Workmate horizontal clamp

[jseiler]

I bought my shopbot used and it included 4 "workmate horizontal clamps". I routed through 2 of them the other night and tried to find replacements for them (both at hardware stores and online). I think they might have been accessories for workmate portable workbenches.

They're pretty cool. They have a bolt through them that you screw down to your table with a knob on the bottom side of your spoilboard. On the spoilboard topside, you can tighten them horizontally like a miniture vice against whatever you want to machine to hold it in place. They are mostly plastic too so most of the time, a slight miscalculation doesn't kill a bit or the clamp, but I screwed these ones up pretty badly.

Anyone have any clue where to get such a thing or if anyone sells workmate workbench accessories? I just can't imagine living without replacements.


John

[billp]

John,
A Google search found these;
http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/cgi-bin/schematic.cgi/blackdecker/79-018_TYPE_1

[jseiler]

That's the one, but they only list the pin as available. Dang, someone has to make something similar. They are so handy for coming up with rapid constantly changing setups like I seem to have all the time. Other bench dogs I've seen want to hold from the top, so they would tend to get in the way of safe z.

I might have to find a way to machine my own using the bot.

Thanks for the link, that's a pretty cool site.

John

[andyb]

You can find push-pull horizontal clamps at the links below. Might be another option.

Andy B.

http://www.americandrillbushing.com/toggleclamps.html#pushpullclamp

http://www.goodhandinc.com/product/access.htm
Part: Yoke with Push/Pull Clamp #GH-302-F

[mrdovey]

John...

You can also make clamps like these (http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/t-clamps.html) - or perhaps make a similar clamp out of plastic.

...Morris

[trakwebster]

Lee Valley has an elegantly simple horizontal clamp that works like a bench dog with a vise screw attached. You'll find it listed here --
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31129&cat=1,41637,41645 (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31129&cat=1%2C41637%2C41645)

The parts are metal, and the jaw is probably brass, but I see no reason a person couldn't glue or pin a nice acrylic block onto the front face of the jaw, to keep the metal parts further from your bit.

These 'wonder dogs' would require you to drill holes in the work surface, so it probably wouldn't be so great with a vacuum system, but if you had a vacuum system you'd probably not be asking.

[bleeth]

Or you can actually call B & D direct and ask them.
http://www.blackanddecker.com/CustomerCenter/Parts.aspx

[gene_marshall]

i am not a garbage picker BUT...
I can never resist grabbing one of these out of the trash.
People toss em out when the table gets wet and swells up.
i often find the parts usefull and have a few in a bucket in the back.
Let me know what you need and I'll see what I have.
Cheers
Gene

[billp]

Gene,
I hope you have your dive flag up when you do your "dumpster diving"...

[marshawk]

Gene Posts:

> i am not a garbage picker BUT...

No, he's more of a nose picker...

>i can never resist grabbing one of these out of the trash.

Where it should have been left...

>People toss em out when the table gets wet and swells up.

And when they become useless...

>i often find the parts usefull and have a few in a bucket in the back.

The bucket that has everything except whatever you need...

>Let me know what you need and I'll see what I have.

Don't hold your breath...

Sigh...,

Chip

[mikejohn]

I just love these episodes of brotherly affection

More!more!
.....................Mike

[bleeth]

Chip: Methinks you are starting on the holiday eggnog a little early this year. Cheers!!

[ed_conley]

John:

Not sure if you ever found your workmate parts for the clamp, but if you have I'd like to see a picture to see how you have it set up on your machine.

If you didn't find the part, I have found McMaster-Carr plentiful with hard to find things. Doubt they have the B&D parts but you may want to see if they have what you need to build it yourself. www.mcmaster.com (http://www.mcmaster.com)

[marshawk]

Dave, I'm not the one dumpster diving...

Besides, if you worked with Gene, you'd drink too.

Chip

[gene_marshall]

I find it ammusing that dave could be so on target.however, If I thought I could pass myself off as the "BIGGER" (LOL) man, I would do so by not firing back at such a "BROAD" target.
HO HO HO

also , that the origional part of this thread was about hard to find parts that I have also found to be useful. I do have them and they are worth grabbing. ( I have NEVER entered a dumpster to retreive them)

[jseiler]

Gene, if you look at the picture on the link Bill provided, I managled the front piece (the y shaped one). Everything else looks fine. I sanded off the uglieness and glued some wood onto the front of these to recover them, so I think I'm good. It doesn't look like b&d makes these anymore. If you have pieces like the fronts, I would be interested, but don't worry about it too much. Thank you very much for the offer.

Ed,
If I can figure out how to get a picture to post on the forum, I'll post one. If not, I can email one this week sometime.

I've become quite the fan of leaving a skin on the backside of small parts and using my 6x48" belt sander to sand that off to remove the parts. It think it was gerald_d that posted that a long time ago on the forum (I think he uses a planer for releasing).

I think I have a way to make something useful out of wood and 1/4-20" threaded rod. Its something I've wanted to do for a while anyway. Its amazing to me that someone doesn't make cheap workbench clamps like these b&d ones.

John S.

[billp]

John,
Another good option is to get the Beall wood threader. http://www.bealltool.com/threader.htm
I use it here in my shop to make fixtures,jigs, attachments, etc. It is incredibly easy to use, and it also opens up some major options for making 'knock down furniture' that not only looks great, but is a selling point because of it's uniqueness...I am SURE you could make hold downs such as you are looking for, completely out of wood, which would eliminate the possibility of hitting anythijg metal/plastic. And even if you DO hit something, you can MAKE your own replacement parts...

[mziegler]

John, I also like the technique of leaving a skin on the backside of small parts and then using a scrap board to push the parts into a belt sander to release them. Another great way to make small parts is to use a thick board to cut the parts into and then to use the table saw to resaw the parts off. One advantage to that is the parts can be made any thickness you like. Mark

[mziegler]

I am start a new thread on small parts. Mark

[gerald_d]

John, no credit to me for mentioning skins first - I learnt that from the folk who were here before me.

[marshawk]

It always comes back to the fact that I am a "full figured" man.

Jealous?

Chip

[marshawk]

Hey Folks,

I have made Gene a new avatar/flag. Here it is:


5257