The typical hacker can never say no to more tools. And when it comes to clamps, one just can’t have enough of them. From holding small PCB’s to clamping together large sheets of plywood, you need a variety of sizes and quantities. So it would be pretty neat if we could just 3D print them whenever needed. [Mgx3d] has done that by designing 3D printable bar clamp jaws with a quick release mechanism that can be used with standard T-slot aluminum extrusion. This allows you to create ad-hoc bar clamps of any size and length quickly.
The design consists of two pieces – the jaw and its quick release lever, and does not require any additional parts or fasteners for assembly. Both pieces can be easily 3D printed without supports. The quick release lever is a simple eccentric cam design which locks the jaw in place by pushing down on the extrusion. The design is parametric and can be easily customized for different sizes, either in OpenSCAD or via the online customizer. The online customizer supports Misumi 15 mm and 20 mm extrusion, 1″ 1010-S and 20 mm 20-2020 from 80/20 Inc., 15 mm from OpenBeam and 10 mm from MicroRax. But it ought to be easy to create fresh designs in OpenSCAD. Check out the video after the break to see the bar-clamps in action.
If you’d like to start equipping your shop with more 3D printed tools, look no further. We’ve featured many types over the years, such as the StickVise and its Gooseneck System, this 3D printed rubber band PCB Vise, and even a 3D printed Mini-Lathe.
