Source for hold down clamp for euro slider

[Larry Fox]

I recently acquired an SCMI SI12 sliding table saw which came with one eccentric hold down clamp and I would not mind acquiring another. Does anyone know of a good source where I might find something comparable? I see the Felder has then but they are big bucks. I talked to a machinist and he could build me one but would prefer to just buy one if they are readily available.

Thanks in advance for your time . . .

[Orlyn Gaddis]

Try the MiniMax website. I have 2 of the cam type clamps on my SC4 and am satisfied with them.

[Larry Fox]

Thanks Orlyn, do you have a specific link? Going to minimax-usa.com/ I can't see where there is a link to accessories. Maybe I am just missing it.

[Kevin Woodhead]

Larry,

I use a kreg bench clamp with a tee nut screwed loosely onto the threaded end. Actually much faster to move and use than my felder eccentric clamp. $25 and works like a champ for most things I'm cutting.

[Orlyn Gaddis]

Just tried looking up parts on the MiniMax and SCMI websites and I had no success either. Try sending MiniMax an email through their "contact" link. When I ordered my saw I requested the extra clamp (came standard with one clamp) at the same time. The clamp was $175. The Kreg bench clamp mentioned above looks like a very good alternative and a lot less money so worth a try.

[Bill Neely]

I use a Kreg bench clamp too and I've also cut the heads off of a couple of quick grip clamps and welded on a piece of bar stock that fits the slot.

[Stephen Cherry]

I use a Kreg bench clamp too

Me three, works great.

[Greg Portland]

I recently acquired an SCMI SI12 sliding table saw which came with one eccentric hold down clamp and I would not mind acquiring another. Does anyone know of a good source where I might find something comparable? I see the Felder has then but they are big bucks. I talked to a machinist and he could build me one but would prefer to just buy one if they are readily available.

Thanks in advance for your time . . .

Now might be a good time to consider air clamps. The far clamp can be slaved to the near clamp... the setup is really slick. "Airtight" and "Big Squeeze" are the two options that I know about.

[Jim Becker]

Contact Eric Loza at Mini Max. He's a member here at SMC, too. He can help you out with SCMI and Mini Max accessories.

[ian maybury]

Know you would prefer to buy ready made Larry, but DIY isn't too difficult if it comes to it. These are from modified F clamps with fully threaded M20 hex bolts welded to the bar which screw into tapped holes in the block over the T nut. Quite apart from being much cheaper they are purposely lighter than the stock Felder units. The T nuts are machined from phenolic on a router table. They work very well so far, although i can't say they have been tested in all conceivable situations....

clamp in use.jpg

[Jim O'Dell]

Wish I had a picture of what you are trying to duplicate. In the absence of that, are any of these similar?
http://www.icontact-archive.com/GANo...qIBaadXA5F?w=4 Jim.

[Erik Loza]

Contact Eric Loza at Mini Max. He's a member here at SMC, too. He can help you out with SCMI and Mini Max accessories.

Hi Jim! I can try my best to help folks out with parts and accessories but actually work in a completely separate database from the parts folks. What I suggest is to register online for an SCM Group Parts-Pronto login code, like Orlyn apparently did below, and then you can view the pricing on any item. If someone has a need, however, don't hesitate to shoot me an email and I will do my best to help them out.

Just tried looking up parts on the MiniMax and SCMI websites and I had no success either. Try sending MiniMax an email through their "contact" link. When I ordered my saw I requested the extra clamp (came standard with one clamp) at the same time. The clamp was $175. The Kreg bench clamp mentioned above looks like a very good alternative and a lot less money so worth a try.

You know, this is a very good point. I myself wonder how our parts department arrives at some of their retail pricing. I mean, it's just a clamp and a gib nut... The router spindle for our shapers is like $500. That sounds expensive on paper but when you hold one in your hands and see how sophisticated the machining is, you go, "Yeah, I can see that it is not inexpensive to manufacture this...", but the eccentric clamp??? Personally, I am all in favor of aftermarket solutions on stuff like this. It's just an accessory and the customer ought to have options. If someone knows of a reasonably priced aftermarket eccentric clamp that is similar in size/spec to the OEM one we provide, please drop me a line. I would love to know about that.

Now might be a good time to consider air clamps. The far clamp can be slaved to the near clamp... the setup is really slick. "Airtight" and "Big Squeeze" are the two options that I know about.

This... ^^^ If I had an 8'+ saw and was running lots of panels, the cost for a couple of pneumatic clamps would pay for itself pretty quickly.

Know you would prefer to buy ready made Larry, but DIY isn't too difficult if it comes to it. These are from modified F clamps with fully threaded M20 hex bolts welded to the bar which screw into tapped holes in the T nut. Quite apart from being much cheaper are purposely lighter than the stock Felder units. The T nuts are machined from phenolic on a router table. They work very well so far, although i can't say they have been tested in all conceivable situations....

clamp in use.jpg

That is a great solution, Ian. I had one owner do something similar, where he fabricated the gib nuts out of phenolic scrap. Garolite (phenolic) can be machined just like metal and the offcut scraps are cheap on Ebay. Just a thought.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[David Kumm]

Not the cheap option but look at www.airtightclamps.com I've got both the Felder and SCMI manual clamps and they are not ideal if you do much work on the saw. Even non panel work is reassuring when the hands are never part of the program. The key is having the clamp tilted either towards or away from a fence a few degrees as they want to pull stuff when tightened down. A big solid base is important too. Lots of stress on the table slot and extrusions are not as thick as they used to be. Dave

[Larry Fox]

Guys - thank you very much for all the helpful information. I picked up one of the Kreg clamps over the weekend and am going to give it a whirl in a configuration similar to what Ian shows. I have a small local machine shop that I use and I might have him make me a bracket or so to adapt the clamps in different configurations. This is an older SCMI with pretty thick extrusions although I do share the concern about too much force bending or otherwise damaging them. This is my first experience with a slider and it is so versatile relative to the cabinet saw I had that my mind is spinning with the various jig and work-holding opportunities it presents.

[Stephen Cherry]

msc has t nuts that may work

http://www1.mscdirect.com/eCommerce/...Nuts/_/N-77e33