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A cam-do carving hold-down is a shop-made jig that secures a flat carving so both hands remain free. Its movable T-shaped dowel pins and rotating cam let you position the workpiece between them; the hole grid makes the setup adjustable for different shapes.
How the cam-do hold-down works
The jig consists of a plywood base drilled with a grid of holes, at least two movable T-shaped pins, and a cam that turns on a dowel pivot. Set the pins and cam around the carving to keep it from shifting while you work. The design is adaptable, but the cited instructions do not specify a holding-force rating or a full-sized cam pattern.
Materials and dimensions
- Base: 3/4 × 12 × 18-inch plywood, or a larger board if needed.
- Hole grid: 1/2-inch holes spaced 2 inches on center.
- T-pins: At least two per the instructions; each uses a 1 1/4-inch length of 1/2-inch dowel and a 3/4-inch length of 1-inch dowel.
- Cam: 3/4-inch solid stock, plus a 1 3/4-inch length of 1/2-inch dowel for its pivot.
These dimensions are from WOOD Magazine’s October 17, 2017 build tip, which credits the shop idea to Gordon Humphrey of Victoria, British Columbia. The original instructions are at WOOD Magazine: “A cam-do carving hold-down”.
Make the base, pins, and cam
- Prepare the base. Cut a 3/4 × 12 × 18-inch plywood board, or choose a larger size to suit the work. Drill a series of 1/2-inch holes on a 2-inch grid.
- Make the T-pins. For each pin, drill a 1/2-inch-deep hole in the center of a 3/4-inch-long piece of 1-inch dowel. Glue a 1 1/4-inch length of 1/2-inch dowel into that hole to form the stem and crosspiece.
- Make the cam. Cut a cam from 3/4-inch solid stock. Drill a 1/2-inch hole in it and glue in a 1 3/4-inch length of 1/2-inch dowel, leaving 1/2 inch protruding from each face.
The source does not provide the cam’s outline in its text, so use the original article’s illustration or pattern if available rather than treating an improvised shape as the specified design.
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BMTURNING Carving Vise with 5" Faceplate, Mount your Carving Vice project with Confidence, for Woodworking Carving Tools.
- Mount the Carving Vise to your bench to securely hold your carving project while still providing infinitely variable positioning.
- The 5" diameter base plate provides plenty of area for mounting your workpiece.
- The single lever action makes position changes fast and easy.
- This Carving Vise weighs in at 14 pounds with cast-iron and steel construction.
- Includes a pin wrench for locking and unlocking the pivoting base. Mounting screws not included.
Position and use the jig
- Place the carving on the base and select holes that let the pins and cam sit around its shape.
- Insert at least two T-pins, then position the cam so the workpiece is held between the pins and cam.
- Clamp the board to a workbench or hold it in your lap, as the WOOD Magazine instructions describe.
- Before carving, check that the workpiece does not shift under the pressure you expect to apply. Reposition the pins or cam if it moves.
For a differently shaped or larger carving, the adjustable layout may call for different pin locations or a larger base. The cited article does not compare bench clamping with lap use for safety, so choose a stable setup appropriate to your work and do not assume either method has a published performance rating.
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- Complete installation kit: 1 fully lacquered orange bench clamp, 4 bowling sticks to hold posts, 4 special soft rubber protective covers for clamping posts, 2 non-slip rubber gaskets. There are 10 holes, which can be fixed according to your different needs for the product
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- Technical specifications: The maximum height of the table clamp can reach 12.5 inches, the maximum opening of the workbench vise mouth can reach 3.2 inches, and the width is approximately 3 inches. It is suitable for DIY, woodworking, metal parts processing, and industrial workshops
- Prevent scratches: The fixed workbench is equipped with rubber pads to prevent the desktop from wearing due to force. The jaws are provided with non-slip rubber gaskets. The soft rubber gaskets can prevent products such as guns and pipes from sliding or scratching their surfaces when they are fixed
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ArtyMaster 360° Rotating Bench Vise with Quick-Release Ratchet Wrench - Versatile Woodworking & Pipe Vise for Home Improvement - 4 Inch Workbench Vise for Carving, Repair & DIY Projects (WT117A)
- 【360° Rotating Bench Vise – Work at Any Angle】 ArtyMaster bench vise features an innovative 360° ball head that allows free adjustment from any angle. Perfect for woodworking, metalworking, model assembly, jewelry repair,carving or DIY crafts—achieve precise multi‑angle control for smoother, more efficient operations.
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