Zopsc Tiger Claw Clamps

What a pair brings to a 3018 bed:

• Clear top face: the whole surface of the blank is open to the bit, from edge to edge.
• Low profile: at 19 mm tall, the clamp stays out of the spindle's way on most passes.
• Serrated grip: the tiger-claw teeth hold the edge against the sideways push of the cutter.
• Anodized 6063: the finish resists oxidation, wear and deformation with repeated use.

Side clamping works by pushing the blank against a fixed stop, or against another clamp on the opposite edge. The claw's angled teeth push sideways and slightly down, which is what keeps the blank from lifting when the bit enters.

Birch plywood is the classic test. Set a fixed stop along one long edge and the rear edge, push the blank into that corner and set the two claws on the open sides. The blank sits flat, the whole face is free for a V-carved name, and nothing on top can catch the collet.

Every other workholding choice on a 3018 trades some of that open surface for holding power.

How the height plays out on common jobs:

• Blanks thicker than 19 mm: the clamp sits below the top face, so surfacing and engraving can run edge to edge.
• Plywood of 12 to 18 mm: the clamp rises a little above the surface; keep toolpaths a safe margin inside the clamp zone.
• Thin acrylic or PCB blanks: the claw grips the edge, but the clamp body stands well above; set the path boundary with the clamp's footprint in mind.
• Aluminium plate: side clamps hold flat plate well, as long as the edge is square and clean.

A simple safety habit covers all of these. Before a job, jog the spindle with the bit fitted around the outline of the toolpath, a few millimetres above the work, and watch the clamps. If the collet or bit passes over a clamp, move the clamp or shrink the path.

On finished edges, a strip of masking tape between the teeth and the blank prevents tooth marks.

1. Slide the T-nut into the bed's slot, or line the clamp up over a threaded hole on a perforated bed.
2. Position the blank against a fixed stop or the first clamp.
3. Slide the second clamp until its teeth touch the blank's edge, then adjust the nut position along its slot.
4. Tighten with the wrench so the teeth bite and push the blank into the stop.
5. Tap the blank's corners: it should not move or rock.

Check the bed before ordering. The LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra has a one-piece machined aluminium platform with a measuring scale, and ships with T-track hold-down clamps of its own. A 3018-PRO-style bed is aluminium profile, and add-on spoilboards come in MDF or aluminium with their own hole patterns. The T-nut has to suit whichever surface the clamps will sit on.

• Clean chips from the slot before sliding the T-nut in.
• Keep both wrenches with the machine, not in a toolbox across the room.
• Recheck tightness after the first roughing pass on a long job.

The same clamps suit the laser too. A burn needs no cutting force, but a flat, still blank keeps the focus even; see the 3018 laser setup.

The Zopsc pair suits you when:

• You own a 3018 Pro Ultra or 3018 Pro with T-track or a slotted bed.
• One blank at a time, pushed against a stop, is the usual setup.
• You want to add a second pair to an existing set.

A four-pack or top clamps suit you better when:

• Blanks need holding from all four sides with no fixed stops.
• Spare T-nuts, screws and gaskets in the same box matter to you.
• The work is thick or irregular, where a tall top clamp grips better.

Mixing makers works. The Zopsc and LUNYEE pairs share the 55 × 22 × 19 mm size and M6 mounting, so a pair of each gives four matched-height clamps for holding a blank on every side without fixed stops.

Workholding is the cheapest upgrade that improves every cut, which is why the upgrade order puts clamps near the top. For a spoilboard to screw fixed stops into, see the Genmitsu 3018 MDF spoilboard.