[Coogrrr]

As Ger21 and or Greybeard and many others have talked about. Until I get my t-slot solution done I am going to go with the t-nut solution. I have used my CNC to drill a hole every 3" on the Y by every 4" on the X this gave me about 90 holes I think. Each hole is a tight fit to a 1/4 20 t-nut. A t-nut you ask? A t-nut looks like a top hat but the brim has been cut and folded upward (up the stove-pipe of the top hat). These 3 or 4 spikes sink into the wood as the brim comes up to meet the wood. The "stove-pipe" part slips up into the hole that was drilled by the CNC, 19/32's dia. I thnk.

Now with holes every so many inches I will use a flat 2" square of alluminum with a hole bigger in dia than the 1/4 20 bolt but only enough to allow the threads to slip by. I will use a hand drill or an air wrench or manually with a socket wrench to pull the t-nut up to the bottom of the bed of the machine allowing the t-nut shaft to go upward into the drilled hole allowing the spikes to secure it.

I can now use a 1" by 4-6" strap of alluminum with a hole in it tha the 1/4 20 bolt slides thru down into the t-nut to secure my wood by holding it down. I am also cutting with the cnc some small 1" and .5" thick dense plywood into little paddel or banjo shapes. These will have a hole for the bolt to they can secure projects from the sides to preven slippage latterally.

I will upload another video as soon as the setup is all finished.

Thanks for the DIY ideas guys!

Coog

[Jason Marsha]

Something like this.

[Coogrrr]

Something like this.

although I had a few more that is it exactly. I am still installing those damn nutz!

I am making some good ally holdowns and some wood side holders too. I think the system will work fine and its a lot cheaper than a vacuum table.

Coog

[Coogrrr]

I have had some trial cuts here and there but these are the first official parts I cut for a real purpose.

CMT .25 ball nose bit on the infamous Hitachi router. 60ipm and pine stock planned to 1 and 3/16ths thick.

"Air Block" pantent pending, trademark, copyright, I spit on it so dont even think of touching my plans!!!"


Sketchup for plans export to dfx
Vectric Cut3D for dxf to gcode paths
Mach3 to run GCode
1hr 10min total cutting time.


watch the 4min video to see the results!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLD9F0JSUIs



Coog
P.S. I was kidding I attached the plans of course....

[Coogrrr]

I need to route MDF .75" thick and it will be all through cuts .75" deep. I need to use an 1/8" bit but own a 1/4" end mill now. What bit, or a link to it rather, could I use to keep 80+IPM cut at .25" per pass and have it last.

I do have a machine that can do the 80ipm I need some information on how many flutes and such so that the MDF doesnt clog it.

Thanks in advance for your knowledge and time.

Coog

[BobF]

coogr,
My CNC isn't finished, so I have not used this on a CNC, but I have cut several speaker cabinets with a plunge router and a circle jig using this bit. Should work well.

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11052

[Coogrrr]

I am making the vacuum shroud around my router so I can slurp up all the MDF dust. I have a design that is goint to work with this Hitachi and I will be uploading pics and such but I had a question...

Bristles or Plastic skirt? The bristles would of course be softer and collect more dust but I see many plastic skirts simply cut at the bottom into strips and I think I like seeing through the skirt to the cut area...

Thoughts?? Help me out guys!

Coog

[joecnc2006]

I have made several collection versions, i have come to the conclusion that a fixed height or manual height adjusted shroud would be best for me, one that does not move with the Z-Axis, you just adjust the height manually depending on your stock thickness.

That way you have a constant conection with the skirting and the stock material for best exstraction of dust and cut material.

I am partial to the clear plastic skirting, just so i am able to see inside and see whats going on.

Joe

[Coogrrr]

Well I took a stab at a dust collector and I think I got it done. I have new brackets made for my Hitachi router and I am adding the dist skirt tonight. I will upload some pics and how I did it tonight also.

Coog

[harryn]

coogr,
My CNC isn't finished, so I have not used this on a CNC, but I have cut several speaker cabinets with a plunge router and a circle jig using this bit. Should work well.

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11052

I have not used them on a cnc driven router, but I have had very good luck with those Whiteside bits as well. Mostly used them on 2 in thick red wood and cedar. Rough cuts with a blade, and finished the cut at full depth with the router using a home made guide.

[Coogrrr]

I have not used them on a cnc driven router, but I have had very good luck with those Whiteside bits as well. Mostly used them on 2 in thick red wood and cedar. Rough cuts with a blade, and finished the cut at full depth with the router using a home made guide.

The tough thing is I need a 1/8th bit that has a 1" cut depth maybe as litle as 0.8" but that is an odd length.

Anyone know where to find that?

Coog

[Coogrrr]

Yet again my brain is going going gone somewhere into the next build! I am starting with the bearings.

I am going to use the skate bearing and build a hybrid jgro/joe2006/buildyouridea.com solution.

The machine will be first built in 3/4" MDF with steel angle iron for the bearings to ride on and the bearing block will be built like the attached photo.

I have a forge and foam cutting solution all setup now so I should be able to whip these bearings out 4 at a pour or roughly 8 an hour. I am working on this CNC using 16 bearing blocks 8 - on X axis, 4 on Y and Z axis.

This will give it some good strength and should be smooth as silk. I am placing many 5/16" mounting holes so that there are many configurations too.

Coog

P.S. I need not say copyright - right? Well copyright anyway and trademark too!

[harryn]

The tough thing is I need a 1/8th bit that has a 1" cut depth maybe as litle as 0.8" but that is an odd length.

