This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://maslowcommunitygarden.org/Edge-Clamp-Connector.html
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://maslowcommunitygarden.org/Edge-Clamp-Connector.html
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Awesome!!! I am going to make some of these too
I can’t see the picture of the design on MCG or any download files. Also I’d be careful (IANAL) if it’s been patented (or another of those lawyer enriching processes) in the US to make sure there’s no infringement or that the design owner gives permission.
I agree they’re expensive, horrendously so by the time you add shipping, but they are @Playwood.it_Rob employeer’s presumably unique and innovative product.
Maybe they could throw in a Lambo (car, not field) to cover the extra expense?
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There’s a couple companies that make something similar so I think the idea of clamping pieces of plywood together should be open for general use.
Plus, I doubt that there’s much market overlap between those who want to make their own brackets and people who want to buy cool looking plastic or aluminum ones. It’s probably in the best interest of the companies who make that type of connector to see more people out in the world using them
I think I finally got all the pictures, files and commentary added to the repo 
Holy smokes, its been a while since I worked on project on github… feel like I’ve forgotten more than I ever knew.
I agree with Bar; clamping pieces of wood together should be open for general use. Lots and lots of corner and edge clamps out there. I’m also not trying to sell or profit from this; I’m just a guy sharing something I did in my garage with a little inspiration.
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I like it. I’m curious as to how well you think the edges will hold up over time to drilling/bolting through?
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Plywood in this orientation probably isn’t the best material, but I think it would hold up pretty well. Sticking a washer under both the screw head and the nut would spread the load and help out. I used a #8-32 screw in there because it was what I had on hand. If I remember right a #8-32 is good for over 500lbs of clamping force; so it’s more than adequate for most situations it think. I think one way to increase the strength would be to:
- Use hardwood
- Better plywood
- Drill an over sized hole that would allow you to glue a dowel in place and then drill the hole for the screw through the dowel
I did this just as a proof of concept… it definitely needs more testing.
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I like the idea of using a dowel. Perhaps not installing the dowel all the way through… just leave it shy an 1/8th or 1/16th of an inch would be good. That way, as you tighten the bolt, you are squeezing the plywood to the surface and not squeezing the dowels to each other… if you follow
I’m tracking you there; if you did that the remaining plywood would act like a bit of “cushion” under clamping too. Good idea.
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Hi @theRatchet thx for the awsome project!
I’m wondering: how long did it take to draw it, cut it and glue it together?
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Took me about 60 minutes to get drawn up and CAM created; this was my first Fusion 360 project on the Maslow and first Fusion 360 project in a while so I was rusty… someone more proficient in could probably do this in about 15 minutes. 2 minutes to glue (but let it dry overnight), 10 minutes to drill and put a bolt through it.
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Another option might be to use a block of hardwood (in a regular hexahedral shape like a rectangular cuboid) instead of a dowel. That would give you a greater volume to drill through and would be easier to create using the maslow…
Modify the top and bottom pieces to have a slot routed out in them to fit the block, then a shorter block could be used to recess a nut, and if you got really clever with the slot, you could capture the nut so it wouldn’t turn. Not sure when I’ll have time, but I’ll see if I can work up a model in Inventor sometime soon.
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So to get 8 pieces it would take 4,5 hr and a night for the glue to rest, more or less… Very useful data thx!
If I’ll have the time I will create a better drawing for you to put it to the test!
I would like to recall your attention to our design library and invite you to try to build something with your wood clamp and share the final results!
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Sorry… I forgot to mention that the Maslow took about 20 minutes to cut the required 4 pieces to make 1 clamp. Now that the file is done; it would take about 3.5-4 hr and a night to dry to make 8 clamps.
Your clamps most likely far superior to a wooden one and certainly save someone a lot of time. I’ll have to see what my time allows for in a couple of weeks. I’ve got 10 month old twin boys and some travel planned … so my shop time will be limited over the next couple of week
Your design library is pretty inspirational; lots of neat stuff there! Thanks for sharing.
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Been there, done that. Identical or fraternal? Congrats, btw.
