After a good machinist’s vise, a Strap Clamp Kit (also known as a T-Slot Camp Kit) is the probably the most important tool available to a machinist for secure work holding.

 

These kits will work with any machinery that has T-slots on the table – milling machines and drill presses come to mind.  You can buy the kits in a few different sizes; make sure you know what size your T-slots are.  Most small machines use a 5/8″ T-slot.

 

This video from Tormach shows basic Strap Clamp techniques, and also a few clever tricks as well.