So I started in on making cam clamps. Since I've never made one before, I decided to make just 1 and see if I could produce some decent results. I'm not quite done with it, but I like the results so far. I feel fairly certain it will do it's job. I do however finally need a drill press to drill the cam fulcrum and the relief hole for the upper jaw cut. I knew it was inevitable. I'll have to get the drill press before I can complete the cam clamps, so I'll be waiting a while to get back to the guitar.
These are made from a really great piece of white oak I found at the local specialty hardwood supplier's cast off bin. 6 feet long, 1.5 inches thick and 5.5 inches wide for 5 bucks. It had some checking on the end which is why it ended up in the bin. But I'll work good for this purpose.
These will have 8.5 inch jaws. Sufficient to reach the middle of the x for the x brace.
And, joy of joys, my band saw blade is finally getting dull. I've resawed a bunch of cedar with it, a bunch of white oak, cut a bunch of maple on it when I made my plane. So I suppose this has been a good stretch. Why can't tools just stay sharp indefinitely?
