Best Clamps for 3D Compund Cuts

[Scrappile]

Well, truth be told, I use my fingers most the time because I am too lazy to look for the clamp I made.  I have never cut myself on a scroll saw blade and I have had my fingers very close and when I have toughed the teeth of the blade, I never got cut I moved fast enough.  The only injury I have ever had on the scroll saw, was touching the blade right after stopping the saw and I got burnt, enough to raise a little blister.

[CharleyL]

My clamps for 3D cutting look like the Steve Goode clamp design, but I've been using this design for about 50 years, and I didn't even know there was a Steve Goode back then. No springs in my design, but I learned long ago to use fine threaded stainless all thread. The finer threads allow tighter adjustment and the stainless doesn't stretch and bend like the mild steel all thread does over time. A long saw cut through the project roughly parallel to the clamp side does remove wood, no matter how small the blade, so after each full length or near-so cut, it is always necessary for me to retighten the clamp wing nuts. I also have several lengths of these clamps for different size projects. I found that making the wood pieces from 3/4" hi-lam birch plywood with the layers showing face up provides a bit of springy-ness that seems to keep the clamp tighter. I have used several kinds of solid woods and I always go back to the birch ply. So, most are 3/4" X 1" X the length needed, with the 3/4" side facing up/down.   The stainless all thread is available at Lowes in 8" length, in their "hard to find" hardware section of stainless hardware. I usually go with 10-32 stainless all thread. Standard steel nuts, washers, and wing nuts work fine, and actually seem to wear slower because of the dissimilar thread metal. With the stainless, I think the thread surfaces remain smoother, resulting in less wear of the nuts, but that's just a guess. It just seems to work that way.

 

Charley

[OCtoolguy]

3 hours ago, CharleyL said:

My clamps for 3D cutting look like the Steve Goode clamp design, but I've been using this design for about 50 years, and I didn't even know there was a Steve Goode back then. No springs in my design, but I learned long ago to use fine threaded stainless all thread. The finer threads allow tighter adjustment and the stainless doesn't stretch and bend like the mild steel all thread does over time. A long saw cut through the project roughly parallel to the clamp side does remove wood, no matter how small the blade, so after each full length or near-so cut, it is always necessary for me to retighten the clamp wing nuts. I also have several lengths of these clamps for different size projects. I found that making the wood pieces from 3/4" hi-lam birch plywood with the layers showing face up provides a bit of springy-ness that seems to keep the clamp tighter. I have used several kinds of solid woods and I always go back to the birch ply. So, most are 3/4" X 1" X the length needed, with the 3/4" side facing up/down.   The stainless all thread is available at Lowes in 8" length, in their "hard to find" hardware section of stainless hardware. I usually go with 10-32 stainless all thread. Standard steel nuts, washers, and wing nuts work fine, and actually seem to wear slower because of the dissimilar thread metal. With the stainless, I think the thread surfaces remain smoother, resulting in less wear of the nuts, but that's just a guess. It just seems to work that way.

 

Charley

Charley, in trying to picture your clamps are you saying that the plywood edges go up & down and 1" sides go east & west? When looking down you see the plies? 

[CharleyL]

Ray, The pieces are cut from 3/4" thick plywood, the more layers the better, but standard 7 ply cabinet birch will work fine. When assembled in the clamp they are 1" high and 3/4" thickness, by whatever length you need. So position the plywood pieces so the edges of the plies face up and down. The wood is slightly more flexible that way. Then the all thread holes go through the 1" sides horizontally, 1/2" from each edge (1/2" + 1/2"edge to edge gives you the center). I place the holes about 1" from the ends as well, and it's best to tape the two pieces together for drilling in your drill press, so the holes are straight and the same spacing in both pieces, just like the early photos posted. I drill larger holes than the size of the all thread chosen, so the ply pieces will slide easily on the all thread, even if cocked at a slight angle to the all thread. I use flat washers to protect the wood surface from multiple tightening and loosening of the nuts. 

Some like to cut the all thread shorter, but that limits the size of the piece that you can cut, so I leave mine the full 8" length.

I have used sandpaper to keep the parts from slipping in the clamps, but keeping it in place became a chore, even with glue. You need to use very fine grit paper and of a type like machinist's fabric backed, like crokus cloth, not woodworking sand paper, because grit falling off the paper will leave scratches in your saw table. It doesn't take much grit size to reduce work piece slipping. Keeping the grit off the table is more important to me. I like a smooth waxed table, so the work piece and clamp will move and turn easily.

