What's the TRICK to Using These Clamps BACKWARDS?
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- čas přidán 23. 09. 2022
- MICROJIG's MATCHFIT clamps work great and are really handy, but it seems using them reversed doesn't work so well. Am I missing something?
Check out the original sled build video HERE: • Unlimited Possibilitie...
LINKS TO MATERIALS USED TO BUILD THE SLED:
Microjig Matchfit Starter Pack - amzn.to/3DxG81I
Standard Matchfit Dovetail Clamps - lddy.no/1cmad
Matchfit Dovetail Clamps for Repeatable Operations - amzn.to/3Bwv6ac
1-1/2" Matchfit Hardware - lddy.no/1cv1e
Matchfit Dovetail Bit (1/2" Shank) - lddy.no/1cmae
Matchfit Dovetail Bit (1/4" Shank) - amzn.to/3S2ssQD
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![Microjig Matchfit Dovetail Clamps 8 months on [video 520]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/02Up8x6Zy00/mqdefault.jpg)
![Microjig Matchfit Dovetail Clamps 8 months on [video 520]](/img/tr.png)
I really, REALLY appreciate that you continue to make "maker" videos. So many channels I've subscribed to over the years have tuned into click bait and "stuff" videos. I love your style and always look forward to new videos from you. Thank you!
Seriously, quite a few of the woodworking channels I watch have turned into modern day infomercials.
I agree 100%
Use two heads on the same clamp. One in each direction. Place a piece of stock in the one in the "normal" position and clamp it tight. This will keep it from pulling through. Now the one in the "reverse" position can be tightened as much as you want to hold the workpiece.
Great idea!
Great idea for solving the physics side of it, but again, a lot more work and expense (additional clamps, and more stock for the opposite side) than just cutting channels for t track or some other option like an adjustable fixed base flip clamp. I'm not knocking your "adapt, improvise, and overcome" thought process, just so you know.
Not sure why anyone wants to overthink a simple solution. Another great explanation that I never thought you really needed. Must be a lot of engineers in your comments. ✌😎🤣
Instead of using ca glue to hold the piece over the backwards clamp, you could drill 2 holes in that little cover board and install threaded inserts on both sides of the dovetail channel. Then you can lock it down when needed and remove it easily.
EVER HELPFUL...THANKS 4ALL THE VIDEO'S I KNOW I COULD GO THE UR CATALOG & FIND SOMETHING TO HELP WITH MOST OF MY PROJECTS...THANKS AGAIN..👍🏾
In the “correct” orientation, the clamp doesn’t pull apart the dovetail grove because the stock is being pushed down and holding everything in place. An inelegant solution, then, would be to clamp something over the groove behind the reversed clamp - maybe with a toggle clamp? More matchfit clamps?
Regardless, please keep coming with the matchfit ideas, I have the system and am intrigued by the potential. Also, if you haven’t seen it, check out MorganHop’s cam clamp for the matchfit system, it’s very clever.
Thanks for sharing those tips and the make!
Another great video, thank you, Jim.
Thank you for the great content. I always love to see what you have come up with yet again. I love to create but at times lack the years of experience others have. Your videos and knowledge have helped me on numerous occasions. As great as your designs are, there will always be a "better way" according to others. As long as your creations work for you, that is all that truly matters. Thanks for sharing your mind with the rest of us.
Great explanation. If folks think that little strip of material is too much. Then they should spend a little more and just use metal T slots and their accompanying clamps. I love the simplicity of the Micro Jig dove tail clamps. A router and some wood and the possibilities are endless.
That's one thing I love in woodworking, problems solving.
I commented on the sled build that it's an excellent idea for the application, and I'd make one. With the reversing of the clamps, I think I'd simply avoid doing that altogether because it would seem like a bit of a sketchy cut if the material is going to be that narrow anyway. One of those "find a different way" situations. All that said, you addressed a proposed solution really well. Keep it up!
I love the videos, keep up the great work.
Gracias por el sacrificio de tu tabla. Tenía mi teoría, por falta de dinero y laboratorio no comprobé. Ahora confirmado.
after seeing your video, I made one similar to what you have. I only use it with pad facing the metal. I don't see the need to reverse it. I think leaving bit of material to protect the blade is a great idea. I even borrow that idea from you. Thank you.
p.s. I added fence and mitre bar to double it as cross cut sled. I can make all kinds of cut by removing the fence. Just need to hold down the work piece at two locations.
