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Thread: What do you use to hold things down?

  1. #1
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    What do you use to hold things down?

    For instance I need to vector cut something out 3mm birch or similar, but the wood even though stored flat has a bow to it. What do you use to weigh things down on your table to make sure they stay put?

    I use magnets when I am etching but they don't work on the cutting bed.

    Greg
    Trotec Speedy 300 60W, with Rotary Attachment
    Corel X8

  2. #2
    I'm interested to hear what others have to say as well. I've got quite a few products that I'll be cutting out of 3mm Baltic birch and it is always a little warped no matter how I store it.

  3. #3
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    Depending on the thing I'm making, I use a couple different techniques. Most often, especially when doing two sided or precision placement engraving and cutting, I make an index table that a workpiece can be secured to with nylon screws. This way I can lock the index plate to the bed and lock down my work piece to the index plate. It's great for repeatability as well, since I work on a maker-shop machine with limited available time. I imagine when I get my own machine I'll do things the same way.

  4. #4
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    Sticky matte for RowMark. Nothing for birch. If it's badly warped, I don't use it. Just a little warped - very little, I use pieces of scrap marble.
    Tim
    There are Big Brain people & Small Brain people. I'm one of the Big Brains - with a lot of empty space.- me
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  5. #5
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    In asking this, please keep in mind I don't have a laser yet. The only honeycomb I have has honey in it.

    I was curious though. Has anyone tried making something similar to a wood workers Bench Dog for use on your honeycombs? A bench dog is typically a cylinder, sometimes with a lip on the top that gets inserted into holes in your work table and used either as a point to push against with a vise, or to hold things by themselves. Friction and the slight cant that is caused by pressure being applied to it are what keeps it down.

    In the case of a honeycomb your dog would need to be a hex shape to match your table rather than a cylinder. But that would be fairly easy to form. They are simple, easy to put in place and easy to remove, and low profile which would be important on a laser bed. If they would work they would be useable on both steel and aluminum tables. You wouldn't need much holding force to keep a slightly bowed 1/8in ply flat so any stress placed on the honey comb should be pretty light.

    Any wood workers out there with lasers who have dinked with this idea? Any merit to it?

    Another thought might be a cloth divers weight. You can get them in various sizes/weights. They are filled with lead shot and usually made of neoprene or nylon. If you have access to some lead shot you could make some easily in whatever size and weight you wanted?

    Dave
    900x600 80watt EFR Tube laser from Liaocheng Ray Fine Tech LTD. Also a 900x600 2.5kw spindle CNC from Ray Fine. And my main tool, a well used and loved Jet 1642 Woodlathe with an outboard toolrest that helps me work from 36 inch diameters down to reallllllly tiny stuff.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Bateson View Post
    Sticky matte for RowMark. Nothing for birch. If it's badly warped, I don't use it. Just a little warped - very little, I use pieces of scrap marble.
    Not using warped sheets would be ideal, but not sure that's practical in my case. I have to do production runs (my first run will be for 2000 pieces) of these game rulers:



    I would end up with a lot of unused sheets if I could only cut the nearly flat ones. And being that I'm cutting a full sheet with almost no dead space, laying a largish object on the sheet while cutting to hold it down would not work very well either. I guess I could run it as two separate files, doing one half of the sheet and then the other.

    Once these are cut out, any that are warped badly can be wet and flattened out under a milk jug full of water in a couple of hours. Unfortunately, I've not been able to that with a full sheet.

  7. #7
    I pretty much gave up on thin baltic birch and switched to using acrylic. Less waste and a very good look. I realize you may not have that option.

    Dave
    the honeycomb is very thin (possibly .010") and somewhat fragile for the application you suggest.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

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  8. #8
    Dave,

    I have a NdFeB magnet trick that works on the Rabbit aluminium cutting beds, holds just about anything flat including 1/4 warped ply I'll ping you an email with the pictures.

    cheers

    Dave
    You did what !

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Upton View Post
    Not using warped sheets would be ideal, but not sure that's practical in my case. I have to do production runs (my first run will be for 2000 pieces) of these game rulers:
    I would end up with a lot of unused sheets if I could only cut the nearly flat ones...
    I buy my Baltic Birch from a fellow Creeker & seldom have an issue with warpage.. unless I lay a sheet in the wrong position for awhile.
    Tim
    There are Big Brain people & Small Brain people. I'm one of the Big Brains - with a lot of empty space.- me
    50W Fiber - Raycus/MaxPhotonics - It's a metal eating beast!
    Epilog Fusion M2 50/30 Co2/Fiber - 2015
    Epilog Mini 24 – 35watt - 2006 (Original Tube)
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    - Liberty Laser LLC

  10. #10
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    Dave! An aluminum magnet? I am anxious to see this!! <grin>

    Mike Null! Thanks!! I was wondering how thin and fragile that aluminum honeycomb was. The few steel ones I have seen seemed like they would be OK. Bu am just guessing of course.

    Dave
    900x600 80watt EFR Tube laser from Liaocheng Ray Fine Tech LTD. Also a 900x600 2.5kw spindle CNC from Ray Fine. And my main tool, a well used and loved Jet 1642 Woodlathe with an outboard toolrest that helps me work from 36 inch diameters down to reallllllly tiny stuff.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sheldrake View Post
    Dave,

    I have a NdFeB magnet trick that works on the Rabbit aluminium cutting beds, holds just about anything flat including 1/4 warped ply I'll ping you an email with the pictures.

    cheers

    Dave

    Please do greg @ cutoutlaser . com
    Trotec Speedy 300 60W, with Rotary Attachment
    Corel X8

  12. #12
    I have used the BB that Mike Kowalczyk sells and had good success with it but still had an issue from time to time. If I need 3mm BB he is my go to guy.

    It's sometimes possible to use a concept like fender washers and wing nuts.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  13. #13
    Make a slide in fixture that will hold the material flat. Doesn't control what will happen after it is cut but it certainly will keep things flat while cutting

  14. #14
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ross Moshinsky View Post
    Make a slide in fixture that will hold the material flat. Doesn't control what will happen after it is cut but it certainly will keep things flat while cutting
    would you happen to have pictures of said contraption you could share?
    Trotec Speedy 300 60W, with Rotary Attachment
    Corel X8

  15. #15
    I get BB from Woodworkers Source its pretty good most the time but on occasion magnets do the trick. Of course you need a steel honey comb. I'm curious about the bench dog Dave mentioned. Would they have to go all the way thru the hole or do they grip the inside wall somehow. I'm going to look into that.
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