Vertical Board Holder

[Squidhead]

Morning All,
Just wanted to show some pics of a vertical board holder I made for the CNC over the past few days.

I wanted to be able to hold boards vertically for making finger joints (and others on the CNC)

Below is the result. Hopefully I will get to test it out later today.

I have also made an adapter to enable the spindle to get out over the end of the table.

Feedback welcome.

Cheers

Johno

[snowyskiesau]

I like that!
I'd be interested in the adaptor you made for the spindle.

[epineh]

Good idea, I was going to cut a rectangular hole in the middle of my table to do the same thing, so I could do dovetails, but your idea is a little less destructive

Cheers.

Russell.

[Squidhead]

Here is a shot of the spindle adapter. It is very crude, more so a proof of concept before I machine something more aesthetically pleasing. This piece was cobbled together from scrap profile I had hidden away.

With the adapter in place I do lose the same cutting area from the other end of the table, but the joy is that it is completely reversible within minutes which is what I was after.

Cheers

Johno

[Squidhead]

Finally got a chance to test the setup with some 6mm scrap red oak I had laying about.

The first attempt I loaded two 6mm boards into the jig and test cut to see fit.

The second attempt I offset one board by the thickness of the finger (10mm) and clamped it in the jig.

The fit is nice and solid.

I can say I am a happy camper tonight. I didn't think the would come out as nice as they did (I think they look good)

I cut these with a 6mm end mill with a spindle speed around 13k

Johno

[snowyskiesau]

Not bad for a first pass!
When will we see some dovetails?

[Squidhead]

Will give the dovetails a crack when I suss out how to draw them

Johno

[Ger21]

Give me the board thickness and width, and the tool size, and the width of your vertical fixture, and I can generate the g-code with the dovetail program I'm writing.

[Squidhead]

Hi Ger, thanks mate.

I will get some measurements together over the next few days. The good wife had me in the roof running new cabling today so I didn't get too much workshop time unfortunately.

Cheers

Johno

[Bob Willson]

Also, with that amount of distance of the head from the centre of the cross rail support (leverage) you will need to be careful of vertical movementdue to the excessive leverage you now have. ie, your cutting point is no longer centered in the middle of your bearings.

[Squidhead]

I agree Bob, I will be keeping a very close eye on how it goes over the next little while.

I haven't progressed to Dovetails but will do soon enough.........................it's on the list

Hopefully I get to test this one out today. I drew it last night in VCarve after the kids went to bed. It was going to be a clover looking joint but turned out more like a heart shape.............well kind of )

Johno

[Bob Willson]

That looks really good johno.

You should take Ger up on his offer. I have previewed some of his stuff and it is really good.

[Squidhead]

Here are some pics of the joint I drew in VCarve last night.

The timber is 13mm Red Oak.

The vertical board is pocket cut using a 1/8" end mill to 13mm. The "tails" are profile cut using a 1/8" end mill to 13mm.

The first tails wouldn't fit as I didn't add an offset in, so after a snappy amendment to the tails drawing (0.2mm offset outwards) all good

Fit is snug, what I would call just right (or TLAR................That Looks About Right ) )

I am really having fun with this.

Cheers

Johno

[Bob Willson]

They look really good Johno.

Do you scale for different board widths and thicknesses or just redo the whole drawing?

[Squidhead]

They look really good Johno.

Do you scale for different board widths and thicknesses or just redo the whole drawing?

Thanks Bob

I haven't tried for other board widths or thicknesses yet but I suspect I could the drawings to accommodate. It is very much a works in progress.

Johno