Monday, March 29, 2010

Hold-Downs- The Cams

Two levered cams were laid out on a piece of 8/4 beech.



The cam applies pressure as the lever is pushed down. The lobe is 1/8" higher than the tounge at rest, and 1/8" lower when engaged. The peak of the lobe is forward of centre, so when closed it wants to stay closed. The curve behind the lobe is an 8" radius, to match the kerf of the dado stack.



A rip blade was installed and the tall cheek cuts were made.



Then the blade was lowered and the shoulders were cut. Pressure was applied to the stock to prevent it falling into the blade when the supporting waste was severed.



They were then seperated on the mitre saw.

The pattern I drew on the now removed cheek was bandsawn out.



A 1/2" dowel gets chucked into the drill press and spun against a piece of sandpaper.



This skinny dowel makes it easy to test fit my template.



I used the edge sander until I was pleased with the action, then I transferred the outline to my stock.



I used the removed cheek, transfer tape, and a 1/8" shim to make a stable platform so I could bandsaw to the line.



The lobe was refined with hand tools and sandpaper. The body was then shaped on the edge sander to allow the lever to raise.



The edge sander does quick work of shaping the body and lever. The roundover at the back of the body and the handle make a natural gripping point.

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I'm a woodworker on the Canadian prairie.