Hi All- Does anyone have a routine that is already written (gcode probably) that will drill holes at a certain interval on the x & y axis for clamp mounting. My thought was to tell the program to drill the holes big enough for the hold down clamps at every 5" or so. Could be a different interval and I’m up for recommendations to be sure. By table is 6’ x 4’ and I was thinking that it would be good to get it to put a grid on the table first and then drill each of the intersecting points.
Just wondered if anyone had already accomplished this kind of base code out there.
Thanks,
Allison
PS. Hoping to have the unit on the table today- pix to come.
Gcode wouldn’t really make sense, since your feeds and speeds will be different than others.
You don’t really need a complicated clamping set up though. I just countersink screws right through the waste into the spoil board. If the work is something precious, and I don’t have any waste, I have a couple of 2"x8"x1/2" scrap pieces that I put one end on the workpiece and then run a screw through the middle of. It’s like an inverted lever.
Lastly, don’t skip the steps of running the crown gcode to draw the crown to check the machine and then go through a simple CAM worlflow once before you try to carve a job like the 6’x4’ clamp cutouts job. Cutting the clamp pattern isn’t terribly difficult, but it can trip up beginners.
I like the inverted lever concept. I was thinking though of putting a light grid on the spoil board so I can insure where I place an object is square and thought while I was doing this I could just easily drill out the clamp holes. I could just use a long board and clamp on either end on both sides as we… Was a little concerned about a work piece popping up.
Now ya got me on a new question… crown? Yup- newbie. sorry Jeff
Is it something like the first photo you are thinking of.
The two other photo’s are the milled hole and a “thread insert” inserted, there are two on the work surface, they maybe called something different in the US.
Two circles were drawn in CAD (Draftsigt in my case) then the depth of cut set in CAM (gcode generator) Estlcam mostly on here.
Yes Bill, this could work. On the other hand, I would hate to put in 6 feet x 4 feet of threaded inserts . lol I was thinking of just a hole that I can shove a bolt up through that the clamp pulls down through the top
I initially wanted to use holes but then found some 5/8 t-track. It is a little more expensive but its exreamly adjustable. I use 3/4 MDF 5" wide in between, when the boards get chewed up I flip them over. If you don’t want to buy a full sheet of MDF you can use 3/4 shelving.
