With all the really exciting machines being launched we have neglected to note a couple of other cool tools that have hit the store recently:
We have the new super hold kit:
We also have the Lock Stops:
Enjoy!
I was really hoping one of those “cool tools” was going to be the proximity switch upgrade for the shapeoko! Any news on that?
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That tape is a good tape! Masking tapes are fickle products.
But how do cyanoacrylate products vary between brands? Are Bob Smith Industries - err, Carbide 3D -glues and accelerators significantly different to other CA glues? Do they stick harder or faster?
We’re getting closer — the instructions are up:
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My 2 cents.
I’ve been using BSI ca for a few years now.
Without accelerator.
For full XL cutting area sized jobs down to a few square cm’s.
I use the 8oz size stored on top of my enclosure. I had one bottle over a year, busy doing other things, it was still good when I got back to cnc’ing.
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I got tired of hardened bottles and tubes of CA a while ago and went readin’
CA glue is mostly triggered to polymerise by the presence of water (or the activator), this happens when you let it meet the atmosphere with humidity, it’s also why it sticks skin and eyes so fast.
To keep it from going off I now put my bottle / tube in a good ziplock bag or airtight food box when I’m done using them and they’ve stayed liquid for me.
It’s the exact opposite of Tite Bond which needs the water taken away.
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In addition to storage a plastic bag if you have any of the desiccant packs / silica gels you get from various things such as shoes or other packages place those with your CA glue. They remove the moisture as well to prevent curing.
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So, what’s the deal with the proximity switch upgrade? Are the existing switches on my brand new XXL not good enough, then?
more like getting us folks with older to your level 
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The Omron push button switches are fine — I have them on my SO3 at my mother-in-law’s and won’t be changing them.
Inductive homing switch advantages:
- no contact, so shouldn’t be breakable
- greater precision, but this is mostly theoretical
If you’re not breaking switches there’s no reason to change.
Any source on this, Will? I’ve read datasheets and can’t see where the love of the proximity switches comes from.
The no contact is an advantage, but only if they are equally repeatable in they’re switching precision.
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I doubt we’ll see a datasheet on the inductive switches from any no-name imports.
An example of a ~$40 industrial Panasonic sensor advertises “Repeatability: Along sensing axis, perpendicular to sensing axis: 0.04mm/0.002in or less”
The datasheet for Omron D2QW doesn’t describe repeatability, I have read that typical physical limit switches can have repeatability towards 0.003" or lower.
Of course there is other factors in play, your homing speed, cnc controller Hz, switch response Hz (non-passive), etc.
It isn’t hard to measure repeatability using a dial indicator set to the home off position and re-home multiple times to get a decent sample size.
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There was some discussion of mech vs. proximity in this thread;
An interesting point made in the thread above is that the step size of the machine 0.025mm presents a limit to the achieved positioning accuracy, whatever the precision of the switches is. Belt stretching and ageing will presumably effect this.
However this thread suggests the mech switches may be more of an issue for some;
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Oh, so have I got the new ones already, then?
Super 
Correct! Cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesives, polymerize in the presence of water while PVA glues don’t polymerize and instead just dry out to cure.
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Really looking forward to the mini tiger claws. My only regret is that they weren’t available sooner!
Also I think @wmoy was totally right in calling them Kitten claw clamps.
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If you want precision, try optical switches.
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