Charley

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by CharleyL

[OCtoolguy]

15 minutes ago, CharleyL said:

Ray, The pieces are cut from 3/4" thick plywood, the more layers the better, but standard 7 ply cabinet birch will work fine. When assembled in the clamp they are 1" high and 3/4" thickness, by whatever length you need. So position the plywood pieces so the edges of the plies face up and down. The wood is slightly more flexible that way. Then the all thread holes go through the 1" sides horizontally, 1/2" from each edge (1/2" + 1/2"edge to edge gives you the center). I place the holes about 1" from the ends as well, and it's best to tape the two pieces together for drilling in your drill press, so the holes are straight and the same spacing in both pieces, just like the early photos posted. I drill larger holes than the size of the all thread chosen, so the ply pieces will slide easily on the all thread, even if cocked at a slight angle to the all thread. I use flat washers to protect the wood surface from multiple tightening and loosening of the nuts. 

Some like to cut the all thread shorter, but that limits the size of the piece that you can cut, so I leave mine the full 8" length.

I have used sandpaper to keep the parts from slipping in the clamps, but keeping it in place became a chore, even with glue. You need to use very fine grit paper and of a type like machinist's fabric backed, like crokus cloth, not woodworking sand paper, because grit falling off the paper will leave scratches in your saw table. It doesn't take much grit size to reduce work piece slipping. Keeping the grit off the table is more important to me. I like a smooth waxed table, so the work piece and clamp will move and turn easily.

Charley

 

 

 

Exactly as my mental picture. Thanks Charley.

[BadBob]

Wow, it looks like I stirred the pot a bit.

The important thing to me is that nothing moves on the second pass. Every clamp system I have tried will slip from time to time. The large spring clamps I use have never slipped. To be clear, the clamps I use are 9-inches long. They came in a set I purchased many years ago. They are very similar to those that are sold on amazon.

While reading the comments, the clamp that works for you may depend on many factors.

[CharleyL]

Yes it does, Badbob.

Most of what I cut are 3D Christmas ornaments and reindeer. When cutting chess pieces, I use a similar clamp, but slightly larger. My 2D work usually doesn't need clamping, but if it does I may use one of these, or design a special clamp for it. I don't use springs, but have developed the habit of tightening the clamps often, especially after making long cuts roughly parallel with the clamps. Even a .010" thick blade kerf will remove enough wood to loosen the clamp. My smallest version of these clamps is 5" long. I needed this clamp to cut 5/8" tall 3D reindeer. My most used size is 7" and I have several, because I sometimes teach and demonstrate for the woodworking club that I belong to.

Given the chance, I'll be starting my Christmas production soon. I never sell, but give away everything that I make to friends and family, and also to waitresses, doctors, nurses, cashiers, sales girls, etc. Every woman that helps me in some way during the Christmas Season can have something that I've made. Most men don't appreciate what I do, but if a woodworker friend expresses interest, he can get one from me too. I do cut 2D occasionally, but my real interest is in 3D scrolling.

I do other things beside scroll sawing. I have a cabinet/furniture shop and the scroll saws kind-of sit in the corner of it. I have made many pieces of furniture, kitchen tools, and items for my Pro Photography/Video Studio that I built myself 3+ years ago. I also donate my time and sometimes my workshop space to design and build exhibits for the North Carolina Science Museums. For these, I do everything from design through completion, except for the graphics. They have a department for that.

I'm a Retired Automation Engineer, once worked on NASA hardware, and also designed and built high speed, high precision manufacturing machinery. Roller Coaster control system? I once did that too. I'm not one to sit around, even at my age (now 80).

Charley

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by CharleyL

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, CharleyL said:

Yes it does, Badbob.

Most of what I cut are 3D Christmas ornaments and reindeer. When cutting chess pieces, I use a similar clamp, but slightly larger. My 2D work usually doesn't need clamping, but if it does I may use one of these, or design a special clamp for it. I don't use springs, but have developed the habit of tightening the clamps often, especially after making long cuts roughly parallel with the clamps. Even a .010" thick blade kerf will remove enough wood to loosen the clamp. My smallest version of these clamps is 5" long. I needed this clamp to cut 5/8" tall 3D reindeer. My most used size is 7" and I have several, because I sometimes teach and demonstrate for the woodworking club that I belong to.

