DIY Clamps #4: Cam/Plunger Clamp (rev. 2)

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This is part 4 in a 7 part series: DIY Clamps

The previous plunger clamp functioned great, but it seemed a bit wide for what it needed to do.  For rev. 2, I slimmed it down.  Instead of the sliding plunger motion being constrained by a track in the body, I changed the design so it could slide over a inner "rail".  In this design, the inner rail needed to be stationary to make sure the plunger maintains linear travel.  This could be achieved by just gluing the rail to both top and bottom pieces, but that would mean making the plunger captive.  Before I went that route, I thought I'd try an option that allows the clamp to be disassembled.

I'll glue the rail to the bottom piece, but leave the top unfastened.  I added a indexing pin to the the rail, which will help prevent the unfastened top piece from shifting when the cam is tightened.





The end of the exposed plunger gets built-up with some cross grain strips so the clamping surface is 3/4" tall.


First test. 



I think this is a winner.  They're unobtrusive (only 1-1/4" wide) and they do the job.  Next time I would reduce the gap between the rail and the plunger.  I allocated a 1/64" gap on this prototype, but as small as that is, it still feels a little loose.  I'll half that for later ones. 

I can adapt this design for clamping perpendicular to the track by elongating the whole thing and changing the bolt hole to a 3" long slot (which is the distance between the exposed tracks).
It looks good Ross, should hold items in place like you want.

Main Street to the Mountains

Nice way to attack a problem and come up with solutions Ross. Always appreciate seeing you train of though as things evolve.

I'm always interested in the mechanical side of things. With these clamps I was glad to see you using the PVC bushing approach (like with your tilt table) to take care of the big friction points.
With this iteration, are you concerned about the cam digging a groove into the sliding block? I was wondering about a strip of HDPE drawer slide tape at that point. Of course that could cause trouble if the cam then decides to not hold position and slowly self-release.
Thanks, gents.

Splinter - I had the same thought about using the HDPE tape to reduce wear at that point, but also realized that it would reduce friction where I wanted friction, so I didn't bother.   I also thought I could put a thin veneer of the same ash over the end grain of the plunger if needed, if it's getting worn or causing wear on the cam.  I can always replace the parts, too.  I'll just wait and see how they hold up before I solve a problem that may not exist.