I am working on a few emblems that are 15.5” wide and 18” tall. They will be machined out of .25” thick aluminum. My straight shank extender hasn’t arrived yet so I am using 2x4” to elevate the work piece and using toe clamps to secure it in place. Toe clamping the work piece on each side isn’t really securing it enough and causes chatter. My question is this, how are you guy securing larger thin pieces of material?
As always I greatly appreciate the input and help!
I use the painters tape and super glue method. This method you can find demonstrated all over youtube by people using CNC routers. Basically lay down painters on your work surface and on the backside of your material, then apply super glue to the taped surfaces and stick your material to the work surface. Peels up easy when your done milling.
are there (or can you add) some thru hole round holes? like for 1/4-20?
Punch some holes in it when its on the toe clamps, then bolt it down to a fixture.
Side note, If you haven’t gotten an extension yet, I would recommend looking at getting something smaller than an er20 -I use an ER11M and with just under a 5/8 dia nut, I can get a lot closer to vertical features, which is very handy when drilling and tapping down inside things.
A Technicks straight shank and the handful of collets you need can be had for a couple hundred.
I do super glue on the work surface and a spray of activator on the piece. Then press together for 10 seconds and it’s good. Super glue in both surfaces can be messy and takes longer to grab solid (cure).
If you choose to use super glue and tape, don’t use flood coolant. It will cause the tape to come loose and there goes your part.
Or if you don’t want to have to muck with tape and glue, make / buy something like this:
https://hackaday.io/project/166349-diy-vacuum-table-for-cnc-machines
Yeah, I feel that! I’ve tried using magnets to hold thinner material, but you need strong ones to handle the heat. Also, small clamps at the edges can help keep things in place without messing with the cut. It’s not the perfect solution, but it worked for me.
powder coating tape and super glue works really well, and it holds up with coolant as long as you prep the surfaces well. I use it with very tiny parts, and they stay in place if I do my part.