Dust Shoe Prototype for the Carvetight

[bergerud]

I have seen anti-static, wire wound, smooth inside, clear vacuum hose but I cannot seen to find it again. I am thinking of something like this:

http://www.desihose.com/viewproduct.aspx?pid=139

[Sallen1215]

I like the idea, the issue is the small diameter hose makes choices much more limited for flexibility as well as strength with a balance of lightweight

[bergerud]

Yeah Dan it is the Rock Chuck and im not extremely worried about the lower y bearing wipers, lots of people have removed them to verify the bearing cleaning. as far as the removing of the top cover, that is not a bad price to pay, but curious if i lead out the bit a little further does that make a difference? I don't use LHR pressed on bushings i use the split collet in the rock chuck.

I am not sure how far you can put out the bit before the machine gags. I have gone really far and milled almost 1.8 inches deep with a 3/16 end mill. It was 2 or 2.5 inches out and my chuck almost touches the board. It gives a good hard push on the bit plate. Since you can only go 1 inch into the board and the top of the shoe is like 1/2 inch above the board, a little over 1.5" should be good. I do not think it will be a problem. How far does the carving bit usually protrude below the chuck?

I think that tip of the bit being 2.5 to 3 inches below the bottom of the truck is normal. Subtract the length of the Rock and what do you get?

[DickB]

I think we are talking different levels of accuracy. I cannot tell where the bit really is by looking sideways at it. The sphere in a cube, for example, required tweaking the numbers in the hundredth decimal place. I had to do sample carves to get it right. Once tweaked, it would do exactly the same carve over and over.

I didn't mean to imply that I could only get 1/16" accuracy; just that is all my project required. I usually do better. No, probably can'y eyeball to 1/100th inch.

Here is the project that I just finished using jog to center. The two recesses at the far ends of the oval are to hold 1/2" dowels, and these will be secured with recessed screws from the back. 1/8" through holes were drilled from the back first, along with a recess for each hole for the screw head. On front, I drew a center line using the holes to determine the center width and measuring between the holes for center length. The 1/2" recesses were then drilled from the front, to align with the through holes from the back. I was actually spot on in the x direction and off just a bit in y, but of no consequence for this project.

front back front front

I would like to know more about your technique for the cube for times when I need better accuracy. How exactly did you set that project up?

[henry1]

I thought it was the z bearings. It is the y bearings. I'll bet the adjustable one is just turned clockwise to tighten instead of counter clockwise. That puts the bearing lower. You can just grind down the tab on the back of the shoe which hits. Those tabs are non essential anyway.

Is that a Rock chuck? I was hoping you had a CT. The shoe is really thought out for a CT. You will have to pop the little window (which you have not made yet!) in and out between bobbing and carving. It will not work well with that big open hole. 80% verses 98% . What kind of chuck do you have Henry?

I have the rock chuck with 1/2 adapter and just make it still playing around with it I have a few ideal of my own will post when again

[bergerud]

With the sphere in the cube accuracy and consistency was extremely important. I is very difficult to fix the sphere if even one of the six carves is off. I made a jig into which a 2X2X2 inch cube snugly fits in from the top and is clamped from the front. The cube can be lifted out the top and flipped while the jig stays in the machine. It takes me awhile to set up the initial carve. Using scrap blocks, by trial and error, I find the coordinates corresponding to the center of the block face. After each test carve, I tweak the jog to coordinates from the keypad. (When it and asks to jog to center, I press numbers instead of the arrows.) Once I get a perfectly centered carve, I record the numbers. Now I put in the good wood and carve a pretty good sphere. I just keep using the same numbers. I actually will carve a few spheres once I have the numbers.

Once I remove the jig, turn off the machine, or abort the project, all is lost. It is possible, however, to carve different projects (ie. different face carves) with the same numbers. If for example, one wanted to make a set of alphabet blocks.

[bergerud]

I have the rock chuck with 1/2 adapter and just make it still playing around with it I have a few ideal of my own will post when again

I need someone with a CarveTight chuck to test the shoe! The whole shoe idea was based on the 1/2 inch between the lowest point of the chuck and the board. This gap is unique to the CT. MT, you still do not have dust collection do you? Do you have a CT? Anybody??

[Sallen1215]

I have a friends machine with me and i will remove his CT truck to check it, but i want to get my shoe mounted and working for the rock first. also i found a flexible hose i want to test and if it works i will have to figure out where you can get some as it is designed for the HVAC industry.

[James RS]

I'd like to see how this works on the Rock

I have a friends machine with me and i will remove his CT truck to check it, but i want to get my shoe mounted and working for the rock first. also i found a flexible hose i want to test and if it works i will have to figure out where you can get some as it is designed for the HVAC industry.

[Sallen1215]

So here is the fully installed unit on my machine minus the bit plate which i will install shortly, the weak point in this system is the pipe. but with this corragated hose it allows for the shoe to be built and we redesign the piece to no need the bearing or the pipe.