just wondering how this company releases clamps that run into the vacuum system. This is so retarded. Do you guys have engineers working for you??? Literally every time i go to clamp a piece down the ■■■■ the hell out of me. Totally missed this one guys… We really need an upgraded clamp system to be sent out. It’s like you guys really gave up once the machines were going out the door. Do I have to create a totally custom one, start a manufacturing company, and start distributing them to pick up your slack? What’s going on here?
how do the clamps move??possibly your project material is to small.
try painters’ tape and ca glue. super glue
1 Like
running into your clamps is not the only option.
one could use oversized workpieces, or don’t carve so close to the edge (clamps), or use different clamps, there are many community member created and shared clamp projects in the “projects” section at the top of this web page… 
When a company makes a machine 4x4 they are planning on customers using 4x wide stock… All of your suggestions take extra time and custom parts to get this typical 4x stock attached at cutting. Suggesting glue and double sided tape is passable for one-off projects or if you are a small time cnc guy
This is all extra work that the manufacturer could and should clear up on their end. either the source of the issues solves it or this constant trickle down time suck continues at every level.
@BradMarquette.
Am a rank beginner at cnc’s but do understand that no manufacturer can possibly know the intended use for their machine. I suspect it is a mistake for any manufacturer to offer clamping systems other than perhaps a full on vacuum table.
In my work and business life in the past have figured out hold downs and clamping systems for things as diversified as wooden airplane propellers, curved walls on construction projects, clamps, fixtures and jigs for jewelry, and more things than I can think of so spent my first couple of weeks using the machine to make the clamping systems that I expected to need, in fact just today installed a fence on my spoil board so I could cut multiple mortises on a board, on one set up.
1 Like
Reviving this thread on account of this mornings frustration… I am so curious how much unnecessary money and hours have been spent placing clamps, replacing bits after clamps are run into and replacing motors due to these stock clamps? There is a huge trickle down affect that’s actually tacking money away from makers and this company for having to replace parts. Can we get a response here from @inventables? Knowing how much time clamping takes to set up is there an update your guys are working hard on to solve this problem you guys created? Was it too much work when getting these machines out initially? Any thoughts at all? You guys are so close to a great product just finish the job and save everyone time and money with a updated system? I have to hammer on this but every week I’m loosing hours and money. Talk soon
@BradMarquette
Brad what kinds of shapes are you trying to hold down?.
Once you have a flat surface blue tape and ca glue is hard to beat, no clamps.
Think about the forces you are trying to resist, it is pretty much X and Y axis pressure as the bit plough through the wood, there is very little lifting moment and the .down pressure is dealt with by the spoilboard.
One rather slick method which I saw was to have a moveable fence with bolts to at least two of your t tracks.
Set up a couple of pins in dog holes ( I use pex pipe bits cut to length as the router can just plough through them with no damage and new pins are cheap and easy.)
Then with the fence fixed a few inches away from the workpiece, I tap in a couple of long wedges so that the work is pressed against the pins and the wedges hold very well. Very quick for production work and nothing above the work piece.
Hello @AnthonyBAldridge . Thank you for your reply here. I am trying to hold down 4x8 sheets of ply and 6-8" wide hardwoods at .5-1.75" thicknesses. I am very aware of the forces when dealing with clamping against a router. The issue here is the complete lack of attention given by @InventablesXcarve to creating a system that functions with its own stock parts. This is causing literally $100,000’s to be put into new bits and cnc motors. Are most people not trying to hold down sheets of plywood? Literally WTF!!!
I appreciate the suggestions of double sided tape and CA glue but the single use trash and toxic chemicals used is just a toxic substitution for lack of engineering. I mean am i the only one trying to engineer our lives away from toxic materials and methods. I hope not.
This has been my Monday Morning frustration release. Great machine until your start cutting
Someone needs to design a CNC file for a vacuum table and post it! Hey maybe this can be a chance for @inventables to show they still care after they mail you a machine!?
@BradMarquette, If you are a manufacturer of CNC’s you have no way of knowing the intended use for the machine.
Logically how can anyone predict the clamping needs of a huge range of customers and their range of uses.
with plywood you are limited to edge clamping, screws/brads, the dreaded tape & glue, or a vacuum table.
For boards try the fence and long wedges, tap the wedges in to get a good hold, very fast and very repeatable with a bit of thinking.
Best not to get mad at the manufacturer for not being able to offer solutions for an infinite array of hold down requirements.
One of the challenges for many of us is the clamping problem, I enjoy the puzzle solving.
Somehow the point has been mossed here. If the stock clamps are used at all with the stock dust collection they run into each other. That ain’t right. Especially when they’re making this for typical garage makers. I understand its not an easy solution but solving this at the top is still the cleanest answer
Not exactly a true statement. However you are limited to staying 3-ish inches away from the stock clamps but they still can be used together without running into each other, so long as the operator considers that limitation during the CAM process.
And You’ve got a CNC, you could cut smaller profile clamps so use on the cnc…
No matter what Inventables provides, they wouldn’t possibly make everybody happy.
There are other X-Carve Pro owners with self made vacuum tables if you wanted to see those… here’s one: Test carve first time using brand new build vacuum table and NO TABS X carve pro vacuum table 1- 3/4 mdf sheet 2- 3/4 pvc pipe (2) 3- 3/4 elbow (8) 4-... | By Frank | Facebook
Yes it is a true statement. Have you ever used the X-carve pro with dust collection and the T-slot clamps? If you have you would know.
So in my opinion having each builder do custom one off designs is a complete waste of time especially because the company, the one who’s supposedly done the engineering, should hold this responsibility. You could make 95% of builders happy by making a clamp that works with .25-1" material. This ain’t rocket science!
I appreciate the vid. Shows its possible. But this explains my point… That dude had to make a custom design. Has to wait to get an enormous amount of comments to get him to make and explanation or a video actually showing how its built. Maybe make a file if there is one and this BS going on and on.
How about the company who’s producing this machine designs a system? This ain’t too much to ask y’all are just a bunch of complacent ■■■ jerry’s