MATCHFIT Dovetail Clamp AP 2019-2020

Designers: Henry Wang and Morgan Hopfensperger, Micro Jig, Inc., Winter Park, Florida, USA
Manufacturer: Micro Jig, Inc., Winter Park, Florida, USA

In a product category as ancient and well-explored as woodworking clamps, developing a product that is truly new and innovative is nearly unheard of. MICROJIG has accomplished this with their MATCHFIT Dovetail Clamp AP. Standard clamps have to enclose all of the parts being pressed together, but the head of the MATCHFIT Clamp is forged to fit a standard 14-degree, 1/2" dovetail groove. Anywhere a maker can mill this groove, a clamp can be added and used.

Traditionally, this sort of capability was found only when using extruded aluminum “T-track” or dog holes, which fixed a clamp at a certain point and left the clamp head sticking out the bottom. With T-track, a groove was milled, then track was purchased, cut to size, glued and screwed into place. Only specialized clamps and hardware can be used in this T-track. Using the MATCHFIT system means that once the groove is milled, it is ready to use without needing to purchase expensive extrusions. This is economical for the craftsperson and environmentally responsible, especially for single-use jigs and fixtures.

Unlike standard clamps, the head of the Dovetail Clamp AP is also enclosed within the dovetail groove, which is usually part of the sled, jig or fence being used. This keeps the Dovetail Clamp head out of the user’s work zone, unlike dog holes. This makes working around power tools safer and more convenient as the machine operator does not need to work around the exposed clamp head.

The AP Clamp allows for holding parts as high as 8-1/2” above the work surface and features an industry-first “anti-pivot coil” that holds the clamping arm where the user sets it. This allows makers to clamp and unclamp parts as part of a production operation without having to reposition the arm with each work cycle. The comfort grip handle is molded onto an acme screw that delivers as much as 495 pounds of force positioned directly over the clamp head, down inside the dovetail groove. This makes this clamp ideal for use on machine tables and fences and on dedicated clamping stations that are milled with the dovetail grooves.

Each Dovetail Clamp AP includes the brand new “X-Pad”, a completely novel accessory that clips onto the clamp pad to provide even more functionality. The X-Pad has a unique molded-in “Pressure Transfer Notch” that can be used to hold parts down and press them sideways at the same time. This allows many types of glue ups to be accomplished using fewer clamps. This patent-pending design is not available anywhere else in the industry.

MICROJIG has built an entire system around the dovetail groove concept, with tools that work together to allow the user to optimize the shop and build virtually anything they can imagine. Innovation doesn’t stop when MICROJIG creates a product. It starts when MICROJIG’s customers get that product in their hands.

Any one of these innovations are award-worthy on their own, but MICROJIG’s Dovetail Clamp AP brings them all together in one truly innovative package that helps makers, woodworkers and other crafts people save time, save money and achieve better results. It is an innovative design worth of the GOOD DESIGN seal.