Last night i was cutting out a project. It is 14" x 14" and 1.5" thick. The object is basically a circle. I started to screw down the 4 corners and the center but decided my cam clamps would hold it adequately.
Wrong! About 90% of the way through the last contour cut I heard the router start making a horrible noise and saw the back of the project start coming up. I slammed on the Emergency Start button and stopped the carve. I put the screws in and edited the file to only cut the last contour starting at 1" to the bottom. As soon as the router started I could hear the router sounded funny. The machine started around the circle and got louder and louder so again I stopped the project.
The bit is a 1.5" cutting depth 1/4" bit. I think it was bent. So I replaced the bit with a spare one I had and started the last contour again starting at the top. The router immediately sounded better and I got the cut finished. However I had not noticed that on the original foul up the bit had cut inside the circle and basically ruined the project.
Well I glued up the plywood and cut it to size on the table saw and got it mounted on the spoilboard. I will get to cutting it tonight. I placed 5 screws, well 4 for now and after setting zero in the center I will drive the 5th screw in before cutting. The project had tabs but the vibration must have allowed the project to move.
I started to put screws in but said NAH and now after having to prepare a new blank and wasted a whole day and possibly ruining a $30.00 bit I put the screws in I should have put in the first place.
The morale of the story is when your senses tell you that you are making a mistake, listen.
When cutting in my table saw I often pause and try to rethink what I am doing. Is there another way which I have more control. That is always a wise decision on a table saw.
Certainly understand the issue and the frustrations.
Not sure if you’ve seen one of my earlier posts about enclosures, but this is exactly the reason I wrestle with building or not building a sound enclosure.
I too, as I’m sure most have, have had projects come loose and even to the point of almost starting a fire. Really scary for sure.
Table saws certainly scary…I bought a Sawstop just for that reason and have saved my hand/fingers multiple times now.
My current most apprehensive usage is with my bandsaw . Cut my finger badly in HS Shop and never have forgotten.
Curious, Do you currently have a sound enclosure for your CNC?
Here is why the router was sounding funny even when it was running well. The bit is a Melin AMB-808-#AITIN The overall length is 4 inches and has a 1.5 inch cutting depth. When I put these bits in the router (Dewalt 611) I push them all the way up and back down about a 1/4". If you only seat them to the collet depth when you start the router they are very sensitive to runout. So the combination of a long length and 1.5" cutting depth it created a lot of vibration. The project just wiggled its way loose.
I thought about putting a butterfly patch in the back but in the end it was just easier to cut a new one.
This is a Jet 1221 VS Steady Rest for one of my woodworking club members. He turns and sells his products at craft shows. I also made him a Wedgie Sled for cutting segmented bowls. I posted the instructions for making the Wedgie Wedges in the “How to” section if you are interested.
As an after thought the material is maple plywood. Would you select “Hardwood” or “Softwood”. I selected softwood because it is plywood. For hardwood plywood what do you select for your tool database?
I have compared the same tool with softwood vs hardwood and the softwood tool runs about 15% faster over the hardwood tool.
