Best Clamps for 3D Compund Cuts

[BadBob]

 

I have tried them all, and they all work. However, most of them have one common problem. As you cut, the clamp loosens because you are removing wood, and you need to retighten the clamp repeatedly as you cut. I trued a shop-made clamp that had springs to take up the slack, and that would have worked except for the spring I had was just too weak and would move.

Then I thought about the spring clamp. Spring clamps have a spring that will take up slack as you cut. The first ones I tried did not work well. They were too small and weak to stay in place, so I went to the largest ones I had. These clamps have a strong spring, and I have difficulty opening them with my weak hand. Perfect. The large spring clamps stayed where I put them and kept the parts aligned. As a bonus, being made out of plastic, they will not damage the blade if you should accidentally hit the clamp.

 

[Foxfold]

I made some from a Steve Good pattern, they work great.  Go to his pattern catalog and  put  Compound cutting jig in search box

Edited October 20, 2022 by Foxfold

[scrollerpete]

I never use them and I still have 10 fingers.

[merlin]

Ditto to Brenda said and I have about 8 of them all different lengths, now that I'm making wands I require another one at 13 inches.... Oh dear....

[Scrappile]

Ditto, Ditto what has been said.  But I have not used them much... Your clamps, I have not tried, I have some. but if your cut goes close to the edge of the wood the spring clamp would pinch the saw blade.  I will have to remember to give them a try, next time I do some 3D cutting.

[OCtoolguy]

I made a simplified clamp like Steve's and it serves me well. I do have to tighten it every so often but I have done a ton of 3D with it. 

[meflick]

Thanks for sharing. Like several others, when I started doing my first compound cuts, I made one of Steve Good’s clamps. Since then, that is only thing I have tried. Hubby has some of those spring clamps in the shop so perhaps I will give them a try at some point. It’s always good to have options. Sometimes one thing doesn’t work for all our needs.

[BadBob]

15 hours ago, Foxfold said:

I made some from a Steve Good pattern, they work great.  Go to his pattern catalog and  put  Compound cutting jig in search box

I tried one of these and hated it. Cut a little and tighten. If you cut to long with out tightening it slips. These work pretty well for gluing up blocks of wood from 3/4-inch stock. I have a box fill of them.

 

[William Eicehelberger]

I have 3 sizes of Steve Goods clamps and I have never had any problems with them. They work great,

IKE

[meflick]

36 minutes ago, BadBob said:

I tried one of these and hated it. Cut a little and tighten. If you cut to long with out tightening it slips. These work pretty well for gluing up blocks of wood from 3/4-inch stock. I have a box fill of them.

 

Interesting, I don’t recall ever having any issues with mine not staying right. But, it has been a while since I did any compound cuts and used it, and I am getting old so my memory may be a bit faulty. I’ll have to do some compound cuttings and see if I have any issue. 

[barb.j.enders]

I haven't tried the spring clamps but I have some small bar clamps.

[Wichman]

I've tried all the clamp ideas and they just don't work, for me. The one thing that really helped me was leaving a little "meat" around the pattern and using a smaller blade cut the the entire outside line in one continuous pass. If the pattern is a long one ( wands ) when I get to the end of one side I will tape the starting end and the middle with scotch tape.

[Sycamore67]

These are my holders for doing compound cuts...

• I use a spring to keep constant pressure on the piece even after making a cut.
• The insides are covered with sandpaper to reduce slippage.
• I have added knobs on top to help better hold and maneuver the piece.  With arthritis, this makes it much easier for me.
• I have several sizes depending on the size of the piece.  I needed the small one as I have cut ones down to 5/8" tall.

 

[Scrappile]

32 minutes ago, Sycamore67 said:

These are my holders for doing compound cuts...

• I use a spring to keep constant pressure on the piece even after making a cut.
• The insides are covered with sandpaper to reduce slippage.
• I have added knobs on top to help better hold and maneuver the piece.  With arthritis, this makes it much easier for me.
• I have several sizes depending on the size of the piece.  I needed the small one as I have cut ones down to 5/8" tall.

 

Thanks for posting that,  I think you showed that sometime ago and I was going to add the springs.. Forgot because, well, I'm short on memory.  I want to do some 3D cutting soon so will have to do the modicatiin.  Need to find some springs.

[Denny Knappen]

Well, I still have all my fingers and I only use my fingers.

[don in brooklin on]

I usually do the first cut unless real small with by hand.

Second cut and with small stuff I use a block of wood with sandpaper on 2 sides and use 6-inch clamps.

Bought a few sets from Amazon for 4 for $15 cdn.  

 

 

 

[OCtoolguy]

For those who tried Steve's clamps and didn't like them, maybe your springs are too weak. It requires stiff spring pressure to keep the clamps tight on the work.

[Sycamore67]

I have found that too much pressure causes pinching of the blade. Using sandpaper on the inside allows me to use less pressure and avoid binding  I am certain that part of why I have designed these is making small object such as inside these ornaments.  It would not be possible to hold these without the clamps.

 

Edited October 22, 2022 by Sycamore67

[OCtoolguy]

4 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

I have found that too much pressure causes pinching of the blade. Using sandpaper on the inside allows me to use less pressure and avoid binding  I am certain that part of why I have designed these is making small object such as inside these ornaments.  It would not be possible to hold these without the clamps.

 

Very nicely done.

[barb.j.enders]

11 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

I have found that too much pressure causes pinching of the blade. Using sandpaper on the inside allows me to use less pressure and avoid binding  I am certain that part of why I have designed these is making small object such as inside these ornaments.  It would not be possible to hold these without the clamps.

 

Those are lovely.  Well done.

[Gonzo]

I also use the Steve Goode style clamps. I really really like Sycamore67’s idea of putting knobs on it to have a better grip. 
One other thing that I do, is that, I do not complete to first cut, meaning, I leave a “sprue” on it. When I flip it 90 degrees and do the second cut it’s still attached to the block. I generally can find a spot where the part isn’t cut free until I’m at the end of the second cut.

[Rolf]

Too much fiddling with the clamps, Although I do use them on occasion. When I do I use clamps I use Don in Brookline's technique. 99 % of the time I just do a wrap of Clear packing tape after cutting the first side just to keep the bits in place. Simple and fast.

Edited October 22, 2022 by Rolf

[Rolf]

12 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

I have found that too much pressure causes pinching of the blade. Using sandpaper on the inside allows me to use less pressure and avoid binding  I am certain that part of why I have designed these is making small object such as inside these ornaments.  It would not be possible to hold these without the clamps.

 

Are the deer and the tree part of the cut or added later?

[Sycamore67]

The deer, tree and star are done separately and are 1/2 to 5/8" tall.  I try to make them a contrasting color or wood so they show up.   I have made a few for my family and given a few away. For me, it takes a lot of concentration to cut these small things.

[Foxfold]

On 10/21/2022 at 1:08 PM, BadBob said:

I tried one of these and hated it. Cut a little and tighten

You're spring clamp idea is a good one and I may give them a try, although I prefer to do a  'large' compound cutting and I never use clamps at all when I cut with my bandsaw.

Edited October 22, 2022 by Foxfold
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