About 100 years ago (or so it seems) @WillAdams and I had a discussion about methods of front-mounting stock to the Shapeoko, to enable cutting the end of the stock for dovetail joints or any one of the myriad type of joints available out there.
It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a while because, even with a Trend dovetail jig and hours of practice in how to get it wrong, this seemed a reasonable alternative - and the software I’m looking at (until I can afford it, anyway) has a great way to cut proper dovetails.
I’ve used two horizontal t-tracks mounted into cross members and will use clamps to hold the workpiece. I will also produce a vertical guide to ensure the stock is, erm, vertical and a similar guide on the machine bed.
With the bed height of 41.75 inches, I would be able to cut ‘dovetails’ into boards of that length (clearly the scrap board in there is too long!) or a little bit longer.
Of course, this might not be so useful an idea for those machines with a little less ‘overhang’, but it’s great for my S3 XXL!
I’m pretty sure I saw this when you mentioned it before, but over in the UK getting lumps of aluminium like that is pretty rare - and they’d probably never sell it so cheaply.
I had such an experience when I called a woodwork shop for some scrap off-cuts of oak, and they tried to charge me £40 for the privilege. His answer? “Well, it is oak!”
I do like your idea, though, but I’ll see how I get on with this.
Well I’m pretty sure there are Machine Shops in the UK, and they get their metal from a Distributor that probably employs humans, and as human’s make mistake, they probably also have a large scrap bin that they (1) sell to small shops and hobby machinist who ask…or (2) sell to a scrap dealer which you can locate by asking…That’s how I did it. I’m pretty sure that the scrap rate for aluminum (like most metals) is fairly constant. PS I buy my “Drops” and “Oopies” for $2.00 - $2.50 a pound PPS One idiot overpriced woodshop does not make a rule. But perhaps YMMV.
