Magnetic hold-down for laser cutters

thingiverse

This is a hold-down designed to enclose and safeguard a standard 30x3mm circular rare earth magnet, making it ideal for holding down small/thin/lightweight/flexible materials inside a laser cutter like the Glowforge that features a fan powerful enough to blow them around. The edges have overhangs meant to grasp 3mm and 6mm material pinched from the side (it usually takes at least four to hold something firmly in place). They are designed to be short enough to fit under the 1/2" clearance of the Glowforge's carriage. If you need to use different sized magnets, feel free to check out the Onshape CAD source and make a copy for yourself. The link is available here: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/9e6b5900c3c08d1fcd6c398b/w/9062a256bb6bdc9c6e0d4a07/e/1c16636bbde728f838fedac2. Several formats of the 2D file used to laser cut the wood "lid" are included, along with a 3D printable STL file for those who don't have a laser cutter. This way, you can find an alternative use for these hold-downs. You can obtain suitable magnets from Amazon or AliExpress. The stronger the better; N52 magnets work really well.