Hello! I’m new to using CNC machines and I’m about to purchase a Shapeoko 5 Pro 4’x4’. I plan to use it primarily for serial production of equipment, meaning I’ll be making the same parts repeatedly. I’ll be using 4’x8’ plywood, and I know this machine can handle that size without any issues.
My main concern is how to properly secure the plywood: I need a method that is easy to set up and remove to optimize production time, but still maintains the quality and accuracy of the parts. What methods would you recommend for this type of application? I appreciate any opinions or tips you can share. Thank you!
If you plan to machine the whole 4’x8’ sheet and your using Carbide Create, tiling would need to be used.
Check out this video and it might give you some ideas for what your planning to cut.
If I have some places where I can have holes in the material, and those holes won’t get hit by the endmill I will drill holes and use the t-track and Teez Nutz to bolt down the material.
Thanks for the tip, I looked a lot into the AirWeights as well as the black box vacuum, the suction pumps are quite different, it seems to me that the black box has much more suction than the AirWeights system.
I can use this system, but I believe it would not be enough. I have many small parts and I also believe it would take a while to fix and release all the parts. Even so, I appreciate the recommendation.
The Black Box appears to be quite a bit more expensive and doesn’t include the fixture sound have to add that or build one. I have never used a vac table so can’t really speak to how the difference in suction power really manifests itself. Presumably the higher power will allow you to overcome more leaks.
If you inclined to go that route I would definitely check out some YouTube videos.
