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Thread: Experimental Board Carrier

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Default Experimental Board Carrier

    It seems that I just cannot help but post things prematurely! I am trying to design a different kind of sled. This is my first mockup. It has some interesting features (which may or may not be useful).

    1. If the board is mounted 1/4" proud of the top, (as in the second picture) the machine measures just the board.
    2. The board does not need to be clamped, taped, or screwed onto the jig. It just sits there.
    3. The board can be removed from the jig without lifting the head off of the jig. I am hoping to use this feature for accurate double sided carving. It can also be used for mass production. Pieces can be swapped in and out without the machine having to remeasure. (This, I think, will require the sandpaper rails be flipped over. The board can slide out the front.)
    4. Cutouts will not cut into the jig if they stay 3/4" away from the sides. (I assume larger tabs will be required but if a piece does fall out, at least it will not fall between the belts.)
    5. Except for the need to use Jog to Touch, jig operation (for carving and cutting bits) can be the same as if the board was down on the belts.

    My main motive is to develop a better method for double sided projects.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails P1000863.JPG   P1000864.JPG   P1000866.JPG   P1000865.JPG  

    P1000867.JPG  

  2. Default

    Very nice!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
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    Texas
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    Default

    Ditto. Can't wait to see the future awesome two sided carvings.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Kaukauna, Wisconsin
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    Default

    I like. I was think of a new sled and this gives me a few new ideas.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    New Orleans, LA
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    Default

    I love the concept and design! Not going to lie it's a little above my head, I'm trying to figure out how the 7" rule comes into play.
    -Paul
    "The secret to getting ahead is getting started." -Mark Twain

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Cornwall Ontario
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    Default

    Nice looking jig. Thanks for shaping . Only have 1 question what is the little piece of wood on the side for?

  7. #7
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    Feb 2007
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    Southern Delaware
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    Default

    Great concept and the 'exchangeable' board will be great. On first viewing it I like the others questions popping up. One that arises is with the project board being 1/4 inch proud and the carver only measuring the piece how can the piece be changed without raising the head? You've come up with another way of looking at sled issues, like the sandpaper grip strips.
    Thx for sharing with us,
    Rick H

  8. #8
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by PSQRD View Post
    I love the concept and design! Not going to lie it's a little above my head, I'm trying to figure out how the 7" rule comes into play.
    Good question. I think the 7 inch rule can be broken. If the board is 1/4" above the sides, the rollers drop enough to trip the switches and the machine measures only the length of board as if only the board was in the machine. We do not want the rollers to drop later while carving else the brass roller data goes offline and the x tracking has to depend on the x encoder.

    My solution to this is to have two strips of 1/4" thick wood which one slides in on top of the sides after the board is measured. Then the rollers will not drop during carving. (One would also need to initially place the board more in the middle of the carrier.) I plan to try that today.

    Quote Originally Posted by RogerB View Post
    Nice looking jig. Thanks for shaping . Only have 1 question what is the little piece of wood on the side for?
    The little piece of wood moves up and down with the rail. It and the hole in the side are to fool the machine into thinking it is detecting the sliding plate. I was just experimenting. Without the piece of wood, the machine will bob a few times and ask about the sliding plate. It may not be so important to directly measure the width of the board. If it just measures the width of the carrier sides, the hole and the piece of wood would not be needed. I thought I would try and fool the machine into thinking it was just measuring the board on the belts.

    The down side is that one has to jog to touch to line up the hole and piece of wood. I have another idea which might be simpler, or I might just scrap the idea of directly measuring the board width.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Marshall, WI
    Posts
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    Default

    Very interesting - keep us posted please.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by want2b View Post
    One that arises is with the project board being 1/4 inch proud and the carver only measuring the piece how can the piece be changed without raising the head?
    For double sided, I was not going to have the board 1/4" proud, although, I think I could. My double sided procedure is to have a separate project for each side. After carving the first side, without lifting the head, I load the second side project. (It does not remeasure the board.) Just before it is about to carve the second side, I stop it and flip the board. The head can be lifted to flip the board. All that is really important is that the jig does not move. (One just has to press continue to clear the "possible board removed" error.)

    (The 1/4" side shims I mentioned in the previous post could also be used and they would help in sliding the board out.)

    It should be noted that if the 1/4" proud trick is not used, one has to use either place on corner or jog to position. The place on center requires the trick. (Unless the board happens to be the same length as the jig.)
    Last edited by bergerud; 03-22-2015 at 09:00 AM.

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