Lazyman commented about 4 hours ago You might consider giving the clamping face a slight downward angle like is often down with bench dogs. This may help to push the work piece down and further reduce the chance of a release during a machining process.
That's definitely an option. I've used the clamps already to cut some wooden knobs, and they're holding well at right angles, even without any sandpaper attached. What I'd lose if I put an angle on the pad is that I wouldn't be able to flip them top-to-bottom. I was thinking that if the cam lever movement was obstructed in one direction, I could flip the clamp upside down so the cam could move in the opposite direction.
