A t-nut should not be a problem there, just make sure you have enough meat around it that it holds well.
I’m surprised everyone’s having trouble with these inserts. I’ve been using them for years with no problems of them pulling out like this.
i’ve used them in other applications, particularly furniture, and they have pulled out. That said with the baltic birch it might not be an issue. I was using MDF and lower grade plywood.
just wondering but is there a chance someone has the parts individual. I want to print the dust collection PLA and the rest of the z-axis kit in baltic birch but one set is designed with the clamps to be printed as well or the maslowable version. The maslowable version has the ply dust collection which i don’t want to use. Its either mix and match or buy some PETG and learn how to print that for the clamps. Its too hot where I live to trust the clamps to the PLA.
I see now, yeah, threaded inserts wouldn’t work well going in to edge grain there. The clamps that are in the DXF file for the fully-Maslowable version will fit to the carriage plate for the printed version. The sled and spines are the only parts that are version-dependent. The gussets, carriage plates, and spindle clamps should all be inter-changable between designs. I wanted to make sure there were as minimal differences as possible.
Just in case it’s helpful, I’ve laid out all the parts in this dwg file: MeticulousSled-Drawings.dwg (207.2 KB)
Just as a warning, wooden clamps haven’t proven to be very reliable. I think that, with good plywood and possibly even doubling up the clamps, that risk can be mitigated. But, I have seen enough failed wooden clamps in this thread that I have to put that warning out there.
If you have an all-metal hotend in your printer, PETG isn’t too difficult. Printers like the Ender 3 tend to have a lined hotend, and those are not good for the printing temps you need for PETG.
Sounds like I need to bite the bullet and get petg. I’m using the makermade 300. Not a bad printer. Just have only used pla up to this point
you can get a hotter insert for the ender to do petg. something ilke this for an insert
Question on the tool list:
I was going through the instructions and its asking for 1/8" stub drill and 3/16" stub drill. How are you supposed to mount that in the router to drill the holes? Or are you supposed to do it by hand? If so then what are the hole locations being marked with? the v groove bit?
All the holes should be pre-drilled with a single-size stub drill (1/8") or center drill (#3). I’ve found that helps to minimize the required number of tool changes. The holes that are 3/16" can be opened up with a hand drill or on a drill press.
Anyone have some good places to source the heat set insert? Are ultrasonic inserts the same thing?
I prefer McMaster-Carr myself. The only downside is that you end up with way more than you need, but they’re pretty cheap.
I was at their website and they didn’t show me cost to ship when i tried to make a cart. What are their typical rates? Im in Texas
Shipping is “free”, but really they just account for it in the price for the items.
gotcha well that puts me at ease that im not going to get charged $10 for shipping something that costs $5
btw … got one of the PETG printed clamps done. Their solid. The zaxis clip i ended up flipping on its side so the “L” was up and down and printed that way. Much more durable and stable print now. I tried it on one of its flat side and i could break it too easily.
Lol, yeah. For some items, they ship them freight, so you have to pay for the freight shipping. And let me tell you, freight is expensive! I once ordered a sheet of HDPE from them that cost $80 to ship. That’s why they have weird verbage on the website.
For small items, shipping is free.
But it would be nice if they told you.
I messed up my sheet of HDPE for the bottom by accident… its usable but has a line cut in it. So i’m probably gonna have to get another sheet. just dumb mistakes when i picked the place to start from with my malsow.
I know, right? I would have found another supplier if I knew the shipping was going to be astronomical. And also needed to go to a loading dock, not my little apartment.
I also had a problem cutting my HDPE and the bit drifted into the part. I caught it, but not before there was a sizable gouge where it shouldn’t be. I just put it on anyways, thinking I would cut another at some point. I am still using the same one, I haven’t had any trouble with it so I haven’t made a new one yet. 
So I was possibly going to be in a path of a screw. I had my finger hovering over the pause button but it drifted and I hit stop instead. Then I hit the play button thinking I paused it and it started cutting a path back to home. 
A surprisingly good source of HDPE is grainger, if you are within driving distance of one of their stores, which I think are at least nationwide.
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Good point. I have one of those within a mile from here. Usually they are really pricey on most items though. I’ll have to investigate.