Given the chance, I'll be starting my Christmas production soon. I never sell, but give away everything that I make to friends and family, and also to waitresses, doctors, nurses, cashiers, sales girls, etc. Every woman that helps me in some way during the Christmas Season can have something that I've made. Most men don't appreciate what I do, but if a woodworker friend expresses interest, he can get one from me too. I do cut 2D occasionally, but my real interest is in 3D scrolling.

I do other things beside scroll sawing. I have a cabinet/furniture shop and the scroll saws kind-of sit in the corner of it. I have made many pieces of furniture, kitchen tools, and items for my Pro Photography/Video Studio that I built myself 3+ years ago. I also donate my time and sometimes my workshop space to design and build exhibits for the North Carolina Science Museums. For these, I do everything from design through completion, except for the graphics. They have a department for that.

I'm a Retired Automation Engineer, once worked on NASA hardware, and also designed and built high speed, high precision manufacturing machinery. Roller Coaster control system? I once did that too. I'm not one to sit around, even at my age (now 80).

Charley

 

 

 

 

 

Charley, I'd love to sit with you over a bottle of something and just listen to your life experiences. My life can be summed up over a cola.

[CharleyL]

On 10/24/2022 at 7:28 PM, OCtoolguy said:

Charley, I'd love to sit with you over a bottle of something and just listen to your life experiences. My life can be summed up over a cola.

 

Ray,

I have two friends, who I used to drive the train in my Avatar with. It's a train in the Village Park just across town from where I live. Neither of them knew me before I drove the train. We are all retired from all of our jobs, and the train now. Perpetual vacation called retirement from now on.

These two friends now get me to go to lunch with them every week, along with my wife and their wives, partly so they can get me to tell stories about my life experiences. I guess I've done quite a bit in this past 80 years. You, unfortunately, are a bit too far away to join us, but you are invited, if you ever visit on the right day. We meet on Wednesdays, usually, and mostly just 3 miles from my home here, usually at a fast food burger/chicken/ice cream restaurant called Culvers. 

I have always had an interest in learning things, and if I saw a way to get involved in something that I wanted to learn, I jumped in and learned it quickly. Many ventures in learning new things resulted from this method for me. In school, I wanted to learn more about auto mechanics, so I was asking questions of a friend whose father owned a gas station/service shop. It wasn't long before he asked me to come to his dad's garage and help him. His dad's friend had a 33 Ford race car and my school friend was doing many of the repairs on it for his dad's friend. I ended up helping my friend and his dad to keep this race car going and ready for Friday night racing. They took us with them to the races as thanks for what we did to get the car ready every week. I learned a lot about cars and racing, and I was still in high school.

Be open minded and willing to learn new things that you are interested in. Find someone doing it and ask if you can help them. Learn as fast as they will teach you, but pick up every tid-bit that you can about this new venture. If working with them every day and learning quickly, you will suddenly realize that some other friends are coming to you when they need help. Pay isn't always in the form of money. Sometimes this knowledge is more valuable than money. The more you know, the more you can apply to a new job, new hobby, etc. One of these guys that I go to lunch with now, worked for the Post Office most of his career. For some reason, I have to drag him kicking and screaming into anything new, even if he needs to know it for something that he is doing. Learning to solder wires for his train set was one of these things. When I refused to do it for him and offered to sit with him to show him how, he finally let me teach him. It took a few hours of 1 on 1 instruction and trial and error, but then he went home and did it, with me critiquing his work via cell phone photos of his solder joints. That was a year ago and he is doing fine now, but is having similar problems with some other subjects that he needs to know, and is unwilling to learn, at least so far. I'll win, eventually, and force the knowledge into him somehow.

Be open minded, and do whatever it takes to learn whatever it is that interests you. Take classes somewhere to get you started, if it is necessary. I went to night classes because I wanted to know refrigeration. Then I installed a complete HVAC system with air conditioning in my former house and then serviced refrigeration and heating systems as a part time business for over 10 years. A few years later I received a US Patent for a special cooling manifold that was needed for a job that I was working on (but I was the electrical engineer on the project). I now have 8 inventions formally patented or applied for.