Cut down the fence to a narrow strip and route som extra slots in the sled. Your work holding clamps will then be mounted to the sled instead and able to reach over the fence. The fence isn't load bearing so a narrow strip should suffice.
If you in some situation need to reach really far over your work piece to secure it you could consider splitting the fence in two parts or make generous U cuts out to accomodate the clamps. If fact you only need two points of contact from the fence. Thus it can be reduced to two circular pieces of plywood with screws in the middle.
Great video by the way. Love how you share your thinking process and experience.
How about reenforcing the top of the fence with some steel strap or mending plates? Just adding strips of hardwood or plywood next to the dovetail grooves will help with strength.
Oh... That's pretty curious indeed! Thanks, dude! 😃
I guess it could work, but you would need to modify the clamps, welding a small heelpiece to it... Which makes things pretty messy!
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
First let me say that I absolutely enjoy your videos. I think this is a great opportunity for microjig to make a clamping head for it the match fit clamp that has an extended neck/reach so that you can get closer to the work… or maybe you cut the foot an inch shorter
Thanks!
What about adding a piece of wood/mdf under the protruding bit of the foot of the clamp? This way you don’t need to extend the sled width and you can provide support for the clamping force
Using thinker wood and cutting the dovetails deeper in turn will make them stronger. But the down side is the sled will be heavierand you'll lose a bit of clamping thinkness. But its worth it. I know I've done it and it works to an extent. Gluing 2 pieces of ¾ plywood together and using a straight bit to hog out the the center the another pass with the dovetail bit will give you what you need. I guess another wat to lessen the weight would be to only beef up the thinkness only where the dovetails where tracks are. Like a 2 or 3 inch strip. But there you would lose a lot of the adjustable. Unless you good only having the 2 or 3 inch wide strips supporting the work price from underneath. But to each ther own.
I would think if you need to use the clamp in reverse, and you still need to protect it from tearing out the upper sheet's fibers, then use another clamp, but slide it in the V groove of the bottom sheet, perpendicular to the reversed clamp and clamp both the V groove of the upper sheet and the bottom sheet - clamp the clamp. In this case, you will have more room to move.
Would it work if, rather than running the clamps reverse IN the fence, that you simply ran them in the original sled UNDER the fence and that fence would then provide the necessary down pressure to keep them from ripping through? Since you placed your dovetail grooves at an even 12” you could just notch out the fence to accommodate the clamp body when reversed., while still providing some down pressure.
Well if you drill four holes then use thread tack on bottom side you can thread a screw into it to hole it down. Hopefully you understand and good luck.
No idea how to fix it but I like the sled and may make something like it.
You can make it work by using stronger material like metal.
Either strips of metal on the top of the groove or using a metallic T rail.
You can make some blocks with dovetail bottoms and mount a toggle clamp on top and that would solve most of these issues
Another possible option would be to buy another sacrificial set of micro jig clamps and cut down halfway on it so it won't be in the way. Yet will give you the holding power
I feel the sled is a great design as is that addresses all the issues mentioned...I've made one for myself....good idea to make this video to explain the reasoning for the design...keep the ideas coming
what would happen if you made the fence twice as thick (2x4) and routed the dovetail groove twice as deep? you'd need 2 bits/passes to do it, but then you'd have twice as much material to resist pressure from the heel.
Good video
I personally would not put them in reverse. If the design was to do this, the wood holding the clamp would need to be doubled. The bottom board having the t slot, the top board with a simple slot.
@@davidfimble2217 I wouldn’t reverse them either
Instead of the protective strip on the sled how about short dowels or some other piece of wood in the dovetails as a stop?
I’ve been wondering if you have considered a trac saw? It seems like they would be a tremendous upgrade to a shop.
Track saws are great but they have limitations. A jig like this is more accurate for repeatable cuts and if you need to make a bunch of the same part it becomes really tedious with a track saw. They also struggle with material narrower than the track itself
If you were wanting a solution for this I don't think it would be easier to make than what you've already made...you could make a hard wood block to encapsulate the foot and then make a matching dovetail for the original slot on that block but it may still pull on the sled enough to break...I think it would be easier to talk with the company about making clamps with shorter legs or even cutting one short to see how that affects clamping force, but if it works the way you've made for almost every situation I think it's overkill to try and fix this tiny issue, if you really need to get close for tiny stock, I think a normal toggle style clamp could be attached to a dovetailed block and used for those occasions
How about an adjustable brace for when you reverse clamps? You set it into position and then tighten the knobs and secure it in place. Another one would be to maybe cut a piece of the metal, and then you could extend the reach without having to reverse the clamp, although i reckon those microjig clamps are too expensive for that idea.
