A basic sled question to do with layout

[bizbiki]

I looked for and even did an advanced search today to try and get some very basic sled advice and cant seem to get a consensis on this so maybe someone can help me.:confused:

I want to build a sled for carving (a sled for using the probe will come later, had one for 4 months and havent had a chance yet) since the sled will be used for carving only, it will have no side rails. I will build the sled out of melanine (white) shelving material 14.5 inches wide 36 inches long and 3/4 of an inch thick.

When I carve a piece of wood or corian I will use double sided tape to hold it down. When I design and get ready to carve a project do I:

1) place the piece to be carved in the center of the sled lengthwise only and to the keypad edge of the sled?

2) place the piece to be carve in the exact center of the sled both length and width?

3) fill in the ENTIRE rest of sled with other pieces of material (same as sled) so that the CW thinks that it is looking at one big board (ncluding the eidth demension) ? Or do I just need the filler pieces at the extreme ends of the sled? or no filler pieces whatsoever?

4) in designer do I set the board settings as the size of the actual carving piece (lenghth x width x height); or of the sled (length x width x height) and hope that I get the workpiece dead on in the center?

5) or in designer do I just give the demensions of the just the sled and tell the machine to scale to width and center project.

6) tell the machine it wins, and go fishing.

I know that these may seem like very basic and simple questions but I really cant seem to figure this one out.

Thanks as always

Louie

[ChrisAlb]

Hi Louie,

I highly recommend you download this tutorial. It's a VERY complete and comprehensive guide to the building and use of sleds and carrier boards.

Created by Ken (Doc Wheeler) THANKS KEN!! and featured in the last CarveWright Tips and Tricks Newsletter. It should cover any and all of your questions and needs.

http://www.carvewright.com/downloads/tips/CarveWrightTips&Tricks_Apr08.pdf


Chris

[bizbiki]

Thanks Chris,

I have read that tutorial several times and must be having a brain freeze. I still dont get it, am I to use the demensions of the sled or the demensions of the workpiece while in designer? The tutorial says to use either one (last paragraph of page 4).

I see the concept about building the sled I just dont understand the way to go about it in designing the project using the software, as to incorporating the sled into the demensions of the project.

I really think that I am making this much more difficult than it is, but I still dont get it.

[AskBud]

It's just my thought, but I would use the height measurement of the sled, and subtract 7 inches from the length. ie: sled 14 x 30; Design Board 14 x 23.
Now, place your design in the center whatever the real size and I think you will be OK. Remember to "Keep under Rollers".
AskBud

[ChrisAlb]

Louie,

You can do it either way.

If you make your "virtual board" in designer just big enough for your project, then mount your real wood in the center of your sled, when the CW asks to "center on board?" say yes. This is the easiest way.

Or...

You can make your "virtual board" in Designer the same size as your sled. Wherever you put your project on the virtual board, put your real wood in exactly the same place on the sled. This is easy too but sometimes you can get confused as to placement.

I prefer the first way as you're always working in the "center" of the sled.

Funny thing is Louie, I have exactly the same sled you do. White shelving material 14.5 inches wide 36 inches long and 3/4 of an inch thick.

I've carved a lot on it and it works great. I always mount my wood to the center with double sided tape. My side rails run the full length to "stay under rollers". They are only 1-1/2" wide. For the ends you can use either filler pieces or tape for the board sensor to read the length from.

Hope that helps.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Louie,

Rethink your use of that melamine mostly due to it's weight and sliperyness.....

I would use 1/4 or 3/8 quality plywood one for weight, two for thickness, and 3 for it's ability to have traction on the sand paper belts. I would still use masking tape say 3 strips at the brass roller for positive traction at the very important brass roller.

I posted a carrier board mpc that uses a .25 thick carrier board with a piece of 1 x 12 #2 Pine on it. The pine is .77 thick and the plywood is .25 thick making 1.02 inches thick. Seeing this 1.02 thick you must know that anything OVER 1.0 thick you can't use the Drill THROUGH Function but you CAN set the drill function to drill a depth of .77. For the same reason you can't use the cut out feature on a sled or carrier board but you CAN set the depth to .76 and leave a skin you can cut with a knife or saber saw. NEVER set it to .77 on a sled and cut all the way through the board leaving it able to move and pinch your bit and break the bit and possibly damage the machine.

To save on wood I place a SCRAP piece of wood 4 inches of so long at the head of the carrier board. In Designer I draw a 4.5 inch square and place it on the right side of my board in designer. My board is 11.25 wide x 30 inch's long 1.02 thick. I then place my GOOD wood on my carrier with masking tape. The plywood is just cut to the width of the wood used.

Sometimes I just leave the top good wood long say 5 feet and just carve a clock or bear on the first foot of board using the 4 inch scrap mounted to the carrier board to have the 3.5 inches under the rollers. After carving I just cut the clock off the 5 foot board and now place the 4 foot board on the carrier. When I am down to a 1 foot GOOD board I just BUTT UP a scrap piece to the back end of the GOOD WOOD and masking tape it.

That is how I did all the clocks... Cut the blanks to size. Used a scrap on both ends and SAVED WOOD.... Cut or drilled the Clock hole by setting the depth to .99 in my 5/4 thick or 1.00 stock. Used a drill after to finish the hole. Popped the clock on my drill press and with a 3 inch wood bit made the recess that the clock fit in.....

Worked GREAT....

Good Luck,

AL

And last but not least the End Blocks must be long enough to make the total length of the top boards 37 inches or longer with a 30 inch board in designer. ALSO I use PLACE ON END with this and it uses the head of the board and with starting my GOOD artwork AFTER the 4.5 SCRAP block I placed in Designer on the right side of the board.

[ChrisAlb]

I don't know buddy.

Mine works just fine. No traction problems and the brass wheel tracks great. No tape. As for the weight, still no problems. I use my table top rollers for support but this baby can cut material up to 5" thick. Properly supported, the material adds no more weight on the belts than a single 1x piece of pine. :confused:

[bizbiki]

Chris, Bud, and Al

Okay I think I got it. I will try it this weekend.

Chris, I got the melaine at home depot awhile ago while it was on sale, with the thought of making a sled and a carving carrier on it.

[ChrisAlb]

Yep...lol, that's where I got mine too.