Drill Press Vise-Grip-style Clamp Improvement

You know how it's kind of painful to have to keep screwing and unscrewing that awkward nut on the bottom of the drill press clamp? Enough that you think twice about using the clamp at all, even though you know it's safer with things clamped down?

This gives the ease and convenience of keeping the lower part of the drill press clamp attached. You don't have to unscrew it every time. Just drop it through the slot in the table and twist.

Both of my drill press clamps have an M12 x 1.25 mm threaded post. My drill press table has 14 mm slots. If your dimensions differ, this likely won't work for you.

The thread is probably going to be tight at first. At least it was for me. For first assembly, I held the printed part in a vise. Then, after screwing the clamp post in all the way once, it was free enough to turn by hand (without the vise).

I printed two of these in PLA and they seem to be working fine, so far anyway. I don't forsee a lot of running the thread in and out, so I don't think wear is going to be a huge issue. Time will tell.

There is no need to use supports.

Thanks to Rick Sparber and Björn Lindström. I saw this document and thought it had some excellent ideas. Then I looked at what an M12 tap would cost me (for what might be a single use), and balked. After letting it sit on the back burner for a while, I had the thought that a thread that big could be printed in plastic, and here we are.

(By the way, Rick's site has quite a pile of other good ideas)

Category: Machine Tools