My latest Pen attachment

[Michael Simpson Virgina]

This is my best ever. Cost me about $20 for parts. The pens are mounted in a piece of 3/4" square aluminum and are held in place by friction in a piece of C channel aluminum attached to the pen holder.

Its nothing more than a 12" drawer slide mounted upside down on a piece of birch ply attached to the posts of my Festool MFK700.



Here is a vid on my latest build. I

[paul mott]

Brilliant pen attachment Michael, I have just got to make one of those.

Paul.

[Bryan Cowan]

That's awesome, Mike.

I'm having a hard time figuring out why you'd need this though?

Bryan

[Michael Simpson Virgina]

I use it for a couple of things.

1. Its a very easy way to tune you system.
2. With ultrafine point perminat markers I can add text to the back of my Fancy PC builds.
3. I have used it to create large Tecnical drawings at actual size. IE I can create drill points on a piece of paper or card board that can be layed over an object and using an autopuch I can create very acurate pilot holes. This means you can create patterns up to the size of you machine.
4. The next step is to add a Vinal cutter to to the thing.

[Bryan Cowan]

I use it for a couple of things.

1. Its a very easy way to tune you system.
2. With ultrafine point perminat markers I can add text to the back of my Fancy PC builds.
3. I have used it to create large Tecnical drawings at actual size. IE I can create drill points on a piece of paper or card board that can be layed over an object and using an autopuch I can create very acurate pilot holes. This means you can create patterns up to the size of you machine.
4. The next step is to add a Vinal cutter to to the thing.

Nice way to think outside of the box...I'm still trying to get out

I'd be interested in the vinyl cutter whenever that comes to fruition.

[Keith Outten]

Bryan,

A pen attachment is the hot setup for sign makers. You can plot a full size template for installing letters that includes the mounting holes and tape the template to the wall to mark the holes for each letter. This technique provides an easy way to mount letters or complex graphics on a wall and assure perfect alignment.

You can also offer customers full size templates for layout work. Construction companies often need templates to lay off or to prove proper placement of kitchen equipment and condiut/piping that rises up from under the floor into cabinets. They often prefer to have plywood templates cut on a CNC Router but there are times when a paper template would be acceptable and they can be rolled up and sent through the mail.

The size of a template that can be produced on a CNC Router is unlimited. Using match marks to align sheets you could produce a template of almost any size. I use rolls of clear poly to make templates when I need a bit more durability then paper.
.

[Jerome Stanek]

I use mine for when I get a job from one of my customers that prints on sintra and I have to cut it out on their line. I lay some news print over it and plot it to see if their zero point is the same as mine and how close my cut will be before I ruin it.

Also I have the Widget Works Unlimited vinyl cutter. I do cut a little vinyl with it.

[Greg Holt]

4. The next step is to add a Vinal cutter to to the thing.

You have the mount for a vinyl cutter there already. Does it have any play?

Get a Roland blade holder for about $10 and make a bracket to go on your draw slide.

Blades in pack of 9 for less than two dollars each

Definitely no need to pay $150

Greg

[Bryan Cowan]

Bryan,

A pen attachment is the hot setup for sign makers. You can plot a full size template for installing letters that includes the mounting holes and tape the template to the wall to mark the holes for each letter. This technique provides an easy way to mount letters or complex graphics on a wall and assure perfect alignment.

You can also offer customers full size templates for layout work. Construction companies often need templates to lay off or to prove proper placement of kitchen equipment and condiut/piping that rises up from under the floor into cabinets. They often prefer to have plywood templates cut on a CNC Router but there are times when a paper template would be acceptable and they can be rolled up and sent through the mail.

The size of a template that can be produced on a CNC Router is unlimited. Using match marks to align sheets you could produce a template of almost any size. I use rolls of clear poly to make templates when I need a bit more durability then paper.
.

Thanks. I suppose there are endless possibilities with these CNC machines. But because I stick to cutting sheets of aluminum, I don't have the time/opportunity to try everything out