
Making Clamps
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The new clamp design

First design the clamp using CAD software. I am using TC here.

Next, I want 4 clamps so I make a new file for the CNC job by Copying and pasting. This lay
out will reflect what the machine will do. The X-axis is horizontal
and the Y-axis is vertical.

Now use the layout file in a CAM program to generate the tool paths (gcode) for
the CNC machine. I will be using a 1/4" cutter for this job. The tool paths
are generated using the tool diameter as an offset. Now
run the machine and you have 4 new clamps to use.

But first you need to drill the holes through the top before you put them to work. This new clamp design
works much better than the previous design. It is very cool to
realize the results of your designs nearly instantly. This makes design
improvements a snap!
Download the layout DXF here.
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