Clamps for mill

[ericc]

Hi. I experienced some slippage and consequent gouging on my horIzontal mill while cutting the groove in my steady rest base. It was probably the result of using a c-clamp to hold the piece against an angle plate. I bought to seemingly more suitable clamps at a garage sale. Would these work better?

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

I like the kant twist they hold very strong.

Kant-Twist T-Clamp, 2 In, 1-1/4 Throat, 800 lb, Zinc K020T | Zoro

Order Kant-Twist T-Clamp, 2 In, 1-1/4 Throat, 800 lb, Zinc, K020T at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

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[mikey]

I have several sets in 3 sizes of those machinists clamps, the top on in your pic. They clamp tight but they do not excel at resisting twist. They are best used with the part supported on a block or parallel that is at the base of an angle plate. C-clamps and Kant Twist clamps are fine, too, and I have multiple sizes of both. The problem with these is that sometimes there are features on the part that won't allow you to fit them in place. These clamp tighter than the machinists clamps but you should also support the part with a parallel or solid shim so the part cannot rotate.

Bottom line is you will accumulate multiple kinds of clamps because nothing works for every situation. And yes, you did good.

 

[ericc]

Hi. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep an eye out for the Kant Twist clamps. The problem that I was having was that the part spun under the clamp pad. Less chance of that happening with the parallel type of clamp, but probably what I should have done is put a temporary screw in it and place a jack underneath. A jack alone would not work because the base was at 45 degrees.

 

[Illinoyance]

That steel c clamp would be my choice.