AutoJig or Manual Jig

[jussi]

Which one do I select? I already have my board 7 inches wider than my project.

[fwharris]

Which one do I select? I already have my board 7 inches wider than my project.

Jussi,

Are talking about the "jig" prompt for when you are uploading a project to the card?

If so and your actual board is at least 7" longer than your project board you should be able to "ignore" the prompt on the upload..

[dbfletcher]

Which one do I select? I already have my board 7 inches wider than my project.

Hard to say without seeing the mpc and knowing the size of your board you are loading to the machine. That is a warning message that depending on your project and board you MIGHT be able to ignore.. or you might have to modify your project and/or board to get it to work correctly without risking damage to your machine

Doug Fletcher

[hogiewan]

Most of the time that warning means that a cutout is too close the the top of the board

[mtylerfl]

Yes, it would be best if we could to view your mpc (with any commercial patterns removed first, of course).

Normally, you can safely click Ignore at the Auto Jig/Manual Jig warning if...

• no cutpaths are within 1/2" of the top of the board
• the actual board you put into the machine is at least 7" longer than your 'fake' board shown in the Designer software

The warning pops up if you have laid out your design at actual finished size (with the design elements very near the end(s) of the 'fake' board). This is how I design/layout all my projects, by the way, as per the manufacturer recommendation.

The reason the warning occurs is the software has no way of knowing whether the user has the 'sense' to use a board at least 7" longer than the layout design, or if the user is using a sled/jig that will provide the required extra 7" length for it to stay captive under the rollers.

The software assumes the worst (i.e., that the user is not keeping the project under the rollers) and warns you that you can break bits and/or damage your machine if you run the project 'as is'. Of course, if you are using a board at least 7" longer than the Designer layout (and no cutpaths within the top 1/2" of the board), you can safely ignore the warning.

NOTE: Some users prefer to layout a project on a longer 'fake board' in Designer for various reasons - perhaps they want to position a design to miss a bad knot on a board, or include a particular grain pattern they like, or they are using a special sled/jig that makes the layout easier for them - whatever. In those cases, the user will measure the actual board length and base layout positioning of elements to 'miss' or 'target' a particular location on the overall board or jig length. Of course, the board (or sled/jig) must still have at least 3½" beyond each end of the actual project area length if the layout is centered in the design. When a layout is done this way, when prompted for jigging, you can still click 'Ignore', but when prompted to 'Stay Under Rollers' you say 'No' (the project will actually stay under the rollers if your board length is correct, even when answering 'No', no matter which layout method you use.)

Hope I didn't lose anyone on the explanation above!;)

[mtylerfl]

Most of the time that warning means that a cutout is too close the the top of the board

Actually, most of the time the warning is triggered due to design elements being placed close to the ends of the 'fake' board (because the software is assuming the user is not going to use a long enough board). But, you are right that a cutpath near the top edge could trigger that warning, as well.

[jussi]

Here you go. Just a plain old name plate with edge routing.

[dbfletcher]

Here you go. Just a plain old name plate with edge routing.

In this case you should be able to safely choose ignore... since you actual board will be the +7" than you specified in your project. So Michaels explaination should be spot on.

You might also want to consider this edited mpc. I added a carve region across the whole board and added a little draft on the letters to help prevent chipout. However, this modified version would require the use or rails or a wider board since the rollers would still need something to ride on as the surface around the letters is carved away. I also dropped the edge route down .125 to make up for the .125 carve region I added.

Please keep in mind there is nothing wrong with yours.. but one of the questions we see all the time is "how do I make my carve element protrude out from the board instead of in". This is one way to do it.

Hope that helps,

Doug Fletcher

[liquidguitars]

Nice description MT..


little sidebar..


NOTE: Some users prefer to layout a project on a longer 'fake board' in Designer for various reasons -

I am one of them, I never layout a board in designer without the extra 10" or 7" needed for sleds or the rollers, we consider this WYSIWYG in design terms. Mirroring the full size of the wood you are using to your Designer project MPC is a standard for the industry and frankly I think safer and smarter overall with exceptions. A 'fake board' is not including the full size of you stock in your Designer project board as it would be a 'fake size'.

I see no real advantages to making the project smaller by 7".

If you think your saving wood by not adding the correct size in designer this is not the case you will save wood if you use sleds.


LG

[mtylerfl]

Here you go. Just a plain old name plate with edge routing.

Hello,

I would route the edges with a hand router or table router rather than have the machine do it (the project will have leave the rollers to do the edge route)...

...OR, if the board wasn't so thick (1.25" in your design), I would lay it out on a 0.75" thick board measuring 7" x 16" and assigning the decorative bit and a Cut Path to the rectangle of the desired finished size. That way you can use a board length (i.e., at least 23" long) that will keep the project under the rollers...or, use a sled to keep it under the rollers and avoid wasting wood.

The final appearance will be the same, except the plaque would not be as thick, but you could glue it on top of a 'backing' board to get the thickness you want.

I hold the opinion that it is much safer to do any edge routes with another tool, or lay a project out such as I described so that the project won't leave the rollers.