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I need to hold small pieces of wood in place to be drilled by a mini computer-numerical control (CNC) mill. I have a book stand (no affiliation) that has two "springed pegs" fastened with screws:

Springed pegs allow very thick book

I think these would do very well and I could not find such springed pegs separately. Are they available under a different name?

Update: My current solution prevents the pieces from shifting horizontally by slotting them in a pocket with their exact size with 5 mm of depth. I have been holding the pieces in place with double-sided tape and it works. A milling job takes about a minute and I have hundreds of pieces, so I am looking for a quicker solution. The machine uses a downcutter that presses the wood into the bed, so I think light tension would be enough.

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3 Answers 3

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Not what you're asking for, but maybe even more suitable? These are also available in a low-profile version. Google "toggle clamp".

enter image description here

Or these? Google "spring plunger".

enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ The toggle clamp is a good find. This particular one might hamper the CNC mini mill head and I found others whose clamped position is horizontal. $\endgroup$
    – miguelmorin
    Dec 22, 2019 at 18:15
  • $\begingroup$ I don't understand how a "spring plunger" works and how it would help. Can you elaborate? $\endgroup$
    – miguelmorin
    Dec 22, 2019 at 18:16
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    $\begingroup$ Another description of a spring plunger might be "A springed peg with screws". That rounded thing on the left end of the picture is on a spring that slides inside the screw. But -- for this kind of thing, a toggle clamp should be way better, for a lot of reasons. $\endgroup$
    – TimWescott
    Dec 22, 2019 at 23:54
  • $\begingroup$ Due to the pandemic, I never got to test these, but I'm confident they will work. $\endgroup$
    – miguelmorin
    Dec 16, 2021 at 18:42
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The standard solution is to use milling clamps. These consist of a screw that fits in the T-slots on the milling table, and a sturdy metal fitting that holds down the work. They're available in various forms to fit different situations.

Spring clamps would have to be massive to provide enough force to keep the work from sliding around. But your solution helps with that.

enter image description here

The item you're looking for is a flat spring clip with a thumb screw.

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  • $\begingroup$ Yes, "flat spring clip" is the name I was looking for. I will try both that and the toggle clamp from TimWescott next month. $\endgroup$
    – miguelmorin
    Dec 22, 2019 at 18:23
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As you have the "pocket" already, one method would be to have holes in the pocket base and use a vacuum cleaner to "suck" the piece down.

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  • $\begingroup$ This is a nice idea for a larger scale. I'll keep it in mind. $\endgroup$
    – miguelmorin
    Dec 22, 2019 at 18:18

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