Shopbot for solid surface countertop applications

[dlinder33]

Is the Shopbot a capable machine for cutting and shaping solid surface sheets into countertops? I'm looking at purchasing a vertical Panel Saw but the shopbot looks interesting for the price.

[evan]

The short answer: YES
I have a PRTALpha with a Milwaukee router and I've cut alot of Richlite (http://www.richlite.com)countertops in the past. It's more dense and much harder than corian and the like. I would have preferred a spindle rather than a router in this situation for cutting speed and power, and vacuum hold down would be a must. IMHO

[scottj]

Hi Davis,
As evan stated the solid surface material can be cut on the machine. The better the setup (ie. spindle, Vac hold-down system) the beter the results. My Introduction to Shopbot was while working at a solid surface shop and my background is 18 years of doing corian and the like. You will have much more capabilities with the Shopbot than you will with the panel saw. IMHO

[shawn394]

Hi Davis

I have a solid surface fabrication shop and have no problems cutting my products. I have a PRTAlpha with a 60x144 table, 5hp spindle and a vacuum hold down system. In addition to cutting out the countertops I also rout out areas for poured inlays. You can see examples of both the bot at work and some inlays at my web site, http://www.rojollc.com/gallery.html . A panel saw is great if you have lots of straight cuts, but if you have any kind of curves or angles the shopbot is the way to go. I am currently building a curved reception desk out of solid surface. I will have some pictures of it when it is finished.

Shawn

[cnc_works]

Shawn, nice work, nice site!

I would be very interested in the material you pour for the inlays. And do you use a v-groove for the finer lines? Or do you use a clearance, then a smaller bit for detail? I have a lot of scrap corian that I would like to recycle like that.

Donn

[zeykr]

Shawn,
I'd like to know more about the poured inlay process also.

[matt_r]

I'll throw in what I use for poured inlays. Check out this link:
http://www.specialtytools.com/cgi-bin/web_store/web_store.cgi?page=ss_adhesive/acryline.html&cart_id=7721301_19863

I have only ordered the white color, but I have been very pleased with the results. I am not a solid surface shop, but I get scrap from those places and turn it into cutting boards. Like this one
8331

Once I discovered the Acryline stuff, I can now do this:

8332

The stuff is a little pricey in my opinion, but very good to work with.

-matt

[shawn394]

I used a 1/16" straight bit for the fine lines on the rocket and then clearanced with the bigest bit that would still get the detail, I think it was a 1/8 on the rocket. The lettering is done with a v-grove bit. I use the Acryline from Specialty Tools. So far I have just been using the black, but I am going to use some other colors shortly. Most of the other fabricators that I know use the same product. You just have to get all the bubbles out.

Shawn

[dlinder33]

Thanks for all the input guys I really appreciate it. It looks like yall have started a new thread inside mine.

Davis

[shawn394]

I have added some pictures of the curved reception desk I was cutting with my bot to my web page. The owners were really pleased with the way it turned out. http://www.rojollc.com/gallery.html

Shawn