Although it kind of echos an earlier post, a problem with vacuum clamps or metal clamps is: who will maintain them?
Who will replace/repair them?
Thing I like about clamps is that they don’t generally wear out, thought it’s very possible for them to be damaged. I’m guessing this would be the CNC warden who would fix/replace as necessary.
What will people use if there aren’t enough available for their project?
Guess they’ll do without? How many do we really need? I’m guessing 4-6 would be enough clamps. A large enough piece and it’s own size keeps it in place.
The “fancy” surfacing bit is supposed to arrive Dec 27. Maybe I’ll start calling it “super cool” instead. “Fancy” sounds like it has a top hat and monocle.
(Not trying to argue, just exploring the boundaries of the proposal…)
Although it kind of echos an earlier post, a problem with vacuum clamps or metal clamps is: who will maintain them?
Who will replace/repair them?
Thing I like about clamps is that they don’t generally wear out, thought it’s very possible for them to be damaged. I’m guessing this would be the CNC warden who would fix/replace as necessary.
At the Hive, however, the magic of Makerspace allows them the ability to wander off…
What will people use if there aren’t enough available for their project?
Guess they’ll do without? How many do we really need? I’m guessing 4-6 would be enough clamps. A large enough piece and it’s own size keeps it in place.
For 3/4" plywood, probably yes.
For 1/2" plywood and a 1/2" upcut mill, proooobably…
For 1/4" plywood and a 1/2" upcut mill, a 2 x 4 may well lift in the middle, roughing up the edges - so clamps and nails both? - double sided tape for the middle? (another supply item for the warden, just sayin’…)
For 1/4" plastic, a 2 x 4 will “almost certainly” lift in the middle - so, see above
A downcut mill might alleviate the problem, or maybe a combination of downcut + tape. (then again, tape might tear up the spoil board)
How thin a piece will a clamp…um…clamp?
Sign stock (aluminum clad plastic) is less than 1/4".
I don’t think anyone in a particular rush for it and tomorrow is Christmas Eve, that is unless you are just looking for an excuse to get out of the house.
So, if we go for clamps over nails or screws, that suggests either holes in the base/bed board -
how many 3/4" holes per foot before the MDF fractures when clamped?
or t-track, which Rockler sells at approx. 50¢/ inch. (others may, of course, be cheaper).
But, with clamps we’re back to the problem of cutting the part out,
i.e., cutting through the workpiece into the…oh, wait, there’s no spoil board now,
so we cut into the base board or, into the t-track…
Or, we require everyone to cut out a spoil board for each project, and cut into that.
Of course, to cut the spoil board to size , we’ll have to clamp it down to the base board and cut all the way through it…oh, an infinite loop.
Thing I like about clamps is that they don’t generally wear out, thought it’s very possible for them to be damaged. I’m guessing this would be the CNC warden who would fix/replace as necessary.
So, if we go for clamps over nails or screws, that suggests either holes in the base/bed board -
how many 3/4" holes per foot before the MDF fractures when clamped?
or t-track, which Rockler sells at approx. 50¢/ inch. (others may, of course, be cheaper).
Not sure, guessing fewer than a vacuum clamp requires.
But, with clamps we’re back to the problem of cutting the part out,
i.e., cutting through the workpiece into the…oh, wait, there’s no spoil board now,
so we cut into the base board or, into the t-track…
Or cut onto a surface that’s not going to be damaged, or we don’t care about as much, like the outfeed/assembly table, or the green table?
Or there’s the concept of a spoil board + nails…
Which has other problems. It requires nails, which get embedded into the board, it runs out of nails, people also wander off with it, it requires a working air supply. I guess we could play the what if something goes wrong with most approaches if we try hard enough.
