Mat cutting for picture framing

[dirktheeng]

Is it possible to add an additional head onto a shopbot that will do mat cutting? It would have to have a 4th axis that could rotate about a virtical axis and a pneumatically controlled system to plunge an exacto blade into the mat at a 45 degree angle to vertical. If you can make a complete system that includes the extra head on a 4x8 foot table for under $12k, you would beat all the best markets for current cnc mat cutters because you would also have the ability to do cnc routing! This would be incredibly valuable to the framing industry especially if you can make it user friendly with some existign frame cutting software. It is also very valuable to be able to do carving and engraving in the frame world. A dual machine for under $12k would sell like hot cakes!

[Brady Watson]

It's already been done: http://www.shopbottools.com/fromshops.htm

Scroll down to 3/16/06

-B

[Mayo]

Also check out this cnc rotary cutter for heavy fabrics and sail cloth:
http://www.carlsondesign.com/
It's not under $12k for the ones shown but there are several size options available. I like the look - it gives the appearance of a very simple design.

[mikejohn]

What Dirk is talking about is the 'card' that goes betwen a picture and the glass in a picture frame. The hole is cut at 45º with sharp corners.
Exactly the same look if you profiled a cut with a 90º bit, but toolpathed to give sharp corners.
I guess you can not cut card with a router bit, so Dirk needs a knife at 45º that would stay tangental to any curve.

edited to add:" This is also being discussed more fully here"
.............Mike

[bill.young]

Hey Dirk,

Shopbot has a rotary cutter accessory that replaces the router with a stepper motor, and has various blade holders for the round "pizza cutter" style blades including some for angled cuts like the one in the "Happenings in the Shop" that Brady pointed out. There's also a post-processor for Part Wizard files that calculates the rotation angle of the blade and the pullout angle if the blade is tilted.

I'm not sure that the round cutters would work all that well for mat because of the need for square inside corners, but it wouldn't be too tough to get a different blade holder made that held an Exacto blade. Give ShopBot a call if you want to find out more.

Bill

[dirktheeng]

Thanks very much for your considerations. I do have a couple questions. I want to know how much the rotory cutter accessory would be? Also, would it be difficult to make a user friendly system to cut mats? I think I could handle doing things on a basic programming level, but my dad certainly couldn't. I can engineer and mill a blade holding system easily. Perhaps we can develop something? It would be nice if we could integrate something from a correll draw program or something else.

[Brady Watson]

Dirk,
You will need to call ShopBot directly to get the answers you need: 1.888.680.4466

-B