Video of my shopbot making guitar FX pedals.

[byoc]

I know most of you guys use your shopbot to do woodworking in one form or another so you may find this interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoSVAeMCoY4

It took a lot of work to design a jig that would hold the boxes steady enough. I went through several versions before getting it right. The jig in the vid is made of MDF so it probably won't last too long. I guess I'll eventually have to remake it out of HDU or something like that, but at least I've got the part files ready to go now.

Another "trial and error" issue was the chipload. Onsrud said run the bit at 18K rpm and 300ips for aluminum, but I found that it actually works best at 500ips. I guess it's because diecast aluminum is so much softer. I went through about $200 worth in bits before getting it right.

I made sure to get a close up of how nice the edges look at the end of the video. A batch of enclosures that size on the drill press would have taken one man the entire day to do. Only took me 4 hours on the shopbot and I'll get it down to 3 once I get used to everything...and I can do other things around the shop while it's going....although it sucks having to wear ear protection now. Guess I need to get those headphones that block noise and play music too.

[edcoleman]

Verrry cool Keith. I have an off topic question for you: what s/w did you use for editing your video? I'm in the market for an editing package for home use and have just started the research...your stop-motion special effect when unloading the table was interesting.

-Ed

[paco]

Nice work Keith! Thanks for sharing!

I like your JIG. What's wrong with it? I really don't think it'll last better if made from HDU; you may want to look for HDF (harder MDF).

You got your tool very productive; I mean, that's probably 0.063" to 0.125" aluminum, and you cut it like butter. What tool you finally went with? I gotta save for a spindle...

[byoc]

I just used windows movie maker. Comes with the operating system. Not very powerful, but if you just want to get something on the web, it makes it very easy.

I did the fast forward by using "manual capture". You cue the camera to where you want to start capturing footage and click the button. When you click the button, you hit the fast forward on the video camera. So your computer is capturing the data as usual, but it's the camera that is actually FF'ing.

So I didn't use any sort of S/W effect. It was just a trick. I don't think WMM has a fast forward effect.

[stevem]

You should be able to same a substantial amount of time by reducing Z axis movement to .1” above the material, except when moving between fixture sections. Additional time can be saved by cutting all the holes in one section before moving on to the next section.

[byoc]

Hey Paco,

I've got the Alpha 96. I was really worried about how well it would cut die cast aluminum but the 1/8" onsrud spiral 0 flute is the ticket part # 63-606

Hey Steve,

Yeah, there are some areas where I can shave 15 or 30 minutes. In the video, I'm doing 3 passes. This is because I didn't screw down the center of the jig base so it bowed up when I screwed on the top. I can reduce that to just two passes now that I've fixed that - one to make the cut, the second to clean any burrs.

But as for completing one section before moving on, I would like to do that, but the SB seems to have a mind of its own there. I've tried shuffleing the way I groupd vectors before calculating tool paths and it still has no effect. Still semi-random drilling patterns.

[paco]

That's a bit that I already have tested but I broke the point from WAY too much vibrations. Still, that bit grind is something. I have the 620 but haven't yet tried it.
I think my problem is the router; either PC, Makita, Milwaukee or what ever else, it's made for CNC purpose in mind even if it do the job very often.

About the rapids from your toolpath, you may want to have a look at Bill Young's Variablizer to see if you couldn't work out something. Another idea would be to Block copy one part's toolpath into your JIG's grid with the low rise rapids then merged them with Bill Young's Part File Assembler.
This is the sort of problem that can be work out with some fellow Botter friends! I'll see if I think of something...

[edcoleman]

D'oh! sometimes the simplest answer is the best. Thanks Kieth.

BTW, regarding the toolpath ordering issue, I don't believe it is the "grouping" of the vectors that you want to change rather it is the "order". I most often use Corel Draw for doing my drawings. In that program you can change the order by going to the menu option "Arrange>Order..."

different CAD packages have different commands, but I'm sure that the option will be there in your software. Hope that helps.

-Ed

[beacon14]

As Paco alludes to, this would be an easy task to optimize just one part, then write a file that repeats that part as many times as it takes to cover your jig.

[bill.young]

Check out the "S_nest.sbp" routine in the "C:\SBParts" folder...

[byoc]

A nesting program was what I was eventually going to start using. But I've been using block copy for now because I'm just so happy to finally start using my machine in a production manner...especially since I had to fire the guy who was my main drill press operator...which I guess it worked out well that he got himself fired due to his behavior rather that me having to give him a "sorry but you've been replaced by a machine" speech.

I'm exaggerating. He had enough other things to do besides running the drill press that the shopbot wouldn't have put him out of work, but it is a HUGE relief to finally get my shopbot working. He was just as excited as me to get it running, but alas, the poor chap never got to see it in action.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!