Because two of my uncles were carpenters and cabinet makers, I spent time watching, then helping them. My mom's brother taught me the most, and I worked for him for 2 Summers while still in high school, building cabinets and whole houses. I also took several woodworking classes and jewelry making in high school and worked on the stage sets, lighting for the shows, and movies in the auditorium. Just before graduation, the principal called me into his office and he was with another gentleman. They talked to me about stage work and then the gentleman offered me a Summer job, running the stage of his Summer Stock Theater. So, for 6 nights a week there was some kind of entertainment on that stage. A feature movie one night, Off Broadway entertainment another night, local plays, dances with music provided by rock groups who had recent hit records, local talent music shows, etc. So, with my high school experience, this job came looking for me.

I've been a volunteer fireman since I was old enough to join. Why, because my uncles, 4 of my father's brothers and my father were all volunteer firemen. Also, my mom's dad was a paid fireman, so both sides of my family were firemen. When I was 2, my grandmother made me a fireman's uniform and hat just like my grandfather's, probably from his old uniforms, and I rode in the fire truck with my grandpa in several parades.  As a volunteer fireman, I went to training sessions, and later taught the sessions. I learned fire investigation and became one of only a few in the county who were trained for that. I trained for, and then became an Emergency Medical Technician and then trained to be a paramedic for the fire company rescue squad.  After moving to the Charlotte, NC area, I joined the local volunteer fire company, but was later asked to be the Fire Marshal of the company that I was working for. A 3.8 million sq ft research and manufacturing facility with 4 fire technicians. We didn't fight fires, except to contain them until the outside fire companies got there. Our job was mostly to keep up with the required fire equipment testing of all of the fire protection equipment and sprinkler systems, and meet with the County, State, and insurance inspectors and officers to prove compliance with the regulations and to learn about any changes or new requirements. 

Never turn down a chance to learn something that you think you are interested in. If the interest is strong enough and you can't get involved another way, maybe there are some night classes to get you started. Learn as much as you can, and in no time at all, people will be asking you for your help. That tells me that I have learned it, at least better than they have. An expert? Maybe not, but you will be better at it than them.

I'm 80 and still learning. Never stop learning something new and interesting. Then do it the best that you can. Soon you will be even better at it than most others. 

 

Sorry to give this original post a sudden left turn. This was only intended as a response for Ray @OCToolguy, but I thought others might be interested too. I've left out a lot, but he will need to come here to visit or email me to learn more. Go back to 3D scrolling and the special clamps needed for it now.

Charley

[OCtoolguy]

13 hours ago, CharleyL said:

 

Ray,

I have two friends, who I used to drive the train in my Avatar with. It's a train in the Village Park just across town from where I live. Neither of them knew me before I drove the train. We are all retired from all of our jobs, and the train now. Perpetual vacation called retirement from now on.

These two friends now get me to go to lunch with them every week, along with my wife and their wives, partly so they can get me to tell stories about my life experiences. I guess I've done quite a bit in this past 80 years. You, unfortunately, are a bit too far away to join us, but you are invited, if you ever visit on the right day. We meet on Wednesdays, usually, and mostly just 3 miles from my home here, usually at a fast food burger/chicken/ice cream restaurant called Culvers. 

I have always had an interest in learning things, and if I saw a way to get involved in something that I wanted to learn, I jumped in and learned it quickly. Many ventures in learning new things resulted from this method for me. In school, I wanted to learn more about auto mechanics, so I was asking questions of a friend whose father owned a gas station/service shop. It wasn't long before he asked me to come to his dad's garage and help him. His dad's friend had a 33 Ford race car and my school friend was doing many of the repairs on it for his dad's friend. I ended up helping my friend and his dad to keep this race car going and ready for Friday night racing. They took us with them to the races as thanks for what we did to get the car ready every week. I learned a lot about cars and racing, and I was still in high school.

Be open minded and willing to learn new things that you are interested in. Find someone doing it and ask if you can help them. Learn as fast as they will teach you, but pick up every tid-bit that you can about this new venture. If working with them every day and learning quickly, you will suddenly realize that some other friends are coming to you when they need help. Pay isn't always in the form of money. Sometimes this knowledge is more valuable than money. The more you know, the more you can apply to a new job, new hobby, etc. One of these guys that I go to lunch with now, worked for the Post Office most of his career. For some reason, I have to drag him kicking and screaming into anything new, even if he needs to know it for something that he is doing. Learning to solder wires for his train set was one of these things. When I refused to do it for him and offered to sit with him to show him how, he finally let me teach him. It took a few hours of 1 on 1 instruction and trial and error, but then he went home and did it, with me critiquing his work via cell phone photos of his solder joints. That was a year ago and he is doing fine now, but is having similar problems with some other subjects that he needs to know, and is unwilling to learn, at least so far. I'll win, eventually, and force the knowledge into him somehow.

