@Retiree @Chucky_ott Iâm looking at either designing something similar or buying the files for something similar.
Clearly, I am missing something in this exchange, so I am hoping you guys are help me out. I just looked at the Genmitsu clamps and watched the videos. Correct me if I am wrong, but according to the video, the âwedgeâ piece slides into the track. The clamp piece slides along the top of the track. The bolt âsandwichesâ the track between the wedge and the clamp. The clamp is not threaded. The wedge is. It is serving as a ânutâ in effect.
The width of the clamp is 15mm, which will easily slide along the top of the Sienci track, fitting into the gap between the two spoil board slats on each side of the track. So, thatâs not the issue.
Again, if I understand the issue, it is that the âwedgeâ will not fit into the Sienci tracks. However, since an 1/4 x 20 nut will, what is the issue with such a nut replacing the âwedgeâ.
I know that itâs not the holding power, as I use hold downs routinely that have a bolt running up through the track into the wooden clamp, on which I spin a good sized wooden knob. I can reef on that pretty good and I have never had one pull out of the track. So, I am lost here.
Another question that I have is how does the genmitsu clamp accommodate the changing difference in height between the top of the track and the top of the spoilboard? In the video, the track is recessed below the top of the spoilboard, which is normal. Over several re-surfacings, that recess gets less and less. What prevents the bolt from bottoming out in the track before it clamps?
Since my clamps use a bolt in the track, this is not a design issue that I had to deal with. Hence, my question. However, I can see why one would not want to use a bolt and knob approach with this style of clamp. Even a small knob would likely be in the way.
Thank you for any design details you can provide.
No, I believe the bottom of the clamp is flat and sits on top of a track or any other flat surface. You fasten it to the track with the supplied t-nuts or to your spool board with insert nuts.
The problem Retiree appears to be having is that his spoilboard is tight against the 3/4" Sienci t-tracks. The clamp width appears to be 22mm, which is wider than 3/4" (+/- 19mm).
As I see it, he has several options:
- Reduce the width of his spoilboard so that there is at least a 22mm gap between them. That way, the clamps will sit on the track.
- Get a longer bolt and have the clamp sit on the spoilboard.
- Buy or make a clamp that is 19mm or 3/4" in width. If they come with t-nuts, he would have to replace them with regular nuts that fit inside the Sienci tracks
@Chucky_ott I read the specs differently. The clamp is 22mm long and 15mm wide. The 15mm easily fits along the 19mm track. The Sienci track is the same width as any other track that I have come across - 19mm/.75" - , so I donât see how that can be the issue.
@gwilki I did not find any definite specs on the width but the description says itâs 56mm x 22mm x 21mm and Retireeâs description in one of the posts says they were a bit wider than the tracks. So Iâm guessing the width is either 21mm or 22mm.
@Chucky_ott I read the pic in your previous post wrong. The 15mm is height. On the amazon site, it says the width is 21, as you say.
The problem with that is that will not fit on any track that I have seen. So, I can only guess that the genmitsu track is not the standard 19mm/.75" that is common and is the Sienci spec, too.
Anything that I may design will definitely not be functional only on a proprietary track.
Tks for the clarification, Charles.
@gwilki Oddly enough, the Carbide Create clamps says they have a width of 25mm but they also show them fitting on a track. So i dunno what size track they use. 3/4" is the most common one but Lee Valley does sell a 7/8" wide track for 5/16" bolts
Folks. I very much appreciate you sharing your expertise and wisdom (I have less than one year hobby experience). Seems to me that a possible solution would be to remove the wasteboards and make them a few mm narrower to be able to mount the toe-clamps directly onto the T-track, as designed . Will create a dust trap against the T-track, but that is what shop vacâs are forâŠ
Or, better yet, make the waste boards a tad wider to overlap the T tracks. The clamps then sit on the waste boards and it helps keep the T tracks down as well.
@Retiree My spoil board slats are narrower as well. About a 3mm gap on each side of the track. The inside of the tracks are dust traps, so why worry about a few more. Yes, a shop vac is your friend.
That said, by narrowing your spoil board, the clamps will only sit on the clamps when they are oriented in the x direction. If you need to orient them in the y direction, they will sit on the spoil board and youâd need a longer bolt to reach the nut. So why not just get a longer bolt and have it sit on the spoilboard in both directions?
Have ordered the 3D Carbide clamps - they are just under 1" wide according to their info, so will sit on top of my spoilboard by about 1/8" on each side. Their T-nuts are too large, so will have to adjust - grinding? M6 nuts? etc.?