On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 12:15:56 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:

I've got to clamp a think brass strip into a slot on a piece of aluminum bar
prior to finish machining the project. Machinists clamps would work except
that the screws either hiot the table or stick up to far and the mill head
would run into them.

Currently I do this.

Part 1
1. Mill the slot.
2. Fit the brass strip.
3. Place a doubled over piece of printer paper on top of the brass strip.
4. Lay a piece of aluminum bar over the paper.
5. Clamp the overlayed bar to the larger aluminum bar at the edges with
mini c-clamps and machinist clamps.

Part 2
6. Mill screw holes and pockets for the heads that partially overlap the
strip.
7. Tap the holes and insert button head screws.
8. Tighten down screws with some hand cut shim stock (about .004) under the
edge over the brass.
9. Cut mold.
10. Remove the shim stock from under the screw heads.

I'ld like to eliminate steps 3, 4, & 5 as unneccessary by using some long
nose machinists clamps. The top jaw would be machined with a small half
cylinder on the tip so it can clamp directly on the brass strip. Because
they will be long nose (to get the screws away from the work piece I think
they will need to be modestly strong. I have a few pieces of 1018 laying
around, but its really not hardenable. I can case harden the faces of the
jaws with something like Cherry Red though.

I was wondering if the 1018 would be strong enough, or if I should look for
something stronger or that can be more easily fully hardened. I do have a
little O1 on hand as well, but I rather horde it for special projects.

This particular job is a one off custom job, but the task of inserting the
brass strip (slide gate) is fairly common and I am trying to think of ways
to make it a little faster and more efficient in the future.


I would try using cyanoacrylate glue to glue the brass bar into place.
Then after milling heat to decompose the glue. Don't breathe the fumes
though. Cyanoacrylate glues are great for this type of work. I
sometimes glue parts to a faceplate in the lathe too. Your job looks,
from the pictures, like it would work well being glued.
Eric