Swiss Saddler Clam Drawings

[ClaimedVacancy]

Update #3.

Ive got all the parts that need gluing, glued up at this point. I did readjust the geometry for the trajectory of the swinging arm so that it would nest in the yoke (cam foot lever). This will work much better.

I also took some shots with my hand for reference. I have fairly large hands if that helps.

Next will be trimming, shaping and lots of sanding followed by precise cutting at the bottom of the arms for mounting to a slab of hardwood. And finally, after those parts, the locking device for the foot lever cam yoke.

 

[dikman]

I came across this on facebook so saved the photos but unfortunately there were only the two. The locking/release mechanism is interesting, could be an interesting project.

It is marked www.swissleathertools.ch but I can't find out anything more.

Edited Wednesday at 10:04 PM by dikman

[ClaimedVacancy]

@dikman man! Are those still up for sale on marketplace? Yeah those are ones that are still for sale on the site i posted at the beginning of the thread! I certainly haven't found out any info on them either. I did study that particular one though. In fact, I’m going to model the locking device. 

Here is update #4 for today:

All the parts are 90% shaped and sanded. So far so good.
 

[dikman]

Looking good. It was on a facebook site by a guy called Slickbald (used to post on here once I think) and the photos were posted on there, so not for sale. I had a look at the website I mentioned but it's in German and I couldn't find the clam on there.

[ClaimedVacancy]

@dikman try this one. It’s still on there!

https://shop.leder-louis.ch/en/sewing-and-stitching-tools/stitching-ponies-and-clamps/sattler-naehzange-schweizer-modell./090-007-01
 

For today’s update, more sanding in the crotch areas of the yoke cam as well as small areas of the arm. I also installed the bushing and got some precision holes drilled. Then i put it temporarily together. I did decided to give it one more layer of wood on the arms. I chose 1/4” plain maple so that it would match the ambrosia maple cover plates and be flush with them. Before the additional maple it was about a quarter shy of the edge of the cover plates. 
 

One thing to note; the use of bronze or beryllium bushings is a must in my opinion for the cam and the moveable arm. No friction points and very very smooth operation. I used 1/4” ID 3/8”s OD and im happy with that. For the bolts i just used some grade 8 smooth shank bolts. The cam is a grade bolt with the threads and head cut off and the ends polished.
 

The jaws will need work once it is screwed and bolted together. But thats for another time. I did trim them today but thats it. I very well may cut them quite a bit further and use some cocobolo to bolster that area back since i have some. 

[dikman]

That's $1500 Australian!!!! Plus shipping!

[AlZilla]

9 minutes ago, dikman said:

That's $1500 Australian!!!! Plus shipping!

For that much money, it better do the sewing for me...

[ClaimedVacancy]

My thoughts too. It’s a lot of money for such a device, and ya know, for those that need it and don’t want to make it, fine. 

I mean I’ve made all of this with only a handful of pictures, and doing the best to match contours and ratios that I can find. And it’s taken a good while to get here! I think I’m only in this project about $150 dollars at this rate. The most expensive part is the wood, and Baltic birch is not cheap anymore. If i had used poplar for everything I probably could’ve saved a few. Hardware is the next most expensive thing. But if you want to be real conscious of money, go to estate sales over a month every week and collect hardware and wood. I have so much antique hardware from those sales, and the sells would’ve thrown it all out had I not grabbed it!

[dikman]

Thinking about it I could probably make one out of pallet wood, some of that wood is pretty good stuff (and cheap) once it's cleaned up. The latching mechanism looks pretty easy to make, just a bit of welding required. The hardest part would be drawing out the pieces so it will actually work, then it's just lots of time!!

I hope you're making scaled drawings of yours as you go, ClaimedVacancy (hint,hint).. It's looking good so far. 

[ClaimedVacancy]

The only scaled drawings i have are the templates i posted earlier. Everything else has been in the moment, and it mainly boils down to what can i free hand and what can i not.

So the do not free hands are the arms, two side panels, the cam, and all of the placement holes minus the screws that go into the fixed arm. There is a fairly high amount of drilling on structure depending on how square all the wood is! For me i didn't square the two side panels, and what i’ve noticed is I’m off about 1/16” or less. I think the reason is because i went off the template and not on structure when drilling and that tends to go bad sometimes. If i had squared the arms to the side panels, and used the template holes as a guideline i wouldn’t be off anywhere. The stationary arm bolt hole is also off by 1/16 to 1/8”. This is causing the jaw misalignment. 
 

Best advice at this stage is SQUARE your parts to each other, but separately first. 
 

Overall, it’s inconsequential and can be alleviated. Mainly talking about the jaws. What ill end up doing is cutting the jaws while closed until i have an imaginary square. Ill then glue in a harder block of wood. Cut right through the center of that, and finally shape the two blocks to match the contours. 
 

For progress report #6:

I got many of the screw and bolt holes drilled and fixtured. The base is square now, and next will be jaws and getting the dowels installed to hold the upper spring. Spring will be installed after the jaws are fixed. Somewhere in between ill get the base plate squared away and fixed to the body. 
 

You can see that the cam is off as well inside. This is because the movable arm bolt hole is off, and some of that is under shaping on one side. Ill fix that later.