cutting veneer

[angelosart]

I want to cut some veneer with my SB Buddy. I was looking at the Donek device, but I don't have the money at this time. If I use carpet tape and a sacrificial board underneath will I get a clean cut? Any recommendations on feeds and speeds? Any other options would be appreciated.

Angelo

[bleeth]

That works and I have used it. I used a 1/8" and a 1/16" straight flute and downcutters at different times with similar results. Make sure your table under your board is flat as you don't want to have to cut too deep, as the bits can be fragile.
Also, if you are doing a bunch of very small pieces that will fit together like marquetry you may have an issue with the backlash in your mill. You can overcome that by stretching a bungee cord from your motor mounts and z-car to a fixed point. How tight and how long could be a bit of experimenting, but the idea is to have enough tension on it to overcome the backlash. If you have an Alpha this should be less of an issue, but could still be present.

[tlempicke]

An old trick that has been posted many times on this board, and works like a charm.

Coat the back of the veneer with release tape, the kind that sign cutters use. If you don't have that handy wide masking tape will work but it is a bit stickier.

Use 3M spray glue to glue the sandwich face up on a thin sheet of plywood. Use a J roller or squeegee to get a bubble free bond.

Cut with a single flute 1/8 inch plastic cutter at 14000 rpm about 90 inches per sec. Cut just into the underlaying plywood.

Did all of the veneer for a 1932 Rolls Royce this way and it worked great.

[Bob Eustace]

What a fantastic method. We bought a huge roll of the sign writers film to use for masking as we couldnt get out here in Oz the correct stuff you use. Now we have a ready use for it! Thank you. Of course it will probably see me out as most of our inlays use that fantastic idiot proof vee carve method.

[khaos]

Definately use the straight flute!! I have cut with 1/8th and 1/16th with great success.