Edge roundover on plywood.

[david_gardner]

This may be a dumb question but I am not a ShopBotter yet and am trying to find out some of the capabilities of the machine. I am looking at a ShopBot to cutout plywood furniture parts. I need to roundover the edges of the cut parts and would like for the bot to do this operation as well as the cutout. It seems to be pretty easy to have it roundover the top edge but I don't see an easy way to have it do the bottom edge. Is there a way to do this?

[Gary Campbell]

David...
I can think of 3 ways to accomplish this.

1) Cut the part on one side and then flip it to round the edges of the other. This would require some sort of pin, corner block or recessed index system that you would make on the machine.

2) Purchase a bit with a double roundover. This would involve some extra toolpath moves to always enter the bit from the side.

3) Put the roundover on one or both sides with a router table while the Bot is cutting the next batch. This keeps you from staring at the machine!

For virtually each and every unique machining problem, there is most certainly an ingenious ShopBotter or two out there that has a solution. It just takes some practice.
Gary

[knight_toolworks]

roundovers are not a bots great poinds. the material has to be very even in thickness for starters. then the cut as to be perfect in placement. then the time factor so far I think it is faster to do the router overs on a router table while the bot is cutting the parts out. the time and hassle of bit changes and re setting up the parts you have lost all time saved cutting it on the bot.

[david_gardner]

I was hoping to be able to sand / finish these parts while the bot was cutting and rounding over instead os standing at the router table. I like the idea of using a bullnose bit and coming in from the side with the parts up on pucks. I think this might work, material thickness is pretty consistent and I only need a slight curve on the edges. With the bit change time and expense to build a puck system to hold all of these cutout of a full sheet of ply it's probably not worth it. It will be cheaper faster and easier to do them on a router table. It's still way faster to do the cutouts on the bot. Now I just have to wait for the right used machine to come along.

[wayne_walker]

David,

If you run a lot of the same sizes and shapes, various thickness, you could create a full bed fixture that would raise the sheet up and allow the bullnose bit to run in the same slot as the previous cut.

Wayne

[david_gardner]

I thought of that. It would be full sheets of the same pieces but I don't know an overall quantity yet that's gonna depend on sales. For now it's probably best to do them by hand. I don't even need the bot now but I want one and I figure I can take on some other cnc work to keep it busy and paid for.