Thread: Hold down for mitre box

I think this 3” G clamp found at SuperCheap Auto is the right length. Just need to get the screw off it
Does anyone know if you can get nuts to go on this type of thread?

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How about a vertical Toggle clamp attached to the top of the mitre box. If it doesn't have enough reach, just put a block on top the work piece.

Attaching some crubber underneath this spacer block would ensure the work piece doesn't move.

This would be quick to adjust for the multiple frets.

The Supacheap one will likely have an Acme thread; difficult to find nuts for. You'd be better off trolling through the $2 shops for the same thing; the really cheap ones use normal metric threads like M12. Just be careful of the foot; you'll also probably need to add a wooden pad. I have a pair of horrendously cheap ones that I only use for welding as the feet are pressed steel and the peened over end of the threaded rod actually sticks about a millimeter through the foot!

A spring loaded door stop with a rubber 'foot' could be a possibility. You might have to add a bit of height to a section of the mitre box, but at $7.00 at Bunnings it shouldn't break the bank. Adoored Silver Plunger Door Stop - Bunnings Australia

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Hope this is of interest,
Alan...

A couple of other ideas not involving screw type hold downs....

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The rubber band idea may not sound strong enough but several doubles of a thick rubber band can exert a surprising amount of force. Also the correct location of the pivot point will give a good amount of leverage.

Many thanks for all the worthwhile suggestions above.

In the end I stuck with the 2" ToolPro G clamp for $5. I was dead lucky in that the thread was an M10, not an Acme. Thanks for the warning, Chief.

So I cut the steel G clamp apart with a hacksaw, and ground one end of the T-bar to remove it .

My brother-in-law had some galv steel bar, 50mm wide, and 5mm thick, perfect for what I needed.

He drilled a 10mm hole 40mm in from one end, which would position the clamp in the middle of the 40mm wide fretboard.

He then welded an M10 nut over this hole, and fitted the threaded screw from the clamp, and welded the T-bar back in a central position.

Works well. Will probably glue some rubber to the 16mm diameter foot on the screw, to increase friction.

The base is lined with 180grit ( 0.30mm thick) Wet and Dry paper to prevent slippage of the workpiece

Next step is to etch prime and spray enamel the steel plate and nut

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