Hey CD,
Our mentors and our mechanical/fab team were discussing the best way to hold down versaframe on the bed of our ShopBot PRSalpha 4’x8’. We already bought some toolmakers vices and are planning on mounting those, but our mentors are suggesting other methods, for example woodworking clamps. I don’t think that is a very good idea, but I may be wrong. Thoughts?
What I would do in this situation is use two vices to grab the versa frame on either end and then chuck up a dial indicator and run it down the long edge of the versa frame to get everything nice and squared up. Then I would use an edge finder to locate the part zero. If you need to flip the part and repeat the operation (or a different operation with the same part zero) on the other side, I would set up a stop rod against one end of the tubing so that when you flip it you don’t have to relocate your part zero. The advantage of this compared to clamps for example is that the vices will be rigidly mounted to the table so once you get everything squared up once, you could make hundreds of parts if you wanted to withought having screw around with dial indicators and edgefinders for every new part that you make. After the first part, all you would have to do is drop in your next part, tighten up the vices and hit the green go button.
I have been curious about how to do this as well. The best way I have found is to use T-track:
The cnc makes grooves in a spoil board and you put the T-track in the grooves and attack the clamps to it.
Then you use a dial indicator to make sure the 2x1 (or other objects) are square.
Here’s a photo of our vise jig:
We just bought these and they came in today:
https://www.shars.com/products/workholding/vise/2-x-3-1-4-precision-toolmakers-vise
I know you said you were getting some already but I can keep you posted on how we mount them to our CNC
We use toolmakers vices. I actually emailed Forrest on your team a couple weeks ago about you guys visiting us sometime soon and swapping router techniques. We have used a ShopBot DesktopMAX for the past year or so.
We recently created a custom jig for holding versa frame and other box on our CNC router.
We created an HDPE spoiler board with pocketed machinist vises using the CNC. (Shar’s posted earlier in thread)
We then fabricated custom bushings that go through the factory top of the router and the HDPE with 3/8" ID.
3/8" Shoulder bolts go through the bushings to hold everything in place. (Wingnuts in image)
Finally we created the black index stop from steel / got a usb microscope to find close to exact zero spot and created custom “Index Home Position” in cnc software.
Please feel free to PM with any questions.
We have the exact same setup on our router. Instantly became one of the most used tools in the shop. If you have a router, do this.