Anyone know where to find that?

Coog

I am not sure if these rotozip bits fit your need or not.

http://www.rotozip.com/Shop/Category...=188064&BID=18

It gets real tricky using 1/8ths bits. I designed an Al part which required some milling in 1/8ths inch down at the bottom of a pocket. I ended up redsigning it around the bit, as only a small part of the cutting area stuck out of a 1/4 in support shank.

At least on Al, the rotation rates had to be really high and movement rates very low. Also, the end likes to wander.

[joecnc2006]

Yet again my brain is going going gone somewhere into the next build! I am starting with the bearings.

I am going to use the skate bearing and build a hybrid jgro/joe2006/buildyouridea.com solution.

The machine will be first built in 3/4" MDF with steel angle iron for the bearings to ride on and the bearing block will be built like the attached photo.

I have a forge and foam cutting solution all setup now so I should be able to whip these bearings out 4 at a pour or roughly 8 an hour. I am working on this CNC using 16 bearing blocks 8 - on X axis, 4 on Y and Z axis.

This will give it some good strength and should be smooth as silk. I am placing many 5/16" mounting holes so that there are many configurations too.

Coog

P.S. I need not say copyright - right? Well copyright anyway and trademark too!

On the mounting holes, I would make the 5/16" holes smaller, the size of the tap bit, that way you can tap threads into it for easy bolt up.

"P.S. I need not say copyright - right? Well copyright anyway and trademark too!"..... LOL@Coog.


Joe

[Coogrrr]

On the mounting holes, I would make the 5/16" holes smaller, the size of the tap bit, that way you can tap threads into it for easy bolt up.

"P.S. I need not say copyright - right? Well copyright anyway and trademark too!"..... LOL@Coog.


Joe

Yes I meant that those are finish tapped 5/16" holes I will make the holes 1/64th smaller and tap out to 5/16". If someone is interested in where this goes...

I might be persuaded to make more for sale.... I will of course proof them out first and show videos of the items in operation well before offering any for sale.

Coog

P.S. Joe I have been looking at your build for a straight day! I am going to work something like your build as these bearings are similar to how you mount yours. I think they can be fit to some nice steel tube or drill rod to match your build. Not stuck to steel angle makes them open to other applications.

[CarlosC]

What if you were to knock off the corners at a 45 degree angle? Then you could put connect two of them with a
plate and make something equivalent to ger21's bearing assembly in the alternative to round pipe thread http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34044

[Coogrrr]

What if you were to knock off the corners at a 45 degree angle? Then you could put connect two of them with a
plate and make something equivalent to ger21's bearing assembly in the alternative to round pipe thread http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34044

At first I did have the corners knocked off but then placed it back to square blocks so there are more mounting methods. I think that if you run one facing downward onto angle bar and one upward onto angle bar connect the sides with a plate or MDF if your into that you will have a place to slide the rail into...

I will be trying 2 on top one on bottom to make a triangle setup on the rail to hold it tight to the rail and provide good support. Past that 2 top and 2 bottom for the most stable I suppose. The pinching effect allow us to set how tight it will grip the rail itself.

I was thinking of other methods too like 4 side mounted to rails like in the Joe2006 setup only angle bar instead of round stock. 4 on each side gives us some good stability but adjustments would be harder to do.

I will get some of these online with pictures in the weeks to come. Getting the forge fuel tank worked on right now and a new crucible inbound.

See you back here soon!


Coog

[Coogrrr]

As you all know I started off with Davids plans and they are great. I modified them a bit so I came up with a hybrid. It is a great router and I am working on the polishing points now.

1. Finish vacuum skirt
2. Install cable chains (great ebay deal)
3. Install new home/limit switches (magnetics work but I prefer the real
thing another good ebay deal)
4. Make new control pad (got the joystick and the buttons)
5. Make/find a good encoder set for each axis
6. Enclosure......

I am running some jobs now I am making some plaques thanks to the help I have gotten from the Vectric team. I need to say if you do not have this software you must get it. This is as important to me as Mach3 is to the machine. I can do amazing things with these products and while it is an investment in money it is sooooo worth it I cannot say enough. This is the only software in its class I will ever use or recommend at this point.

Most oftern I will create in SketchUP pro then use vectric Cut3D or create it in VCarve and output my GCode from both. I run the code without any thoughts about it in Mach3 every time. I can take drawings from many CAD apps and make GCode and run parts in mere minutes. Trust me this is the stuff to use.

Chat you later guys and as always thanks for the brain share the support and possibly one of the best communities on this planet!

Coog

[ron39]

Coog - Hey I finally have some motion on my cnc - thanks in large part to some ideas from you (I don't ever want to look at PVC couplers again). I started a log so folks can see the first few moves:
http://cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45667

Keep the posts coming this is definately the most helpful thread I found.

[Coogrrr]

Coog - Hey I finally have some motion on my cnc - thanks in large part to some ideas from you (I don't ever want to look at PVC couplers again). I started a log so folks can see the first few moves:
http://cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45667

Keep the posts coming this is definately the most helpful thread I found.

Sorry I have not posted more but I am on the upswing again. I am developing a new bearing for a hybrid jgro/joe2006 build more to come... I have all the parts for a demel based 12"x12"x2" machine that is all aluminuma nd steel for sub 200 not counting electronics.

I am working on a diy vacuum solution as this job i picked up needs it for the part cutout needs.

I am working on some new forgings too so stay tuned more to come!!

P.S. no plastic bearings!!