Be open minded, and do whatever it takes to learn whatever it is that interests you. Take classes somewhere to get you started, if it is necessary. I went to night classes because I wanted to know refrigeration. Then I installed a complete HVAC system with air conditioning in my former house and then serviced refrigeration and heating systems as a part time business for over 10 years. A few years later I received a US Patent for a special cooling manifold that was needed for a job that I was working on (but I was the electrical engineer on the project). I now have 8 inventions formally patented or applied for.

Because two of my uncles were carpenters and cabinet makers, I spent time watching, then helping them. My mom's brother taught me the most, and I worked for him for 2 Summers while still in high school, building cabinets and whole houses. I also took several woodworking classes and jewelry making in high school and worked on the stage sets, lighting for the shows, and movies in the auditorium. Just before graduation, the principal called me into his office and he was with another gentleman. They talked to me about stage work and then the gentleman offered me a Summer job, running the stage of his Summer Stock Theater. So, for 6 nights a week there was some kind of entertainment on that stage. A feature movie one night, Off Broadway entertainment another night, local plays, dances with music provided by rock groups who had recent hit records, local talent music shows, etc. So, with my high school experience, this job came looking for me.

I've been a volunteer fireman since I was old enough to join. Why, because my uncles, 4 of my father's brothers and my father were all volunteer firemen. Also, my mom's dad was a paid fireman, so both sides of my family were firemen. When I was 2, my grandmother made me a fireman's uniform and hat just like my grandfather's, probably from his old uniforms, and I rode in the fire truck with my grandpa in several parades.  As a volunteer fireman, I went to training sessions, and later taught the sessions. I learned fire investigation and became one of only a few in the county who were trained for that. I trained for, and then became an Emergency Medical Technician and then trained to be a paramedic for the fire company rescue squad.  After moving to the Charlotte, NC area, I joined the local volunteer fire company, but was later asked to be the Fire Marshal of the company that I was working for. A 3.8 million sq ft research and manufacturing facility with 4 fire technicians. We didn't fight fires, except to contain them until the outside fire companies got there. Our job was mostly to keep up with the required fire equipment testing of all of the fire protection equipment and sprinkler systems, and meet with the County, State, and insurance inspectors and officers to prove compliance with the regulations and to learn about any changes or new requirements. 

Never turn down a chance to learn something that you think you are interested in. If the interest is strong enough and you can't get involved another way, maybe there are some night classes to get you started. Learn as much as you can, and in no time at all, people will be asking you for your help. That tells me that I have learned it, at least better than they have. An expert? Maybe not, but you will be better at it than them.

I'm 80 and still learning. Never stop learning something new and interesting. Then do it the best that you can. Soon you will be even better at it than most others. 

 

Sorry to give this original post a sudden left turn. This was only intended as a response for Ray @OCToolguy, but I thought others might be interested too. I've left out a lot, but he will need to come here to visit or email me to learn more. Go back to 3D scrolling and the special clamps needed for it now.

Charley

Thanks Charley. I sold tools.

[Scrappile]

Okay,, been 3D cutting for several days now.. I've proven two things to myself.  I started out no clamps. not tape.. I'm tough, no need.. After cutting three pieces,, hands cramping, fingers really sore from trying to stop the thing when it started bucking and bouncing... I thought, were is that clamp I built for this?  It was right were I thought I had put it, that had to be an omen of some kind.. then try tape, just in case it really helps... I have always been dubious about the tape claims... So the new me using clamp and tape... I have cut two+ in the time it took me to do one before.  The tape does help.  Must lub something because I could cut faster.  The camp so much more control... So take the time to save time and pain.  Use whatever clamp works best for you, and do use packing tape.

[BadBob]

14 hours ago, Scrappile said:

then try tape, just in case it really helps

I just finished cutting 24 3D reindeer where I accidentally tested the tape. On some of the patterns, I forgot to add the tape. I would be cutting a reindeer and wondering why this new blade was so dull. Then I noticed the tape was missing and added tape. Suddenly the blade was cutting as I would expect.

In one of his books, Patrick Speilman says the tape has silicon on the top of the tape to keep it from adhering to itself. The silicon is what lubricates the blade.

I use a lot of packing tape, and different brands may be manufactured differently. They are not all the same. This accounts for the variation you see in the results. 3M tape works, as does the Staples store brand.