New idea on using a sled...

[Durtdawber]

I had an idea on how to simplify using a sled for carving but wanted to run it past you guys to see if it would work.

My idea involves using cardboard as the filler around the carving piece. For example...

- cut a piece of cardboard the size of the inside of the sled.
- lay the actual piece of wood to be carved on the center of the cardboard.
- draw around the piece of wood then cut it out.
- now place the piece of wood in the center of your sled.
- place the cardboard on the sled with the piece of wood sticking out through the cut out area.
- tape the edges around where the piece of wood and the cardboard meet so that the cardboard is level with the top of the wood.
- add some shims under the cardboard to keep it level or tape the edges to the sled.
- carve

Since the fillers are just for measuring and not actually cut, this should work.

Comments, suggestions, criticisms...

[BobHill]

I don't see why that shouldn't work just fine, or for that matter, you can use poster foam also, I'd guess along with painter's tape for attching when needed. As long as your sides are solid enough to hold the rollers (wood), cardboard or foam to take up the inside should be just the ticket. And each end, of course, should take up the 3½" to accomodate that required space for the rollers, so as to not waste wood more than necessary.
Bob

[Kenm810]

Hey, Great

I knew those old cardboard boxes would come in handy some day
just don't use that Chinese cardboard --- might have Lead in it.


AAh ---- got an idea now for the wood and plywood scraps I had been using on the Sleds http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/icons/icon11.gif

[TurkeyBranch]

Ken, you have more scrap wood than I have wood in my whole shop! :mrgreen:

[BobHill]

Boy, your scraps are pretty much the type of wood I use and have a lot less of, Ken.

[Kenm810]

I guess some times the size of what you have to build determines
the size of the scrap you generate. http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

Ps that's my oldest son Jon, he didn't know
I was using him to scale the size of the 10' Red Oak Book Case. http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[Bubbabear]

I was raised in cabinet work and told there was no scrap until it was sawdust :D

[oldjoe]

And to think before I had the CC I would call that kindling. Boy was I bad. Course I only used Pine most of the time.

[Bubbabear]

Found me a buddy that does hardwood floors going to start bring me his left overs. Cherry, red oak, white oak and Black walnut. glue them vise them and carve the soup out of them now that is low cost carving

[Kenm810]

Bubbabear,

You right, to much scrap is the sign of poor planing buy the saw cut up Man, Me.
Never fear, fortunately it all gets used on smaller projects.
My actual scrap is in the dust collector bag like you said.

Here's one I did today,
a couple of small tree limb pedestals for Art made of poplar and mdf carved on my CC machine,
All I need is a little Red Oak and bark colored paint for the finishing touch. http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[liquidguitars]

- place the cardboard on the sled with the piece of wood sticking out through the cut out area.
- tape the edges around where the piece of wood and the cardboard meet so that the cardboard is level with the top of the wood.
- add some shims under the cardboard to keep it level or tape the edges to the sled.
- carve

Someone gave me a tip regarding masking the sled:

I no longer need to tape or mask my sleds!
that is if you have a sled that's 8" longer then your work part and use "place on end" it will work fine as long as it hits the sleds side rail even if the rail is only 1".

try this:
stay under roller="no"
cut board to size= "no"
place on end = "yes"

This will index even if the Z truck moves a short way to the right of the sled and stops short. It will trianglate and index fine.

LG

[Princess]

The cardboard form sounds good but I'm just learning. I wondered could you use cardboard under thin wood if you weren't carving all the way through.

Randi

[Kenm810]

If it was regular corrugated cardboard
I'd be afraid it would compress under the weight of the pressure rollers
and ruin the carving

[Durtdawber]

LG,

Could you explain this a little more? Where would you place the piece on the sled?

[liquidguitars]

For a tape free sled to work without any masking and you are making the same part each time, you can build the sled always longer than part or carving idem buy aprox 8" overall insuring the sled will move to a stranded location free of the carving blank. Use "place on end key pad 03" and the sled will move in the "green zone" and will index the same way for the same part each time. I center my work in Y,X you will need firmware cw_fw_1_121 or better to be safe. Ken has good photos of the smaller ones he builds showing the flush ends.

LG

[Kenm810]

I kindda like the 8" version better myself http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_razz.gifhttp://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[liquidguitars]

Dam Disexlia.. :oops:

LG

[swhitney]

Dam Disexlia.. :oops:

LG

or do you mean Lysdexia???

[liquidguitars]

That's it, letters reverse and thoughts to paper order backwards..

GL

[Dale in Anaheim]

LG,

I've seen you try to explain this before and either I am dense, or there is something that I am just not "getting" about how this should work. Perhaps I should just try doing it and see what happens. :confused:

Oh so many questions.. how can I explain my confusion so that I can ask the right questions... lets see:


...insuring the sled will move to a stranded location free of the carving blank...

Do you mean to imply that when you load the work piece, the machine will move the sled (with the piece mounetd in it) to a location so that the piece that is being carved is positioned away from the cutting head assembly / bit? If so, how does that work? How does the machine know to start carving in the right location?


...Use "place on end key pad 03" and the sled will move in the "green zone" ....

Not familiar with the term "Green Zone" Can you explain that one to me. Thanks!

Dale

[liquidguitars]

Hi Dale,


Do you mean to imply that when you load the work piece, the machine will move the sled (with the piece mounetd in it) to a location so that the piece that is being carved is positioned away from the cutting head assembly / bit? If so, how does that work? How does the machine know to start carving in the right location?

Yes that right, all you need is a extra 8" overall size in X
and the CW will index on the flush end of the sled, or "green zone" . the prob is if you do not have the extra 4"
on each end and the "green zone" is your carving! so you need tape to mask.

For all of my sleds I use:

"stay under rollers" keypad 02= no.
"cut board to size" keypad 02=no
"place on end" keypad 03=yea!

Place on end will move the sled next to the end 4" of the sled or "green zone" but if not, it should still index if it hits the side rail, even if its only 1" making a triange.

LG

[Gman_Ind]

Ken I like the book case, is that a coffin on top? ;)
I guess old Librarians need some place to go.

Will the 'green zone' be used to measure the width of the board and avoid masking dark or painted wood?
I use pre painted wood often and it is not always the same size (scrap use!) I let the machine scale the project as the exact size does not matter to me.
http://gmanind.home.comcast.net/%7Egmanind/P6090506.JPG

[Durtdawber]

LG,

I also am having problem visulizing this procedure. Could you post some pictures of how this is setup and mark what you are calling the green zone?

[liquidguitars]

The Green zone is the first 4" of the ends of your sled that the rollers need for contact. it's like the "keep under rollers but in reverse" just make sure your setting the key pad not to stay under rollers! or "03"


lets say I need to build a guitar part that is 16" x 13" I will build the sled 8" longer than I need, so the overall size will be 24" long, by 14.70 "max size" cut some plywood to that size, and re-measure using the Carvewright key pad so latter you can input the same measurement into designer. Next place the front of the sled's "green zone" directly under the back roller to load.

You will need to build the plywood runners up and cap the ends 4" in and flush with the top making a box i.e sled.

I will add some photos on my site..


Will the 'green zone' be used to measure the width of the board and avoid masking dark or painted wood?

Yes, but its important to place the front of the sled's "green zone" directly under the outfeed roller so the board sensor sees
only wood across the y , the rest will fall in place.

LG