ADrummond
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2003
- Location
- Portland, OR
I picked up a 5' square platen recently, and after wrecking a shop crane (a rental, fortunately) moving it, I need to figure out how I'm going to use it. It came with four gooseneck (?) type clamps, that look as though they're supposed to be hammered into the square holes or maybe held in with wedges. I'm looking to make something more repeatable, that I can leave set up between parts. Maybe pipe clamps, held vertically in the holes with square plugs (imagine a stepped square washer, with the reduced diameter a snug fit in the square hole). I'd weld the pipe to the top plug, and put a pin through the pipe below the bottom plug. These would be the kind of clamp referred to as a sliding-head clamp, rather than the more common type with the "fixed" jaw moving along the pipe. See p. 2408 of the McMaster-Carr catalog for an example, though I'd like a deeper throat than what they offer (2.5", IIRC). They do have 7" throat clamps, but not in a sliding-head version - I'd have to make the end that goes through the platen adjustable, which is certainly possible, especially given the limited range I'll require - it just won't be as convenient.
What else do folks use on these tables? I've seen Acorn's website, and don't recall seeing anything intended to hold work down - but that part of the site is down right now, so I can't go back to be sure.
Any ideas?
thanks,
Andrew
What else do folks use on these tables? I've seen Acorn's website, and don't recall seeing anything intended to hold work down - but that part of the site is down right now, so I can't go back to be sure.
Any ideas?
thanks,
Andrew