Mini Pallet for Sherline 2000 Mill and others

[Toolmaker51]

abridged

An array of orthogonal T-slots may be a better alternative than the traditional array of drilled or tapped holes. The slots are easier to clean and, used with slotted strap clamps, can offer even greater flexibility in clamp placement than holes can.

The plate should be fitted with a removable block that can be attached to the plate bottom. Size said block so it fits in both the mill vise and the bench vise. Not having to remove the mill vise in order to use the plate will save time. Holding the plate in the bench vise while attaching parts is often easier than doing it under the mill head. The attached block need not be square; for instance, an hexagonal block allows for more clamping angles.

Removable fences on the sides of the plate can be helpful in managing part arrangements while clamping. Their removability is important so that once the parts are clamped the fences won't interfere with the mill tooling.

If you are going to employ a hole array, consider letting it design itself. Scribe what you think would be a good array on the plate. Later, when you need a hole, try to drill it on one of the points where the lines intersect. If through holes are drilled at the tapdrill size of the standardized thread you've decided upon for your clamping, the holes can be tapped at a later date if so required.

Agreed 100%, Mr. Klotz. Slots are the go-to in flexibility, for all the reasons holes are not. The only advantage of holes are in being seemingly easier to make.
Hole or tee-slot spacing should base on slot length of clamp tooling. The failures of strap clamping often due to misapplied ratio between toe and heel to fastener.

[jjr2001]

Great answers from both Marv and Toolman51. My spacing was to allow most of my Sherline accessories and other small fixtures to be mounted to the plate.
Material was not surfaced by me prior to use. It was precision plate from my special material shop Southwest Steel. All threaded holes are 10-32 for my small clamps and also Sherline uses 10-32 extensively. The larger holes are 1/4" for the use of dowel pins if desired for one or two sides of a part. The 10-32 holes all have 10-32 nylon set screws in them when not in use to prevent them from being "chip catchers".

Cheers, JR

[Mook]

I decided to use hardened steel bushes in Aluminiun toolplate with steel threaded inserts at the bottom of the hole. The idea is to use the holes for either locating or clamping. When used with a smaller bush, clamping and locating is possible using the same hole.