My read is that user is drilling multiple holes, doesn't want the vise jaws deforming the tube so has it set to confine the tube rather than grip it tightly, and uses the bar and clamps as a holddown so the tube does not climb the bit during drilling or grab and pull out of the vice when extracting the drill from the tube.

    Overall would be slower to setup and position perfectly for each part, but for a one off or short run, could be practical when time taken to correct tube and redo surface finish from other approaches is taken into account. I've used more 'dodgy' approaches in the past for short runs where the the surface finish and shape of a cross section are equally as important as the placement of the holes.
    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.

  7. #7
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    It's perhaps not ideal but does the job - I would not regard it as dodgy. It's hard to say without seeing how tight every thing is, but all the clamping + vice has to do is stop the part rotating (no side forces involved). It does that.
    For that drilling operation, the vice probably would have been sufficient. If the idea was to avoid tube squash then I would have clamped direct to the T slots (that is, use the T slot as a locating groove for the tube) using the pipe through the middle.

    Michael

  8. #8
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    I'm making one of these : https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...-prints.33616/

    Most use brass I think but not so easy to get and too expensive in Australia so aluminium will do. Then the damn drawing is in inches so have to convert a lot of it to what ever I have in the shed for bits to make it. Whatever spring I've got, whatever O-ring I've got etc.. hmmm lot of fun, sort of.

    The setup is to drill the 2 holes and face slightly larger from one hole to the other so that the nuts can seal against a flat area.
    The vice clamps with light pressure only just to confine the tube as malb said. But then to hold it down I used a piece of 32mm solid bar (heavy) under those clamps.
    The clamps are not tight either, just nipped up so to speak as I didn't want to mark the aluminium. I just made sure they both had around the same amount of pressure on each and that they were level so they pulled straight down.
    The holes were drilled with an end mill so hopefully it wouldn't pull up when it breaks through.

    I took it really slowly but the job turned out fine, anything could have happened and often does but I got away with it this time. Lol

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    Not being a metal machining expert, why is it dodgy
    Basically because the clamping is only a single point contact. A round item like this should be mounted in something like a V block (2 point contact).
    Also because it's a tube it can flex a lot too, which might allow the drill to bite and rip the tube out of the vice and throw it straight at my head and then there would be blood and guts all over my mill table.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by phaser View Post
    Also because it's a tube it can flex a lot too, which might allow the drill to bite and rip the tube out of the vice and throw it straight at my head and then there would be blood and guts all over my mill table.
    With moderate clamping pressures, the method depicted should allow less flexing of the tube than clamping it V blocks because it is constrained in the three directions that would allow deflection when vertical cutting pressures are applied.
    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.

  11. #11
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    This is what the fuss was all about.
    Thanks guys.


  12. #12
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    And the verdict?
    Was it worth the effort of making?

    Steve

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by OxxAndBert View Post
    And the verdict?
    Was it worth the effort of making?

    Steve
    Well .......... I don't know really. Probably not, considering you can buy something similar. Then again it was worth it just for having a project to work on, and it's a very good project.
    It works really well. Pumps a small quantity so it's good as a precision oiler sort of.
    I filled it with Mobil 1 in case I want to make something really slippery.

  14. #14
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    IMO If it’s a good project and it works really well it’s worth making!!

    Steve

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