Another one i just thought of, fastening a strip of wood to each side of the groove, maybe with screws and thicker stock, it could be able to withstand the pressure from the reversed clamp.
How about screwing a couple of sheet metal strips along the top edge of your slots to prevent the terror out, I think it will work !
I mean tearout
The workpiece is part of what makes the dovetail clamp system work. Flipping it around leaves the dovetail unsupported and very weak.
Where the foot sticks out from the fence you could have 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" scraps of the dovetail groove and slide them on like clamp pads or just scraps of wood the same thickness as the bottom of fence to bottom of the groove. On the top maybe more tee nut slots with wood or metal bar across the slot near the bend at the weak point.
I really like the MatchFit clamps, but as you pointed out... they are not useful to me in their reversed deployment with the way they pull out too easily in their routed tracks. The force only gets worse the higher the clamp is used (thicker material being clamped. Way too much leverage exerted and I never use them that way.
I only use them reversed when placed though rather thick holes drilled just large enough to fit the clamp through (like dog-holes or braced/encapsulated as you show), but that is extremely rare... a fence for a drill press comes to mind. Keeps the bottom of the clamp out of the way, pointed back and through the fence.
Maybe cut 1/2 inch off of the clamp and use it as intended.....Not sure if that would work or not.
Instead of putting glue on the strip of wood try threaded inserts with glue on the inserts, this way you can remove the strip of wood and replace it as needed.
Creo que allí no necesitas una prensa contundente.
Hey instead of cutting the grove with the router why not glue two piece of plywood to keep the clamp in place it would also make the grove more robust.
I don’t see the problem. When in the normal position, the screw looks to be right over the foot of the clamp, which is within a 1/4 of an inch from the edge of the sled. You have to have enough of the workpiece on the sled for the screw to fit on, which would probably be at least an inch or better, and if the screw lines up with the foot, then I don’t see the need for the screw to extend any farther. I guess I don’t see the worry about the foot not getting to the edge of the sled, cause unless you’re trying to clamp
only say a quarter of an inch to the sled, it should be close enough.
I feel the design of the “dovetail” could be better. Such as, angle, depth of milled slot etc.
maybe screw in an actual t-track in the fence?
Easy clamps to use, but as you have shown, they are definitely limited. I guess it depends on how much time and money you want to put into the beginning of the project... t track or dovetail.
What about using a thicker stock (let's say 1" for s's and g's) and routing a channel that's wide enough for the "trunk" of the clamp, THEN cutting your dovetail? Sounds more time consuming and risky and expensive (stock) than what I would want to do just so you can reverse the "root" of the clamp. 🤷♂️
Another clamp right behind that clamp with a piece of wood over the groove
I had that problem but mine is different. I use a hold down clamps and a diy t-track on a plywood and I solved it just by adding extra hold in the middle. If you change your dovetail plywood into aluminum or change it to aluminum t-track, problem solved. Please Check out my tapering jig if you have time. Especially on the 4:03 mark on my video
czcams.com/video/39MrokM5Tm0/video.html
Make the clamp shorter .. I mean from down
I would toss this sled and make one with T-Tracks with the appropriate clamps....problem solved. Just my personal opinion
How would that be any better than his sled?
Couldn't agree more. Less slots, use of inexpensive or home made hold down clamps using standard bolts that can be bought from any hardware store. I've made a jig similar to this with 2 T slots to move the fence and a slot for hold down clamps. Works perfectly!
@@alans1816 It's pretty obvious. T-slots would hold the clamp securely. There are many different clamps of all sizes that work in a T-slot sled. he could also make custom clamps that fits his needs.
@@Zamboni-0805 The clamp is quite secure when used as designed. It’s just when you turn it backward that there’s a problem.
T slot clamps require a much more rigid surface to clamp well, and do have advantages over the clamps used backwards. Don’t use them backwards.
@@alans1816 I agree, don't use the dovetail clamps backwards. But if you needed to clamp a wider piece of material and wanted it to be secure, then using a T-slot track and a wider clamp would accomplish this.