LM 2.5 with Sienci t-track. Want to get toe-clamps. Units on Amazon do not fit Sienci t-track dimensions. Advice? Thanks
Do you have any additional details? āUnits on Amazonā is pretty vague. How many variations did you purchase and try? Do you have the dimensions or links for us to compare?
The Sienci Labs T-Tracks should accommodate 1/4ā-20 hex bolts as stated on the description page.
You can replace the t track bolts. They are available in various sizes for both the bolt head and thread.
Sienci T-track width to hold bolt āheadā is 11.3 mm. On Amazon: Genmitsu Upgrade Aluminum Mini Vise Toe Clamp 4PCs, High-Precision CNC Router Clamp for Woodworking & Metalworking Milling Project, Size 56 x 22 x 21mm, Low Profile. The āheadā is 16mmx15mm, which is too large.
I was going to suggest using t-nuts but they are 12.7mm in width. Maybe you can grind them down. They would require a 1/4"-20 bolt though.
Or look at the t-tracks that Lee Valley sells. Their width are definitely at least 12.7 mm. Thatās what I have in my Altmill. I can measure the width when I get back home later tonight or tomorrow.
They also sell t-tracks for 5/16" bolts. Maybe those are 15mm inside width.
What type nut and bolt are in the toe clamps?
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Never mind. They use M6 bolts.
Why not just change the t-nut that comes with the toe clamp for regular m6 nuts?
Thank you for suggestions. Seems replacing the Genmitsu nut with a regular M6 nut is the most practical approach. M6 nut takes a 10 mm socket, so should fit.
@Retiree
You donāt want it to only fit in the slot, it also needs to lock in place when you turn the bolt. Ideally, the distance between two vertices is more than 11.3 mm while the distance between two edges is less than 11.3 mm
Update. Bought the Genmitsu toe clamps. They do not fit! In process of returning (thank you Amazon).
The T-track nut was the obvious issue, and happy to do some grinding, nut replacement, etc., however, the body of the clamp (no width dimensions published) does not fit onto the Sienci T-track - it is a bit too wide. Love the concept, but, need something which FITS! Advice welcome.
@Retiree Why does it matter if itās wider than the track if it sits on top of it? Or is it because you donāt have enough space in between the spoilboard slots?
Precisely. I put my spoilboard slats tight up against the T-track. The Genmitsu clamps are about 2mm or so too wide to fit between the gap in the spoilboard slats and sit directly on top of the T-track as designed. If I try to raise the clamp onto the spoilboard surface and angle it a bit, the screw is too short and the ātoeā contact is at an angle, of course. I could potentially grind the width down along the full length of the clamp, but decided too much hassle. To their credit, Genmitsu indicate compatibility with āmostā CNC installations. I like the approach of using toe clamps. Anyone have suggestions for make/model, etc. which fit?
I suspect that if I were to use those clamps, Iād want the top of my spoilboard to be flush with the top of my t-tracks. In which case, the gap would be irrelevant. If they sit well below the spoilboard, Iām not sure how much clamping youād actually get from them.
As I see the picās, and when I examined them, the clamps are designed for metal/metal contact. Makes sense to me.
@Retiree Take a look at these: Crush-It Pro Clamps - Carbide 3D
Thanks for the suggestion. I note the design is similar to the Genmitsu clamps in that they both get attached to the T-track along the length. I will contact them to get precise dimensions.
Contacted Carbide 3D and sent precise measurements of the Sienci T-track. Response: ānot compatibleā. Sienci indicates their T-tracks are āuniqueā in that they are designed to take 1/4" bolts - OK, but if this approach means one cannot buy/install various other workholding solutions from multiple manufacturersā¦ If I had been aware, I would have bought other T-tracks. Is anyone at Sienci listening? Most frustrating.
I use the genmitsu clamps that are ahown above on my shapeoko pro table and they work for my use without resting on the aluminum track but rather on the spoilboard.
@Retiree Thatās the easy way out for them. If you told them you had Sienci t-tracks, they probably didnāt want to help you. If the width of those clamps is less than the t-track, then Iām sure theyād fit with a machine screw and bolt instead of a t-nut. The Sienci track width, like pretty much every other track, is 3/4".
But at $60 for two clamps, well, uh, never mind.
Like @spcnc says, the Genmitsu clamps would probably have been ok sitting on top of the spoil board. All you needed to do was use a longer machine screw.
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Sienci T-track is .728 and therein lies the problem. As I see the picās, both Genmitsu and Carbide clamps are designed to sit fully on the T-track to provide maximum holding power. Yes, one can use longer fasteners and place the clamps on the spoilboard, but the holding power is then compromised. In my case, if on spoilboard, the Genmitsu clamps would have about 1mm of contact along each edge, and prone to slipping if not perfectly aligned. Not a high confidence level for me. Btw, Carbide indicated non-compatibility due to the t-nut being too large - just like the Genmitsu ones. I have asked Carbide to confirm exact width of their clamp. If it fits onto the .728 width of the Sienci T-track, I will buy a set and modify the fastening. They use M6 fasteners.
BTW, and for the record, a lot of people seem to cut their spoil board slats with the edges overlapping the T track. This would leave a slot about the same width of the T track opening which would help keep the T track down and fix your issue with your 1 mm of contact.
Another option, if you havenāt invested in the whole T track design idea is to use the āMatchfitā system by āMicroJigā.