[cgallery]

My little CNC router is a K2 prototype. The maximum travel is approx. 10.75" (X and Y).

Seeing as sheet goods come in multiples of square feet, I figured I'd come up with a method for clamping one-foot square pieces to the table, and this is what I came up with.

It is a 3/4" thick piece of BB plywood. I reduced the thickness to 1/8" around the perimeter (about 3/4" into the board).

Now I can place a thin waste board along with my workpiece on top, and use approx. twelve binder clips to hold everything in place.

It is remarkably secure, plenty snug for routing. Using the largest binder clips I can accommodate materials up to 3/4" thick, which is about as thick as I go.

This won't work when I'm routing larger pieces, I have other hold-down clamps I've made for that purpose. But I expect I'll be using binder clips for most of the work I do.

BTW, the photos show a previously machined piece, to show how it works.

Thanks for looking!