Now that MillMage is getting more attention, I decided to share my latest project. I am bringing the mill (3018 Pro extended) up to speed.
First, I removed the spoil board to gain access to the slots and open up another 1/2" of Z travel.
Then I bought some t-slot clamps to hold parts down. I saw cam clamps, but thought they were too expensive and not really suitable for aa small table.
I decided to make my own, based on various designs I spotted while browsing. I scaled mine down to about 3.5" with Lightburn. I ordered some R188ZZ bearings with 1/4" hole and 1/2" O.D.
Not knowing the 40w kerf on my A9 machine, I made a set of test holes and determined 12.3mm would give a press-fit 1/2" hole. Once I got there, I fixed the hole in the levers.
The Cut settings I settled on gave the cleanest burn with little over-burn. The Lightburn file is attached.
The image is the cam lock in action. Normally, 2 are used but I left one apart to see the detail of how it is made and assembled. The cam locks when the handle is as positioned.
Cam Locks.lbrn2 (67.6 KB)
