Fixture Plate - stupid question

[dbb-the-bruce]

OK - there are no stupid questions....

I just got a SMW fixture plate to go with my new 770M. Based on my prior limited experience, it looks awesome and will really help with fixturing.

Q: How do you pop out the plastic plugs on a mounted plate?



I get why you would want to cover the holes that are aren't used and also mark some holes with different colors etc.

All I'm asking is how do you personally pop the plugs out when you need to use the hole? I've put a few in and can't pop them out without digging in with a screw driver or knife or something to lever them up from the top (seems like a bad idea as could easily damage the top of the plate and mess up the use of pins etc). And only pushing them out from the bottom is a non-starter if you have to take the plate off every time you need to use different holes.

Is there some obvious trick that I'm missing?
Like I said, feels like a dumb question but I can't think of any other way to remove the plugs when I want to from the top.

 

[Cadillac]

Safety pin or tack?

 

[talvare]

I have no idea how tight those plugs are in the holes, but wondering if something like this with a suction cup on the end would work:

https://www.amazon.com/Mityvac-MVA6851-Automotive-Accessories/dp/B00MPQ8RBG/ref=sr_1_9?crid=1BBM0SDIOY2HL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sHH-_dWu_ZaD_--exPIMV-7FpFStzQh-mo2s0C9fpIAM9TXVhMH2OOLRbAbaZfVVZ0R9NoFgQDSi747quYt5qDRl-SNs_hJJTN8SO39mYTZksHK6uLrPUXUWBMtJoc30GmW6n-_YEH7JI-m5AQFUajUpU1X8U2hpAPJNmEPT3KRwOuEtTp9DT8vsRMeQAJBeeDRv5UJGjArocj96T2Cw6pDTuMx-6z5iKoSbx2DnDob25MPgP8byxWswJqSMTr2CpyI4FNOER70sZOH7tvRIlvNNBrn6FIGiU_cYi4LaiQw.we5KxJv6N7XMSidwI8465p40fZ6xut5lXUUc3g83Q00&dib_tag=se&keywords=suction%2Bgun&qid=1729346526&sprefix=suction%2Bgun%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-9&th=1

Ted

 

[ChazzC]

OK - there are no stupid questions....

I just got a SMW fixture plate to go with my new 770M. Based on my prior limited experience, it looks awesome and will really help with fixturing.

Q: How do you pop out the plastic plugs on a mounted plate?

View attachment 506347

I get why you would want to cover the holes that are aren't used and also mark some holes with different colors etc.

All I'm asking is how do you personally pop the plugs out when you need to use the hole? I've put a few in and can't pop them out without digging in with a screw driver or knife or something to lever them up from the top (seems like a bad idea as could easily damage the top of the plate and mess up the use of pins etc). And only pushing them out from the bottom is a non-starter if you have to take the plate off every time you need to use different holes.

Is there some obvious trick that I'm missing?
Like I said, feels like a dumb question but I can't think of any other way to remove the plugs when I want to from the top.

From the same page where your photo was from:

"Multi-color fixture plate plugs are here at last! Color-code your setups while keeping chips and debris out of your SMW fixture plate with these colored injection-molded plugs! Plugs are a snug fit and will stay in place through most machining operations, including use of flood coolant and air blasts. Use a scribe or pointed object to pierce invisible hole in center of plug to remove."

I like the idea of the plugs, and SMW now has links to printable 1/4" plugs (which have an 1/8" hex hole for removal, defeats the purpose other than keeping a lot of flood coolant from the holes) that fit my plate, I've always figured the plugs were a pain and too much of a cost (time & filament in my case, for my baby 10" x 6" plate with 170 holes I would need at least 200 plugs to allow to damaged (and lost) ones.

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

From the same page where your photo was from:

"Multi-color fixture plate plugs are here at last! Color-code your setups while keeping chips and debris out of your SMW fixture plate with these colored injection-molded plugs! Plugs are a snug fit and will stay in place through most machining operations, including use of flood coolant and air blasts. Use a scribe or pointed object to pierce invisible hole in center of plug to remove."

I like the idea of the plugs, and SMW now has links to printable 1/4" plugs (which have an 1/8" hex hole for removal, defeats the purpose other than keeping a lot of flood coolant from the holes) that fit my plate, I've always figured the plugs were a pain and too much of a cost (time & filament in my case, for my baby 10" x 6" plate with 170 holes I would need at least 200 plugs to allow to damaged (and lost) ones.

Thanks for reading the directions for me, I knew I was being dense.

 

[ChazzC]

Thanks for reading the directions for me, I knew I was being dense.

Happens to us all